Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
What it pays
Structural Iron and Steel Workers earn a median of $30.18/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.43/hr; the top 10% earn $52.05/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Structural Iron and Steel Workers earn a median of $30.18/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.43/hr; the top 10% earn $52.05/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
- Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.9% of structural iron and steel workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
Quick questions
- How much does a structural iron and steel worker make?
- The median pay is $30.18 per hour — roughly $63,000 a year, with the real range running from about $21.43/hr (10th percentile) to $52.05/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a structural iron and steel worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a structural iron and steel worker actually do all day?
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required. Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors. Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.