Structural Iron and Steel Workers Salary: $77,874 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 64,720 structural iron and steel workers nationally earn a mean of $77,874. Employment in the series shown fell about 10% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.5% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Structural Iron and Steel Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about structural iron and steel workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a structural iron and steel workers?
Structural Iron and Steel Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2221.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 64,720 workers.
What does a structural iron and steel workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a structural iron and steel workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $62,700 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $77,874 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,455 |
| 25th percentile | $50,934 |
| Median (50th) | $74,168 |
| 75th percentile | $104,628 |
| 90th percentile | $111,700 |
What education do you need?
For Structural Iron and Steel Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Coordination, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is structural iron and steel workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 2.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 5.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 64,720.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do structural iron and steel workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 64,720 | 20.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 64,240 | 19.8% |
| Construction | 54,840 | 16.9% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 39,220 | 12.1% |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 33,590 | 10.4% |
| Construction of Buildings | 12,290 | 3.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Structural Iron and Steel Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Structural Iron and Steel Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
64,720 Workforce in 2023
The Structural Iron and Steel Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$77,874 Average Wage
In 2023, Structural Iron and Steel Workers earned an average of $77,874.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Salary distribution for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
27,379 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.6%
28,096 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 5.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Structural Iron and Steel Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Structural Iron and Steel Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 10,090 employees, $52,050 avg wage
- CA: 6,970 employees, $75,650 avg wage
- IL: 3,250 employees, $96,670 avg wage
- NY: 3,190 employees, $94,380 avg wage
- AZ: 3,110 employees, $60,640 avg wage
- IN: 2,530 employees, $70,940 avg wage
- MA: 2,160 employees, $105,960 avg wage
- FL: 2,040 employees, $54,390 avg wage
- MI: 2,010 employees, $65,070 avg wage
- OH: 1,920 employees, $67,580 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,230 employees, $51,740 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,120 employees, $55,430 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,100 employees, $102,260 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,640 employees, $98,650 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,580 employees, $61,520 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,240 employees, $77,630 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,450 employees, $105,140 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 1,330 employees, $60,600 avg wage
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: 940 employees, $70,260 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 880 employees, $67,550 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Structural Iron and Steel Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Structural Iron and Steel Workers in 2023 was 64,720 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Structural Iron and Steel Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Structural Iron and Steel Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Skills
Structural Iron and Steel Workers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Coordination, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Structural Iron and Steel Workers include Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Structural Iron and Steel Workers include Multilimb Coordination, Static Strength, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Visualization, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
Daily Activities
Structural Iron and Steel Workers spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Structural Iron and Steel Workers.
About
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
The average yearly wage for Structural Iron and Steel Workers was $77,874 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2221 - Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Structural Iron and Steel Workers reports an average salary of $77,874.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 64,720 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.