All About Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Structural Iron or Steel Worker Example 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.
Life As a Structural Iron or Steel Worker
- Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them or use rope to guide them into position.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Catch hot rivets in buckets and insert rivets in holes, using tongs.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.
- Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Structural Iron or Steel Worker?
These are the skills Structural Iron and Steel Workers say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Types of Structural Iron or Steel Worker
- Rebar Fabricator
- Ornamental Ironworker
- Combination Worker
- Metal Buildings Assembler
- Layout Worker
Structural Iron or Steel Worker Employment Estimates
There were about 70,200 jobs for Structural Iron or Steel Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 9,000 new jobs for Structural Iron or Steel Worker by 2026. The BLS estimates 8,700 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Structural Iron or Steel Worker are Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or Louisiana. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Structural Iron and Steel Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Structural Iron and Steel Workers is somewhere between $32,240 and $93,760.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers who work in New Jersey, New York, or Illinois, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Structural Iron and Steel Workers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $48,590 |
Alaska | $71,080 |
Arizona | $47,930 |
Arkansas | $40,760 |
California | $67,130 |
Colorado | $52,620 |
Connecticut | $68,550 |
Delaware | $50,450 |
District of Columbia | $58,650 |
Florida | $43,880 |
Georgia | $41,760 |
Hawaii | $74,110 |
Idaho | $39,230 |
Illinois | $83,580 |
Indiana | $56,830 |
Iowa | $54,850 |
Kansas | $42,810 |
Kentucky | $46,640 |
Louisiana | $50,690 |
Maine | $50,570 |
Maryland | $53,200 |
Massachusetts | $76,810 |
Michigan | $55,200 |
Minnesota | $65,800 |
Mississippi | $41,860 |
Missouri | $55,770 |
Montana | $49,600 |
Nebraska | $40,320 |
Nevada | $39,840 |
New Hampshire | $45,880 |
New Jersey | $86,340 |
New Mexico | $51,860 |
New York | $85,410 |
North Carolina | $41,040 |
North Dakota | $50,500 |
Ohio | $59,900 |
Oklahoma | $42,760 |
Oregon | $70,540 |
Pennsylvania | $60,100 |
Rhode Island | $74,540 |
South Carolina | $43,640 |
South Dakota | $42,070 |
Tennessee | $47,860 |
Texas | $44,370 |
Utah | $47,430 |
Vermont | $47,570 |
Virginia | $51,220 |
Washington | $75,020 |
West Virginia | $54,830 |
Wisconsin | $58,470 |
Wyoming | $56,760 |
What Tools & Technology do Structural Iron and Steel Workers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Structural Iron and Steel Workers:
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Inventory tracking software
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
- Cost estimating software
- Project scheduling software
How to Become a Structural Iron or Steel Worker
What kind of Structural Iron or Steel Worker requirements are there?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Structural Iron or Steel Worker?

Where Structural Iron and Steel Workers Work

The table below shows the approximate number of Structural Iron and Steel Workers employed by various industries.

Related Careers
Career changers with experience as a Structural Iron or Steel Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Margo Wright via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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