Ironworking
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Types of Degrees Ironworking Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many ironworking/ironworker graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Undergraduate Certificate | 134 |
Associate Degree | 90 |
Basic Certificate | 2 |
What Ironworking Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to ironworking and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Ironworking Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

- Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Skills for Ironworking Majors
A major in ironworking prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- 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.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Abilities for Ironworking Majors
As you progress with your ironworking degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without ‘giving out’ or fatiguing.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Ironworking?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ironworking majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 0 |
Black or African American | 4 |
Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
White | 63 |
International Students | 0 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 21 |
How Much Do Ironworking Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
The median salary for someone in a career related to ironworking is $36,820. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Ironworking
Some careers associated with ironworking require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to ironworking have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 28.0% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 54.6% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 13.7% |
Some College Courses | 4.2% |
Doctoral Degree | 1.5% |
Online Ironworking Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 4 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 4 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Ironworking Worth It?
The median salary for a ironworking grad is $36,820 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

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Trades Related to Ironworking
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ironworking.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Welding Technology/Welder | 46,029 |
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist | 3,181 |
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist | 2,275 |
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant | 1,588 |
Tool & Die Technology/Technician | 541 |
Metal Fabricator | 413 |
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking | 319 |
Other Precision Metal Working | 218 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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