Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 47-2221

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, then wages beside peers such as Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Terrazzo Workers and Finishers, First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Structural Iron and Steel Workers: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($64K) , Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K) , First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Structural Iron and Steel Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2221 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required
  2. 2. Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors
  3. 3. Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place
  4. 4. Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope
  5. 5. Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural…
  6. 6. Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels
  7. 7. Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment
  8. 8. Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway gu…
  9. 9. Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools
  10. 10. Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place
  11. 11. Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting, as needed
  12. 12. Drive drift pins through rivet holes to align rivet holes in structural steel members with corresponding holes in previously placed members

Structural Iron and Steel Workers: O*NET ranks Coordination first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2221 - lead skill Coordination at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Coordination 3.6
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Operation and Control 3.6
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.1
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.0
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.6
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.7
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.5
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 3.3
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.0
  6. 6. English Language 2.9
Occupation safety grade
C
Moderate Risk
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $62,780/yr
$63K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
5,500
Annual openings
68,380
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Structural Iron and Steel Workers

1. New York $92,610
2. Minnesota $95,320
3. New Jersey $113,220
4. Washington $107,660
5. Hawaii $99,860
6. Oregon $96,050
7. Wisconsin $92,820
8. Rhode Island $98,320
9. Massachusetts $120,840
10. Illinois $101,850

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  3. 3. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  4. 4. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  5. 5. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $63,800
  6. 6. Boilermakers $76,410

Structural Iron and Steel Workers carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of C from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $62,780 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations (SOC 47-2221).

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New York at $92,610. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay-rank #15 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Among 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with a published OEWS median, Structural Iron and Steel Workers is pay-rank #15, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2221 · national median $62,780 · upper third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#15/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2221

New York · top state for Structural Iron and Steel Workers

$93K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$95K · behind New York

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers · $110K

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Lower-pay peer beside Structural Iron and Steel Workers · $64K

Compare Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Structural Iron and Steel Workers with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Structural Iron and Steel Workers full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Construction and Extraction Occupations titles sit near Structural Iron and Steel Workers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Structural Iron and Steel Workers is pay-rank #15 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Electricians ($63K), Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K), Continuous Mining Machine Operators ($62K), Sheet Metal Workers ($62K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do structural iron and steel workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Structural Iron and Steel Workers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for structural iron and steel workers? ▼
For SOC 47-2221, O*NET importance scores lead with Coordination (3.6), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Operation and Control (3.6), Active Listening (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Structural Iron and Steel Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $62,780 as the national median for Structural Iron and Steel Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $44,580 to $108,260. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Structural Iron and Steel Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Structural Iron and Steel Workers is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 5,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Structural Iron and Steel Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Structural Iron and Steel Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Structural Iron and Steel Workers? ▼
New York ($92,610), Minnesota ($95,320), New Jersey ($113,220) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Structural Iron and Steel Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2221. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Structural Iron and Steel Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics