Structural Iron and Steel Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for structural iron and steel workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Massachusetts$113,290
- New Jersey$112,660
- Illinois$98,680
- Washington$98,300
- Hawaii$96,620
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$46,020
- Wyoming$50,500
- Oklahoma$51,200
- Mississippi$51,580
- Georgia$52,500
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $113,290 | $120,840 | $54 | +61.2% | 2,050 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $112,660 | $113,220 | $54 | +60.3% | 1,060 |
| 3 | Illinois | $98,680 | $101,850 | $47 | +40.4% | 2,740 |
| 4 | Washington | $98,300 | $107,660 | $47 | +39.9% | 850 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $96,620 | $99,860 | $46 | +37.5% | 290 |
| 6 | New York | $92,830 | $92,610 | $45 | +32.1% | 2,700 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $92,680 | $95,320 | $45 | +31.9% | 910 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $89,740 | $98,320 | $43 | +27.7% | 360 |
| 9 | Oregon | $89,260 | $96,050 | $43 | +27% | 570 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $85,460 | $92,820 | $41 | +21.6% | 710 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $83,980 | $82,970 | $40 | +19.5% | 1,610 |
| 12 | Alaska | $81,450 | $76,970 | $39 | +15.9% | 120 |
| 13 | California | $80,920 | $76,370 | $39 | +15.1% | 7,110 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $77,890 | $82,120 | $37 | +10.8% | 270 |
| 15 | Nevada | $73,740 | $62,510 | $35 | +4.9% | 1,400 |
| 16 | Iowa | $73,110 | $77,400 | $35 | +4% | — |
| 17 | Ohio | $72,700 | $74,710 | $35 | +3.4% | 2,290 |
| 18 | Missouri | $71,910 | $77,410 | $35 | +2.3% | 1,320 |
| 19 | Indiana | $70,590 | $70,130 | $34 | +0.4% | 2,750 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $69,290 | $61,240 | $33 | -1.4% | 210 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $68,500 | $62,400 | $33 | -2.5% | 330 |
| 22 | Maryland | $68,310 | $71,730 | $33 | -2.8% | 710 |
| 23 | Idaho | $68,020 | $72,750 | $33 | -3.2% | 500 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $67,180 | $71,850 | $32 | -4.4% | 150 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $66,980 | $64,060 | $32 | -4.7% | 990 |
| 26 | Montana | $64,530 | $67,390 | $31 | -8.2% | 130 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $64,390 | $65,470 | $31 | -8.4% | 610 |
| 28 | Maine | $64,350 | $61,750 | $31 | -8.4% | 200 |
| 29 | Michigan | $63,580 | $62,830 | $31 | -9.5% | 1,750 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $62,830 | $68,830 | $30 | -10.6% | 1,180 |
| 31 | Arizona | $62,360 | $59,390 | $30 | -11.3% | 3,980 |
| 32 | Colorado | $61,010 | $58,830 | $29 | -13.2% | 860 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $60,430 | $59,920 | $29 | -14% | 220 |
| 34 | Virginia | $59,520 | $60,260 | $29 | -15.3% | 2,300 |
| 35 | Vermont | $59,500 | $55,640 | $29 | -15.3% | 50 |
| 36 | Delaware | $59,350 | $59,820 | $29 | -15.6% | 90 |
| 37 | Kansas | $59,310 | $58,560 | $29 | -15.6% | 260 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $58,090 | $56,750 | $28 | -17.3% | 1,240 |
| 39 | Texas | $56,740 | $52,240 | $27 | -19.3% | 9,700 |
| 40 | Utah | $56,670 | $58,250 | $27 | -19.4% | 1,630 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $56,500 | $57,050 | $27 | -19.6% | 440 |
| 42 | Florida | $55,720 | $55,700 | $27 | -20.7% | 2,730 |
| 43 | Alabama | $53,970 | $56,640 | $26 | -23.2% | 1,740 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $53,250 | $48,740 | $26 | -24.2% | 2,000 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $52,760 | $50,750 | $25 | -24.9% | 660 |
| 46 | Georgia | $52,500 | $48,090 | $25 | -25.3% | 980 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $51,580 | $50,690 | $25 | -26.6% | 480 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $51,200 | $47,660 | $25 | -27.1% | 1,140 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $50,500 | $47,480 | $24 | -28.1% | 80 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $46,020 | $45,510 | $22 | -34.5% | 1,080 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 204 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $120,840 | $113,210 | 1,310 |
| 2 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $116,360 | $111,350 | 70 |
| 3 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $114,570 | $110,360 | 30 |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $111,500 | $107,460 | 40 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $111,440 | $102,820 | 450 |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $109,440 | $96,410 | 330 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $106,900 | $103,370 | 150 |
| 8 | Vineland, NJ | $105,370 | $103,660 | 40 |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $103,330 | $92,840 | 800 |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | $100,620 | 2,120 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing structural iron and steel workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $116,590 | $103,790 | 410 |
| 2 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $116,120 | $103,720 | 420 |
| 3 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $109,970 | $93,400 | 520 |
| 4 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $109,970 | $93,400 | 520 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $100,080 | $92,390 | 540 |
| 6 | Masonry Contractors | $96,080 | $103,770 | 40 |
| 7 | Facilities Support Services | $95,140 | $91,900 | 40 |
| 8 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $92,470 | $87,350 | 130 |
| 9 | Rail Transportation | $88,380 | $89,700 | 90 |
| 10 | Rail Transportation | $88,380 | $89,700 | 90 |
| 11 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $88,380 | $89,700 | 90 |
| 12 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | $81,700 | $87,310 | 1,300 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do structural iron and steel workers make in the U.S.?
The median structural iron and steel workers salary in the United States is $62,780 per year (mean $70,280), and about 80% earn between $44,580 and $108,260.
How much do structural iron and steel workers make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $70,280 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays structural iron and steel workers the most?
Massachusetts has the highest average pay for structural iron and steel workers at $113,290 per year (median $120,840).
What is the job outlook for structural iron and steel workers?
Employment is projected to change +4.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 5,500 openings per year.