Construction & Extraction

Structural Iron & Steel Workers

SOC 47-2221

Raise and connect the steel frameworks of buildings and bridges.

The job

Median pay

$63k

$50k to $83k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing

+3.1% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

Apprenticeship

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

9/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

10th pct

More exposed than 10% of occupations · modeled estimate · 6th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

55/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Pile DriversPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostMassachusetts leads at $121k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Structural Iron & Steel Workers and explore its neighbours See open jobsStructural Iron & Steel Workers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Structural Iron & Steel Workers, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Structural Iron & Steel Workers say they actually earn

Key skills

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Active Learning
Monitoring
Learning Strategies

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Texas	9,700	0.7	1.6×	$52k
California	7,110	0.4	0.9×	$76k
Arizona	3,980	1.2	2.8×	$59k
Indiana	2,750	0.9	1.9×	$70k
Illinois	2,740	0.4	1.0×	$102k
Florida	2,730	0.3	0.6×	$56k
New York	2,700	0.3	0.6×	$93k
Virginia	2,300	0.6	1.3×	$60k
Ohio	2,290	0.4	0.9×	$75k
Massachusetts	2,050	0.6	1.3×	$121k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
North Carolina	2,000	0.4	0.9×	$49k
Michigan	1,750	0.4	0.9×	$63k
Alabama	1,740	0.8	1.9×	$57k
Utah	1,630	0.9	2.1×	$58k
Pennsylvania	1,610	0.3	0.6×	$83k
Nevada	1,400	0.9	2.0×	$63k
Missouri	1,320	0.4	1.0×	$77k
Tennessee	1,240	0.4	0.9×	$57k
Louisiana	1,180	0.6	1.4×	$69k
Oklahoma	1,140	0.7	1.5×	$48k
Arkansas	1,080	0.8	1.9×	$46k
New Jersey	1,060	0.2	0.6×	$113k
Kentucky	990	0.5	1.1×	$64k
Georgia	980	0.2	0.5×	$48k
Minnesota	910	0.3	0.7×	$95k
Colorado	860	0.3	0.7×	$59k
Washington	850	0.2	0.5×	$108k
Iowa	751	0.5	1.1×	$77k~
Maryland	710	0.3	0.6×	$72k
Wisconsin	710	0.2	0.6×	$93k
South Carolina	660	0.3	0.7×	$51k
New Mexico	624	0.7	1.6×	$53k~
Nebraska	610	0.6	1.4×	$65k
Oregon	570	0.3	0.7×	$96k
Idaho	500	0.6	1.3×	$73k
Mississippi	480	0.4	0.9×	$51k
South Dakota	440	1.0	2.2×	$57k
Rhode Island	360	0.7	1.6×	$98k
Connecticut	330	0.2	0.4×	$62k
Hawaii	290	0.5	1.1×	$100k
North Dakota	270	0.6	1.4×	$82k
Kansas	260	0.2	0.4×	$59k
New Hampshire	220	0.3	0.7×	$60k
Washington DC	210	0.3	0.7×	$61k
Maine	200	0.3	0.7×	$62k
West Virginia	150	0.2	0.5×	$72k
Montana	130	0.3	0.6×	$67k
Alaska	120	0.4	0.8×	$77k
Delaware	90	0.2	0.4×	$60k
Wyoming	80	0.3	0.7×	$47k
Vermont	50	0.2	0.4×	$56k

Top metro areas

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ3,470 jobs · $60k median
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX3,000 jobs · $58k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX2,850 jobs · $54k median
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ2,300 jobs · $102k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA2,150 jobs · $78k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,120 jobs · $102k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,310 jobs · $121k median
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA1,120 jobs · $73k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.