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Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Also called: Iron Worker, Ironworker, Steel Fabricator, Steel Worker

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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$62,780
Openings a year BLS, 2025–355,900
Typical education to start BLSHigh school diploma or equivalent
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Low
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +3.1%

What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 18 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.1% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 6.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 87% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 53% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$46k$121knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$56,640$46,640 to $60,4801,740
Alaska$76,970$74,880 to $92,650120
Arizona$59,390$48,940 to $64,3703,980
Arkansas$45,510$36,860 to $56,2301,080
California$76,370$59,220 to $103,9807,110
Colorado$58,830$50,460 to $71,980860
Connecticut$62,400$50,210 to $87,960330
Delaware$59,820$51,760 to $63,34090
District of Columbia$61,240$61,240 to $78,900210
Florida$55,700$45,420 to $64,6502,730
Georgia$48,090$43,260 to $60,850980
Guam$33,660$33,600 to $35,850150
Hawaii$99,860$97,400 to $111,170290
Idaho$72,750$56,200 to $75,150500
Illinois$101,850$81,750 to $120,6402,740
Indiana$70,130$56,830 to $80,7702,750
Iowa$77,400$65,160 to $80,080not published
Kansas$58,560$48,450 to $63,100260
Kentucky$64,060$56,480 to $76,570990
Louisiana$68,830$51,680 to $73,4701,180
Maine$61,750$49,020 to $73,650200
Maryland$71,730$59,710 to $78,660710
Massachusetts$120,840$110,910 to $124,0402,050
Michigan$62,830$48,290 to $75,7501,750
Minnesota$95,320$89,720 to $98,160910
Mississippi$50,690$37,890 to $60,810480
Missouri$77,410$58,520 to $81,8001,320
Montana$67,390$51,580 to $75,070130
Nebraska$65,470$54,070 to $74,860610
Nevada$62,510$58,300 to $99,5801,400
New Hampshire$59,920$51,790 to $66,560220
New Jersey$113,220$104,410 to $124,6401,060
New York$92,610$75,690 to $113,2602,700
North Carolina$48,740$44,120 to $58,3302,000
North Dakota$82,120$61,820 to $83,990270
Ohio$74,710$58,750 to $77,7502,290
Oklahoma$47,660$44,730 to $58,3501,140
Oregon$96,050$74,360 to $100,240570
Pennsylvania$82,970$66,390 to $103,9201,610
Puerto Rico$29,620$27,560 to $34,760160
Rhode Island$98,320$84,700 to $98,320360
South Carolina$50,750$46,030 to $60,560660
South Dakota$57,050$48,000 to $60,330440
Tennessee$56,750$48,320 to $66,2401,240
Texas$52,240$47,120 to $62,3609,700
Utah$58,250$47,470 to $65,5101,630
Vermont$55,640$48,250 to $62,41050
Virginia$60,260$51,280 to $64,9802,300
Washington$107,660$79,810 to $120,170850
West Virginia$71,850$57,610 to $74,560150
Wisconsin$92,820$74,880 to $95,840710
Wyoming$47,480$46,460 to $59,28080

Nationally: $62,780. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on none of its 18 rated tasks

0 · AI alone could halve the time 0 · AI + software built on it could 18 · Not much 2 · Not rated
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required. Not published
Not much Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place. Not published
Not rated Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members. Not published
Not much Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors. Not published
Not much Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place. Not published
Not much Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope. Not published
See all 20 tasks
Not much Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting, as needed. Not published
Not much Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels. Not published
Not much Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails. Not published
Not rated Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials. Not published
Not much Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools. Not published
Not much Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment. Not published
Not much Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors. Not published
Not much Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them, or use rope to guide them into position. Not published
Not much Drive drift pins through rivet holes to align rivet holes in structural steel members with corresponding holes in previously placed members. Not published
Not much Dismantle structures or equipment. Not published
Not much Insert sealing strips, wiring, insulating material, ladders, flanges, gauges, or valves, depending on types of structures being assembled. Not published
Not much Place blocks under reinforcing bars used to reinforce floors. Not published
Not much Hold rivets while riveters use air hammers to form heads on rivets. Not published
Not much Catch hot rivets in buckets and insert rivets in holes, using tongs. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up0 of 18 rated tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most1 of 17 activities
  • #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Build structures 1.81#205 0.31#233
Position materials or components for assembly 1.64#208 0.45#213
Join parts using soldering, welding, or brazing techniques 0.19#300 0.02#309
Operate lifting or moving equipment 0.09#318 0.02#311
Read documents or materials to inform work processes 197#8 47#28
Inspect completed work or finished products 3.91#150 1.95#130
Position tools or equipment 3.37#157 0.78#176
Dispose of waste or debris 3.05#166 0.57#192
Show all 17 activities
Cut materials 2.75#173 0.50#207
Disassemble equipment 2.48#182 0.82#170
Assemble equipment or components 2.35#187 0.43#218
Perform general construction or extraction activities 1.25#226 0.15#256
Fabricate devices or components 0.76#251 0.06#278
Install commercial or production equipment 0.50#271 0.16#252
Drill holes in earth or materials 0.44#275 0.08#274
Signal others to coordinate work activities 0.33#283 0.74#179
Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing 0.15#308 0.01#322
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for structural iron and steel workers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Structural iron and steel workers: +3.1%Structural Iron and Steel WorkersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Structural iron and steel workers: +3.1%Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 3,633 moves out

  1. 1 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 11%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
  3. 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
  4. 4 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 5%
  5. 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 2,920 moves in

  1. 1 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 13%
  2. 2 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 8%
  3. 3 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 5%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  5. 5 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 12% less than high school
  • 51% high school
  • 19% some college
  • 11% associate's
  • 5% bachelor's
  • 1% master's

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 603 people surveyed.

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
1 program: Metal Building Assembly/Assembler.

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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