Ironworker Career Profile
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Job Overview
Ironworkers are skilled tradespeople who fabricate, install, and reinforce the structural frameworks that support buildings, bridges, and industrial facilities. Their work ensures that steel and iron components are safely assembled and securely fastened to withstand heavy loads and environmental conditions.
If you enjoy physical work, have solid welding and construction skills, and want to contribute to major infrastructure projects, a career as an ironworker could be a strong fit.
What Does an Ironworker Do?
What Does an Ironworker Do?
Ironworkers are responsible for assembling and securing metal structures, often at great heights. This includes work on skyscrapers, stadiums, transmission towers, and other large-scale projects. Many ironworkers are also skilled welders, able to fuse structural elements with precision.
Common tasks include:
- Reading blueprints and following project specifications
- Installing structural steel beams, columns, and girder
- Using cranes, hoists, and rigging equipment to position heavy components
- Welding and bolting connections between metal parts
- Reinforcing concrete with rebar (reinforcing ironwork)
- Inspecting and repairing metal structures over time
Ironworkers often work in teams and must follow strict safety protocols. Projects may take place in urban construction zones, on bridges over water, or in industrial facilities.
Career Requirements
Career Requirements
What Skills or Credentials Do You Need to Become an Ironworker?
Becoming an ironworker requires physical strength, coordination, and comfort working at heights. While many skills are learned on the job or through an apprenticeship, basic qualifications include:
- A high school diploma or GED
- Mechanical aptitude and basic math skills
- Comfort with heights, heavy equipment, and working outdoors
- Welding skills and AWS certification (especially for ironworker welder roles)
- OSHA safety training (commonly required for job sites)
Most ironworkers enter the field through union-sponsored or trade school apprenticeships, which typically last three to four years. During this time, workers gain hands-on experience and classroom instruction in rigging, welding, blueprint reading, and safety.
Salary & Career Outlook
Salary & Career Outlook
How Much Does an Ironworker Make?
Ironworkers enjoy strong wages, especially in unionized settings or large metropolitan areas. Pay varies depending on experience, certification, and project type:
- Entry-level ironworkers: $40,000–$55,000 annually
- Experienced ironworkers: $60,000–$75,000 annually
- Certified ironworker welders or foremen: $80,000 or more
Union members may receive additional benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and overtime pay. With ongoing infrastructure investments and commercial construction projects, job demand for ironworkers remains steady nationwide.
Training & Certifications
Training & Certifications
How Do I Get Started as an Ironworker?
Most ironworkers begin their careers through formal apprenticeship programs, which combine paid, on-the-job training with classroom instruction. A typical path includes:
- Applying to a union or trade school apprenticeship program
- Learning welding, rigging, safety, and blueprint reading over 3–4 years
- Earning AWS welding certifications, especially for structural or pipe welding
- Completing OSHA 10 or 30-hour training for construction safety
- Gaining real-world experience and building a strong work ethic
AWS offers welding certifications that are commonly required or preferred by ironworker employers. These credentials can boost employability and open the door to more advanced roles on the job site.
Ironworker Job Demand
The map below highlights current job demand for ironworkers across the U.S. Demand is highest in states with strong construction and industrial activity. Metropolitan areas and regions with major transportation infrastructure projects also show consistent hiring needs.
Learn More About Ironworker Careers
Learn More About Ironworker Careers
A career as an ironworker offers steady work, strong wages, and the satisfaction of helping shape the nation’s skyline and infrastructure. With the right training, certification, and commitment to safety, you can thrive in this high-impact trade.
Explore AWS resources and welding certifications to take your first step toward a rewarding ironworker career today.
Minimum Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Recommended Education
Certificate in welding, metals fabrication, structural welding, etc.
Advanced Education
Associate degree in welding, metals fabrication, structural welding, etc.
Recommended Training
Related structural steel fabrication or steel erection work experience
Advanced Training
Apprenticeship program
Recommended Certification
AWS Certified Welder