Ironworker
Impact: Direct
Assemble, erect, and dismantle structural steel frameworks and other metal parts of buildings, bridges, roads, and other structures. They also lay out and fabricate metal parts, often working at great heights.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- Team
- Client facing
- Never
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Moderate
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $60,000
- Entry-level
- $45,000
- Senior
- $80,000
- Growth by 2033
- 5
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Medium
- Typical student debt
- $0
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Welding
- Blueprint Reading
- Rigging
- Structural Steel Erection
Soft skills
- Attention to Detail
- Problem-Solving
- Teamwork
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5
- Years to senior
- 10
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Apprentice Ironworker
- Journeyman Ironworker
- Foreman
- Superintendent
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.5/10
- Meaning
- 7/10
- Work-life balance
- 5.5/10
- Prestige
- 6.5/10
- Social perception
- High