Construction and Extraction · Holland code RCI
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
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.
Also called: Iron Worker, Ironworker, Steel Fabricator, Steel Worker, Field Iron Worker, Steel Erector, Structural Erector, Structural Steel Erector.
O*NET 47-2221.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $62,780
- Middle half earn $49,880 to $82,660. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
- Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
- Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
- Monitoring3.0 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
- Speaking2.9 / 5
- Active Learning2.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Building and Construction4.9 / 5
- Public Safety and Security4.3 / 5
- Production and Processing4.2 / 5
- Mechanical4.0 / 5
- Administration and Management3.9 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative30
- Artistic7
- Social3
- Enterprising4
- Conventional46
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- sheet metal worker · DE Konstruktionsmechaniker Fachrichtung Feinblechbau/Konstruktionsmechanikerin Fachrichtung Feinblechbau · FR tôlier/ tôlière
- structural ironworker · DE Metallbauer – Konstruktionstechnik/Metallbauerin – Konstruktionstechnik · FR charpentier en structures métalliques/charpentière en structures métalliques
- ornamental metal worker · DE Metallbauer Fachrichtung Metallgestaltung/Metallbauerin Fachrichtung Metallgestaltung · FR ferronnier d’art/ferronnière d’art
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Steel erectors (5311)8,200 employed
- Sheet metal workers (5211)10,400 employed
- Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.78. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2221).
Related careers
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