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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

47-2221 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. Excludes "Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers" (47-2171).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
77,410 2.8 % $27.97 $58,170 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.50 $18.94 $25.95 $35.63 $45.08
Annual Wage (2) $32,240 $39,390 $53,970 $74,120 $93,760


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 36,010 3.95 $28.88 $60,070
Nonresidential Building Construction 17,040 2.11 $26.69 $55,510
Building Equipment Contractors 4,040 0.19 $28.54 $59,370
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 3,590 0.76 $26.41 $54,930
Utility System Construction 3,300 0.62 $28.00 $58,240

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 36,010 3.95 $28.88 $60,070
Nonresidential Building Construction 17,040 2.11 $26.69 $55,510
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,900 0.84 $32.27 $67,120
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 3,590 0.76 $26.41 $54,930
Utility System Construction 3,300 0.62 $28.00 $58,240

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (8) (8) $35.94 $74,750
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 400 0.01 $35.21 $73,240
Scientific Research and Development Services (8) (8) $33.28 $69,210
Building Finishing Contractors 1,400 0.17 $32.42 $67,420
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,900 0.84 $32.27 $67,120


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 9,670 0.57 1.06 $32.28 $67,130
Texas 8,930 0.74 1.38 $21.33 $44,370
New York 5,940 0.63 1.18 $41.06 $85,410
Ohio 4,030 0.74 1.39 $28.80 $59,900
Florida 3,390 0.39 0.74 $21.10 $43,880




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 750 1.78 3.32 $20.23 $42,070
Nebraska 1,330 1.36 2.55 $19.39 $40,320
Louisiana 2,400 1.25 2.34 $24.37 $50,690
Utah 1,620 1.11 2.08 $22.80 $47,430
Rhode Island 410 0.84 1.57 $35.84 $74,540




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,480 0.36 0.68 $41.51 $86,340
New York 5,940 0.63 1.18 $41.06 $85,410
Illinois 2,760 0.46 0.86 $40.18 $83,580
Massachusetts 2,180 0.61 1.14 $36.93 $76,810
Washington 1,490 0.46 0.85 $36.07 $75,020





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 5,670 0.60 1.12 $42.79 $89,000
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,040 1.02 1.90 $21.46 $44,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,770 0.45 0.85 $34.44 $71,620
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,410 0.52 0.97 $39.22 $81,570
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,410 0.67 1.26 $20.84 $43,350
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,070 0.75 1.40 $35.45 $73,740
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,740 0.85 1.59 $23.21 $48,270
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,470 0.98 1.84 $31.62 $65,760
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,330 0.91 1.70 $34.15 $71,040
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,240 0.84 1.56 $24.80 $51,590




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Charles, LA 540 4.63 8.66 $29.16 $60,650
Odessa, TX 330 4.27 7.98 $27.51 $57,230
Baton Rouge, LA 930 2.36 4.42 $25.18 $52,380
Rapid City, SD 150 2.28 4.27 $22.67 $47,150
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 310 2.27 4.24 $32.49 $67,580
Toledo, OH 600 2.02 3.77 $30.34 $63,100
Provo-Orem, UT 490 2.02 3.77 $21.99 $45,750
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 290 1.82 3.40 $23.85 $49,610
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 870 1.77 3.30 $20.11 $41,820
Canton-Massillon, OH 300 1.76 3.30 $29.07 $60,470




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 5,670 0.60 1.12 $42.79 $89,000
Rockford, IL (8) (8) (8) $41.15 $85,590
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 840 0.42 0.79 $40.53 $84,290
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,410 0.52 0.97 $39.22 $81,570
Peoria, IL (8) (8) (8) $38.84 $80,790
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 440 0.75 1.41 $36.50 $75,920
Springfield, MA-CT 120 0.35 0.66 $35.50 $73,840
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,070 0.75 1.40 $35.45 $73,740
Anchorage, AK (8) (8) (8) $35.19 $73,190
Urban Honolulu, HI 90 0.19 0.36 $35.11 $73,040

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 340 2.59 4.85 $17.02 $35,400
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 320 0.96 1.80 $27.50 $57,210
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 260 1.02 1.90 $17.85 $37,140
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 240 1.60 2.99 $22.31 $46,410
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 210 1.41 2.64 $16.85 $35,040

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 340 2.59 4.85 $17.02 $35,400
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 240 1.60 2.99 $22.31 $46,410
Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 90 1.45 2.71 $27.59 $57,380
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 210 1.41 2.64 $16.85 $35,040
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 1.21 2.27 $21.73 $45,190

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 60 0.47 0.89 $43.34 $90,140
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 110 0.90 1.67 $38.99 $81,090
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 110 1.18 2.20 $36.12 $75,140
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $30.39 $63,220
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 110 0.72 1.35 $29.39 $61,140


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019