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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
76,570 2.7 % $28.45 $59,170 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.77 $19.55 $26.46 $36.31 $45.98
Annual Wage (2) $32,790 $40,660 $55,040 $75,520 $95,650


Industry profile for this occupation:

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 35,440 3.79 $29.42 $61,200
Nonresidential Building Construction 17,350 2.08 $27.02 $56,210
Building Equipment Contractors 5,460 0.25 $30.48 $63,400
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 3,070 0.62 $25.12 $52,260
Utility System Construction 2,520 0.44 $28.51 $59,300

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 35,440 3.79 $29.42 $61,200
Nonresidential Building Construction 17,350 2.08 $27.02 $56,210
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,350 0.67 $32.88 $68,380
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 3,070 0.62 $25.12 $52,260
Utility System Construction 2,520 0.44 $28.51 $59,300

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 420 0.01 $37.35 $77,680
Scientific Research and Development Services 40 0.01 $34.17 $71,070
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,350 0.67 $32.88 $68,380
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (8) (8) $32.67 $67,950
Building Finishing Contractors 1,480 0.18 $32.39 $67,370


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 9,950 0.57 1.10 $31.84 $66,220
Texas 9,290 0.75 1.43 $22.15 $46,080
New York 5,370 0.56 1.08 $42.07 $87,510
Ohio 3,460 0.63 1.22 $28.91 $60,140
Illinois 3,390 0.56 1.08 $41.62 $86,580




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 730 1.72 3.30 $19.56 $40,670
Nebraska 1,420 1.45 2.78 $22.61 $47,040
Rhode Island 440 0.91 1.74 $36.05 $74,990
Utah 1,230 0.82 1.56 $22.58 $46,960
Louisiana 1,580 0.82 1.57 (8) (8)




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 5,370 0.56 1.08 $42.07 $87,510
Illinois 3,390 0.56 1.08 $41.62 $86,580
New Jersey 1,590 0.39 0.75 $41.17 $85,630
Massachusetts 2,470 0.68 1.31 $38.49 $80,060
Hawaii 150 0.24 0.46 $38.47 $80,010





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 4,900 0.51 0.97 $43.34 $90,150
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,540 1.16 2.22 $22.68 $47,180
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,850 0.61 1.17 $41.11 $85,510
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,790 0.45 0.86 $32.25 $67,080
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,310 0.83 1.59 $37.16 $77,280
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,610 0.56 1.07 $34.22 $71,170
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,510 0.71 1.37 $23.42 $48,710
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,480 0.96 1.84 $30.86 $64,190
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,360 0.55 1.06 $36.36 $75,630
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,350 0.42 0.81 $23.86 $49,620




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 510 4.42 8.47 $28.98 $60,280
Odessa, TX 250 3.02 5.80 $27.53 $57,250
Toledo, OH 740 2.48 4.75 $29.19 $60,710
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 310 2.19 4.21 $31.49 $65,500
Rapid City, SD 130 2.02 3.88 $22.31 $46,400
Stockton-Lodi, CA 490 1.95 3.73 $32.24 $67,060
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 940 1.90 3.65 $22.69 $47,200
Provo-Orem, UT 450 1.78 3.41 $20.22 $42,060
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 260 1.60 3.08 $24.33 $50,600
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 70 1.45 2.79 $35.76 $74,370




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)
Trenton, NJ 140 0.59 1.14 $44.59 $92,750
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,900 0.51 0.97 $43.34 $90,150
Rockford, IL (8) (8) (8) $41.77 $86,870
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,020 0.50 0.96 $41.61 $86,550
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,850 0.61 1.17 $41.11 $85,510
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 40 0.38 0.72 $40.49 $84,210
Peoria, IL 130 0.79 1.52 $38.20 $79,450
Urban Honolulu, HI 120 0.27 0.51 $38.07 $79,190
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 520 0.90 1.73 $37.21 $77,390
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,310 0.83 1.59 $37.16 $77,280

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 310 2.33 4.48 $16.64 $34,600
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 250 1.05 2.01 $17.56 $36,520
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 190 0.47 0.90 $21.49 $44,690
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 150 0.70 1.35 $23.86 $49,620
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 150 1.00 1.91 $26.78 $55,700

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 310 2.33 4.48 $16.64 $34,600
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 90 1.50 2.87 (8) (8)
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 130 1.39 2.66 $36.82 $76,590
North Florida nonmetropolitan area 140 1.13 2.17 $23.58 $49,050
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 250 1.05 2.01 $17.56 $36,520

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)
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 130 1.39 2.66 $36.82 $76,590
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 90 0.58 1.12 $34.56 $71,890
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $33.60 $69,880
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.18 0.35 $31.03 $64,550
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $30.77 $64,000


About May 2019 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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020