Structural Iron and Steel Workers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

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.

• Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
• Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
• Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
• Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.

Salary

Structural Iron and Steel Workers with little to no experience tend to make between $32240 and $39390 while the more experienced ones can earn over $74120 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Structural Iron and Steel Worker is to move to a higher paying state like NJ. Right now, the highest paying states for Structural Iron and Steel Workers are NJ, NY, IL, MA and WA.

However, a higher pay at NJ doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NJ might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Structural Iron and Steel Worker is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Structural Iron and Steel Workers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by less than a High School Diploma.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Structural Iron and Steel Worker.

What is the job like

63% of Structural Iron and Steel Workers said they were satisfied with their job and 48% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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