Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
56,920 2.5 % $24.11 $50,160 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.73 $16.18 $21.97 $30.91 $39.91
Annual Wage (2) $26,490 $33,660 $45,690 $64,300 $83,020


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 25,830 3.81 $24.85 $51,700
Nonresidential Building Construction 12,160 1.87 $21.92 $45,600
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 3,000 1.01 $31.22 $64,930
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 2,500 0.77 $25.50 $53,040
Utility System Construction 2,370 0.60 $23.57 $49,020

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 25,830 3.81 $24.85 $51,700
Nonresidential Building Construction 12,160 1.87 $21.92 $45,600
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 3,000 1.01 $31.22 $64,930
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 770 0.79 $22.78 $47,390
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 2,500 0.77 $25.50 $53,040

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 30 0.01 $32.83 $68,300
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 3,000 1.01 $31.22 $64,930
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 60 0.01 $27.07 $56,300
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 2,500 0.77 $25.50 $53,040
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 25,830 3.81 $24.85 $51,700


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)
Texas 6,420 0.62 1.40 $17.95 $37,340
California 5,000 0.36 0.80 $29.77 $61,920
New York 4,230 0.50 1.13 $37.65 $78,310
Illinois 2,710 0.49 1.10 $33.68 $70,060
Florida 2,430 0.34 0.77 $18.10 $37,640




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 490 1.24 2.78 $17.97 $37,380
North Dakota 440 1.19 2.69 $18.59 $38,680
Louisiana 1,950 1.06 2.39 $17.90 $37,220
Mississippi 960 0.90 2.03 $17.54 $36,490
Wyoming 230 0.85 1.91 $21.27 $44,240




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 4,230 0.50 1.13 $37.65 $78,310
Illinois 2,710 0.49 1.10 $33.68 $70,060
Massachusetts 1,170 0.37 0.83 $33.11 $68,860
New Jersey 1,820 0.48 1.09 $32.26 $67,110
Rhode Island (8) (8) (8) $32.19 $66,950





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-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,600 0.51 1.16 $36.75 $76,440
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,320 0.91 2.05 $18.98 $39,480
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,690 0.47 1.06 $34.35 $71,450
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,110 0.50 1.12 $19.34 $40,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,040 0.27 0.61 $26.54 $55,200
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 850 0.37 0.83 $21.66 $45,050
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 790 0.47 1.07 $35.04 $72,870
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 790 0.92 2.07 $17.40 $36,190
St. Louis, MO-IL 750 0.59 1.33 $24.46 $50,870
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 710 0.42 0.94 $17.11 $35,580




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)
Pascagoula, MS 420 7.61 17.16 $18.32 $38,110
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 360 2.84 6.41 $23.58 $49,040
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 200 2.21 4.99 $17.16 $35,690
Winchester, VA-WV 90 1.73 3.90 $17.62 $36,640
Baton Rouge, LA 620 1.73 3.91 $19.40 $40,350
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.72 3.88 $17.69 $36,790
Monroe, LA 120 1.63 3.67 $13.54 $28,160
Gary, IN Metropolitan Division 420 1.63 3.67 $29.99 $62,380
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 80 1.57 3.53 $15.89 $33,050
Lynchburg, VA 150 1.56 3.51 $16.21 $33,720




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)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 210 0.24 0.55 $50.22 $104,460
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 710 0.58 1.32 $45.17 $93,960
Trenton-Ewing, NJ 100 0.47 1.06 $41.35 $86,000
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 130 0.14 0.31 $40.22 $83,660
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division 110 0.29 0.66 $39.90 $82,990
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,600 0.51 1.16 $36.75 $76,440
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 110 0.44 0.98 $36.66 $76,260
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 790 0.47 1.07 $35.04 $72,870
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,690 0.47 1.06 $34.35 $71,450
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 610 0.44 1.00 $33.20 $69,060

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)
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 270 2.13 4.80 (8) (8)
Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 210 1.68 3.79 $17.13 $35,620
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 210 1.03 2.33 $17.64 $36,690
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 190 0.70 1.58 $22.47 $46,740
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 170 1.70 3.84 $13.09 $27,220

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)
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 270 2.13 4.80 (8) (8)
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 140 1.71 3.85 $26.91 $55,980
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 170 1.70 3.84 $13.09 $27,220
Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 210 1.68 3.79 $17.13 $35,620
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 100 1.63 3.67 $22.76 $47,330

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)
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 70 0.35 0.79 $36.52 $75,960
Central New York nonmetropolitan area 90 0.69 1.55 $31.57 $65,670
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 120 0.54 1.22 $30.71 $63,880
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.58 1.31 $29.19 $60,710
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 70 0.44 1.00 $27.99 $58,220


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012