Ironworker

Career Overview

Ironworkers install structural and reinforcing iron and steel to form and support buildings, bridges, and roads.

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally required to enter an apprenticeship. Workers learning through on-the-job training may not need a high school diploma or equivalent. Courses in math, as well as training in vocational subjects such as blueprint reading and welding, are useful. Many ironworkers learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. Sponsors of apprenticeship programs, nearly all of which teach both reinforcing and structural ironworking, include unions and contractor associations.

Future Outlook

Overall employment of ironworkers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Steel and reinforced concrete are an important part of commercial and industrial buildings.

Work Environment

Ironworkers perform physically demanding and dangerous work, often at great heights. Workers must wear safety equipment to reduce the risk of falls or other injuries.

Recommended High School Courses

Math
Welding
Drafting
Aerospace Computer Graphics

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Dynamic Strength - The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Glare Sensitivity - The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.
Gross Body Coordination - The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Gross Body Equilibrium - The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Response Orientation - The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
Install metal structural components.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
Verify alignment of structures or equipment.
Cut metal components for installation.
Weld metal components.
Position structural components.
Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
Fabricate parts or components.
Dismantle equipment or temporary structures.
Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
Install gauges or controls.
Install insulation in equipment or structures.
Position safety or support equipment.

Schools

Atlantic Technical Colleg...

Community College Of Alle...

Emily Griffith Technical...

Gateway Community College...

Jefferson State Community...

British Columbia Insti...

Northern Alberta Insti...

Saskatchewan Polytechn...

Sault College

Southern Alberta Insti...

Potential Scholarships

Ache Police Officers And...

Aqha Region 1 Quarter Hor...

Aqha Arizona Quarter Hors...

- Creditcardgenius 2020 S...

- Haywood | Hunt & Associ...

Curt Pozan Trades Scholar...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$32,930.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$49,100.00 /yr

High End:

$89,790.00 /yr

Related Careers

Heavy Equipment Operator

Structural Metal Fabricator/Fitter

Construction and Building Inspector

Heavy Equipment Operator

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.