The median annual wage of structural iron and steel workers was $44,540 in May 2010. (The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.) The lowest 10% earned less than $26,330, and the top 10% earned more than $80,030.

The starting pay for apprentices is usually between 30% and 50% of what fully trained ironworkers make. They get pay increases as they become more skilled.