Construction and Extraction
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.
Also called: Field Iron Worker, Iron Worker, Ironworker, Steel Erector, Steel Fabricator, Steel Worker
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $120,840
- $58.10/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 1,310
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +6.1%
- 180 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Apprenticeship
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $81,000 | $110,830 | $120,840 | $126,500 | $128,600 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure2 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 1
- Language-model AIOE 1
- GPTs-are-GPTs 3
Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for this job is low, and observed AI use is only some. AI tools could help with desk-style work such as reading specifications and working out material needs. They do not touch the hands-on work of raising, bolting, and aligning steel at heights.
Likely to change
- Reading specs to plan material quantities
- Checking alignment with digital measuring tools
Still relies on people
- Raising and bolting steel members into place
- Assembling and inspecting rigging and hoists
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs structural iron and steel workers on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed structural iron and steel workers, not who has openings.
889,909 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Iron Worker).
- 23.9%
- of hours by boston residents
- 37.8%
- of hours by people of color
- 5.9%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| G&C Concrete | 78,698 | 16.9% | 18 |
| Accord Steel & Precast | 68,793 | 28.3% | 5 |
| Permasteelisa | 58,698 | 27.0% | 1 |
| Prime Steel Erecting, Inc. | 48,247 | 35.6% | 4 |
| Regis Steel Corporation | 41,433 | 21.4% | 5 |
| T & T Steel Erectors, Inc. | 39,308 | 28.8% | 8 |
| Structures Derek International S.A. | 37,788 | 15.5% | 3 |
| Berlin Steel Construction Company | 36,390 | 14.8% | 3 |
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
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