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Ironworker apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state

U.S. Department of Labor records list 8,552 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to structural iron and steel workers (SOC 47-2221). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $17.39 an hour in Tennessee to $30.10 in Minnesota, across the 19 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.

Active apprentices
8,552
50 states and DC, fiscal 2024
Starting wage, by state
$17.39 to $30.10
lowest and highest state median, fiscal 2023
Wage at completion, by state
$33.00 to $49.19
lowest and highest state median, fiscal 2023
All ironworkers, BLS
$30.18
national median an hour, May 2025

Apprentice counts and wages by state

The most are in California (1,563), Texas (1,507), Ohio (830), Indiana (442), Missouri (400). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $33.00 an hour in Ohio to $49.19 in New Jersey, across the 7 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.

StateActive, fiscal 2024Started, fiscal 2023Median starting wageMedian completing wageBLS median, May 2025
California 1,563 704 $23.10 $46.20 $36.72
Texas 1,507 479 $18.73 fewer than 50 wages $25.12
Ohio 830 386 $20.46 $33.00 $35.92
Indiana 442 282 $20.80 $34.24 $33.72
Missouri 400 224 $21.90 $36.50 $37.22
Illinois 368 175 $25.22 $42.15 $48.97
Michigan 356 67 $21.05 $34.85 $30.21
Florida 276 190 $18.00 fewer than 50 wages $26.78
Tennessee 248 146 $17.39 fewer than 50 wages $27.29
Pennsylvania 220 81 $21.39 fewer than 50 wages $39.89
Kentucky 216 144 $19.55 fewer than 50 wages $30.80
Arizona 210 178 $17.40 fewer than 50 wages $28.55
New Jersey 180 87 $24.60 $49.19 $54.43
Georgia 166 126 $17.66 fewer than 50 wages $23.12
Nevada 155 72 $23.10 fewer than 50 wages $30.05
Alabama 149 117 $20.22 fewer than 50 wages $27.23
Minnesota 149 102 $30.10 fewer than 50 wages $45.83
Iowa 116 64 $22.70 fewer than 50 wages $37.21
Colorado 80 65 $23.53 fewer than 50 wages $28.28
West Virginia 72 46 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $34.54
Virginia 67 26 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $28.97
Oklahoma 66 41 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $22.92
Utah 61 40 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $28.01
Hawaii 58 6 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $48.01
Rhode Island 56 17 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $47.27
Kansas 55 38 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $28.15
Montana 50 35 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $32.40
Idaho 43 25 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $34.98
Louisiana 42 16 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $33.09
Nebraska 42 15 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $31.48
Wisconsin 40 23 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $44.63
Alaska 37 16 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $37.01
Arkansas 35 22 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $21.88
Delaware 35 4 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $28.76
Mississippi 34 21 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $24.37
South Carolina 28 11 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $24.40
New Mexico 25 12 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages not published
Maryland 17 4 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $34.49
North Carolina 13 9 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $23.43
Massachusetts 12 1 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $58.10
North Dakota 9 4 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $39.48
South Dakota 8 2 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $27.43
District of Columbia 4 0 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $29.44
Washington 3 2 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $51.76
Connecticut 2 0 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $30.00
New York 2 1 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $44.52
Oregon 2 1 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $46.18
Wyoming 2 2 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $22.83
New Hampshire 1 0 fewer than 50 wages fewer than 50 wages $28.81

Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).

What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →

How the apprenticeship runs

Sponsors include unions and contractor associations; each year requires at least 144 hours of related technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →

BLS wording

“Sponsors of apprenticeship programs, nearly all of which teach both reinforcing and structural ironworking, include unions and contractor associations. For each year of the program, apprentices must have at least 144 hours of related technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training.”

How long. Three or four years for the many who train in an apprenticeship, each year with at least 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training; on-the-job training from an employer varies in length.

BLS wording

“Many ironworkers learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. ... For each year of the program, apprentices must have at least 144 hours of related technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. ... Other ironworkers receive on-the-job training that varies in length and is provided by their employer.”

From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Ironworkers, read 2026-09-23. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become an ironworker.

Common questions

How much do apprentice ironworkers make?

In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $17.39 an hour in Tennessee to $30.10 in Minnesota, across the 19 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $33.00 an hour in Ohio to $49.19 in New Jersey, across the 7 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.

How long does it take to train as an ironworker?

Three or four years for the many who train in an apprenticeship, each year with at least 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training; on-the-job training from an employer varies in length.

How many apprentice ironworkers are there?

U.S. Department of Labor records list 8,552 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to structural iron and steel workers (SOC 47-2221). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in California (1,563), Texas (1,507), Ohio (830), Indiana (442), Missouri (400).

Sources

Other trades: Electricians · Plumbers and pipefitters · HVAC technicians · Welders · Truck drivers (CDL) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) · Elevator installers · Sheet metal workers · Carpenters · Brickmasons and blockmasons · Auto service technicians · Diesel mechanics · Heavy equipment operators · Machinists. Or see every trade side by side.