# Structural Iron and Steel Workers

US SOC code 47-2221. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/47-2221

Also called: Ironworker, Iron worker, Steel erector, Structural steel worker, Connector.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **68,380** US structural iron and steel workers, with median pay of **$62,780** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **77,410**, in May 2018. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.ironworking.com/interhis.html) of **10,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for structural iron and steel workers: CAD-produced shop drawings and just-in-time fabrication sequences, 1985 to 2005.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2221&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **0%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Structural Iron and Steel Workers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1883
- Latest US employment: 68,380 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $62,780 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +3.1% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [14]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 10,000 (estimate) | $840 (estimate) | Est., Ironworkers International [1] |
| 1931 | 45,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1948 | 60,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., International Association of Bridge [3] |
| 1956 | n/a | $7,072 (estimate) | Est., Union wage scale of $3.40/hr (1956) [6] |
| 1970 | n/a | $16,576 (estimate) | Est., Union wage scale of $7.97/hr (1970) [6] |
| 2002 | 107,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Reference for Business [4] |
| 2003 | 70,420 | $40,730 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 70,240 | $42,430 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 68,900 | $40,580 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 67,560 | $40,480 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 65,100 | $42,130 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 68,670 | $43,010 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 65,130 | $44,500 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 58,460 | $44,540 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 56,920 | $45,690 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 57,070 | $46,140 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 57,480 | $46,520 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 60,010 | $48,200 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 64,280 | $50,490 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 69,440 | $51,800 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 74,420 | $52,610 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 77,410 | $53,970 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 76,570 | $55,040 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 71,490 | $54,830 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 68,620 | $58,550 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 66,810 | $60,500 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 63,780 | $62,760 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 64,720 | $62,700 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 68,380 | $62,780 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (79)

### Employment series

1. [A Brief History of the Ironworkers International Union (founding membership and early growth)](https://www.ironworking.com/interhis.html), Ironworkers International
2. [Wikipedia — Empire State Building (construction workforce and steel tonnage)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building), Wikipedia
3. [International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers — Wikipedia (membership history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Bridge,_Structural,_Ornamental_and_Reinforcing_Iron_Workers), Wikipedia
4. [Reference for Business — SIC 1791 Structural Steel Erection (industry employment and market data)](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Construction/Structural-Steel-Erection.html), Reference for Business
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [A Brief History of the Ironworkers International Union (1900 wage data, real-dollar conversion)](https://www.ironworking.com/interhis.html), Ironworkers International / ironworking.com
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

8. [Wikipedia — Empire State Building (construction: 57,000 tons steel, 3,500 workers at peak)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building), Wikipedia
9. [How Mohawk Skywalkers Helped Build New York City's Tallest Skyscrapers (HISTORY)](https://www.history.com/articles/mohawk-skywalkers-ironworkers-new-york-skyscrapers), HISTORY
10. [STRUCTURE magazine — "New Twists and Turns in Structural Bolting" (ASTM A325 history, Research Council)](https://www.structuremag.org/article/new-twists-and-turns-in-structural-bolting/), STRUCTURE magazine
11. [BibLus / ACCA Software — "Structural Steel Erection: Techniques, Safety Protocols, BIM, and Innovation" (CAD history in structural erection)](https://biblus.accasoftware.com/en/structural-steel-erection-techniques-safety-bim-and-innovation/), BibLus
12. [OSHA — "Safety Standards for Steel Erection" Federal Register January 18, 2001 (30 fatalities / 1,142 injuries estimated prevented annually)](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/2001-01-18-0), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
13. [Engineering.com — Trimble introduces Tekla Structures 2025 for BIM (field tablet workflow)](https://www.engineering.com/trimble-introduces-tekla-structures-2025-for-bim/), Engineering.com

### Forecasts and exposure studies

14. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 47-2221 Structural iron and steel workers (2025: 68.3 thousand; 2035: 70.4 thousand; +3.1%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2221&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 47-2221.00, human-rated β 0)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

16. [Wikipedia — Brooklyn Bridge (construction history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge), Wikipedia
17. [A Brief History of the Ironworkers International Union (founding, 1896)](https://www.ironworking.com/interhis.html), Ironworkers International
18. [The Canadian Encyclopedia — Quebec Bridge Disaster (August 29, 1907; 75 killed, 33 Mohawk workers)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-bridge-disaster-feature), The Canadian Encyclopedia
19. [Wikipedia — Los Angeles Times bombing (October 1, 1910)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Times_bombing), Wikipedia
20. [Wikipedia — Empire State Building (construction timeline, 3,439 workers peak, 57,000 tons steel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building), Wikipedia
21. [STRUCTURE magazine — "New Twists and Turns in Structural Bolting" (Research Council on Bolted Joints, 1947)](https://www.structuremag.org/article/new-twists-and-turns-in-structural-bolting/), STRUCTURE magazine
22. [OSHA — Safety Standards for Steel Erection (Federal Register, January 18, 2001)](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/2001-01-18-0), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
23. [Construction Dive — "2 years in, infrastructure law has funded 40,000 projects" (IIJA job growth figures)](https://www.constructiondive.com/news/infrastructure-law-progress-year-two/699961/), Construction Dive

### Predecessors & successors

24. [SIC 1791 Structural Steel Erection — Reference for Business (carpenters became ironworkers in the 1880s)](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Construction/Structural-Steel-Erection.html), Reference for Business
25. [HISTORY — "How Mohawk Skywalkers Helped Build New York City's Tallest Skyscrapers"](https://www.history.com/articles/mohawk-skywalkers-ironworkers-new-york-skyscrapers), HISTORY

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Structural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2221.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Ironworkers, 2024-34 projections](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/structural-iron-and-steel-workers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [NABTU and Microsoft — AI training for skilled trades (April 2026)](https://news.microsoft.com/source/2026/04/21/nabtu-and-microsoft-expand-nationwide-initiative-to-strengthen-ai-training-and-career-pathways-across-the-skilled-trades), accessed 2026-06-05
- [OpenSpace — 360 reality capture and AI progress documentation](https://www.openspace.ai/products/capture/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [The Structural Steel Detailing — AI and drones in construction inspection 2025](https://www.thestructuralsteeldetailing.com/2025/07/ai-construction-drone-inspection-smart-site-monitoring.html), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Procore — AI innovations at Groundbreak 2025 (Daily Log Agent, photo intelligence)](https://www.procore.com/press/procore-advances-the-future-of-construction-with-new-ai-innovations), accessed 2026-06-05
- [OSHA Subpart R — Steel Erection standard](https://www.hseblog.com/steel-erection-safety/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Argyle — BIM to Augmented Reality, realtime construction verification](https://www.argyle.build/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Zippia — 15 Structural Ironworker Skills (laser alignment)](https://www.zippia.com/structural-ironworker-jobs/skills/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.