Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2221
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-2221 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 4.9%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 57/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $62,780
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 10,900
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 14,824 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Fitter, Iron Worker, Ironworker, Steel Fabricator, Steel Worker, Structural Steel Erector
Representative Tasks
- •Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- •Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
- •Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- •Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
- •Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
Detailed Work Activities
- •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.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.9% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $62,780 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 95/100 | N/A |