Ironworker Salary in Virginia

$29/hr

Published Virginia structural ironworker wages help you compare building and bridge offers, training stages and the full proposed employment package.

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What Ironworkers Earn in Virginia

Virginia structural ironworkers earn $22.61–$35.53/hr across the range shown here, with annual employee wages of $47,040–$73,890 a year. These workers erect and connect steel for buildings and bridges. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers have a separate wage category. Discuss connection duties, welding assignments and travel with the employer when comparing an offer. Budget household spending around the hours offered for the project, including gaps between scheduled erection phases.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$22.61–$24.66/hr
▲ 3.58% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$24.66–$31.24/hr
▲ 3.58% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$31.24–$35.53/hr
▲ 3.58% from last year

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Ironworker
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$27.95
+ Ironworkers Local 5 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.31
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.90
+ AWS Certified Welder (SMAW, accredited test facility)$1.80
Effective hourly$34.96
Straight · 40 hrs$1,398
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$420
Weekly gross$1,818
Annualised · 50 weeks
$90,896
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national sector figures offer context for Virginia bridge, specialist erection and commercial building vacancies. Ask each prospective employer about the actual steel assignment.

01 / 03$39.28/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Bridge steel erection brings lifting sequences and roadwork interfaces into the job. For Virginia offers, discuss closure shifts and travel arrangements. Ask how the prospective employer handles a delayed lift or canceled erection shift.

+ Infrastructure work
+ Complex assemblies
– Traffic exposure
– Weather interruptions
02 / 03$30.45/hr

Foundation, Structure and Exterior Contractors

Specialist erection firms install structural frames within this broader contractor sector. Ask Virginia employers how steel deliveries and moves between projects affect hours. Include required equipment preparation when discussing the paid workday.

+ Erection focus
+ Varied structures
– Delivery delays
– Elevated work
03 / 03$29.78/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial and institutional building crews coordinate steel with other trades. Discuss who assigns connection work and handles schedule changes on Virginia sites. Ask how crews report unfinished work during handovers.

+ Building projects
+ Team coordination
– Trade congestion
– Schedule pressure

Which states pay ironworkers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01California$36.72/hr
  2. 02Virginiathis page$28.97/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Ironworkers Local 5 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.31$8,965$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.90$1,872$1595 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.30$624$595 weeks
AWS Certified Welder (SMAW, accredited test facility)+$1.80$3,744$89713 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.24$499$14916 weeks
NCCCO Rigger Level I+$0.72$1,498$1,75061 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.97/hr.

40 hr week
$1,159
No OT
50 hr week
$1,593
+$21,727/yr
60 hr week
$2,028
+$43,455/yr
70 hr week
$2,462
+$65,182/yr

Questions workers ask

Will my pay rise during a Virginia ironworker apprenticeship?▾
Yes. Virginia Works requires registered apprenticeship standards to include a progressively increasing wage schedule consistent with the skill acquired. Ask your sponsor for the written schedule and the hours or competencies needed for each step.
Can prior ironwork experience move me up the apprentice pay scale?▾
Yes. Virginia Works requires sponsors to grant credit for demonstrated competency, experience, training or skills to all applicants equally, with commensurate wages for any step granted. Bring records of prior structural work when you apply.
Where can I take an unpaid wage complaint?▾
Virginia DOLI accepts wage claims and enforces overtime earned from July 1, 2026. Keep time records, pay statements and the employment agreement. Its wage payment page directs earlier overtime complaints to the appropriate route.

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Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, SOC 47-2221; excludes premium pay and benefits, with reinforcing iron and rebar workers measured separately.

Last updated October 26, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.