How much do ironworkers make in Colorado in 2026?

The median ironworker in Colorado earns $58,830 a year, which works out to roughly $28.28 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the pack — half of ironworkers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a slower market, the 25th percentile comes in at $50,460 a year ($24.26/hr). Experienced hands and those in high-demand metro areas can push into the 75th percentile at $71,980 a year ($34.61/hr). All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

That $21,520 spread between the bottom and top quartiles is significant. It tells you the trade rewards experience, specialization, and willingness to take on more demanding work. A first-year apprentice or a worker doing basic structural tasks will land near or below the 25th percentile. A journeyman with years in the field — especially one certified for reinforcing iron, ornamental work, or rigging — will move toward the upper end of that range.

Colorado's construction sector is centered heavily around the Denver metro, and that's where the bulk of ironworker demand lives. Large commercial builds, high-rise residential towers, highway overpasses, and stadium-scale projects all require structural and reinforcing ironworkers. Workers who can travel to these job sites or who are already dispatched through a local hall will generally see more consistent hours, and consistent hours are how you get annual pay that actually matches or beats the hourly rate on paper.

Hours matter as much as the wage rate for annual income. Ironwork is weather-dependent and project-driven. A worker averaging 1,800 hours instead of 2,080 takes a real cut — at the median rate of $28.28/hr, that's roughly $50,900 for the year instead of $58,830. If you're evaluating an offer, ask about the expected hours per year on that project or through that contractor, not just the hourly rate.

Overtime is another lever. Ironworkers regularly work 50- or 60-hour weeks during peak project phases. At $28.28/hr straight time, the overtime rate hits roughly $42.42/hr. A few months of heavy overtime can push a median-wage worker well past what the annual figures suggest.

Specialization also moves the needle. Reinforcing ironworkers (rod busters) and structural ironworkers both fall under this occupational code in BLS data, but ornamental ironworkers and those certified in rigging or machinery erection can command premium rates depending on the employer and project type. If you're deciding where to focus your apprenticeship or continuing education hours, the specialized work tends to pay better and keeps you employed during slower periods when general structural work dries up.

No union scale data is available for this trade and state in our current dataset, so we can't provide a direct comparison between union and non-union rates here. That said, local union halls in Colorado do negotiate collective bargaining agreements that typically set floor wages, benefits, and pension contributions — factors that can substantially affect total compensation beyond the base hourly rate. If you're weighing union versus non-union work, get the full package breakdown, not just the wage line.

Colorado's elevation and climate add a physical layer to this work that workers coming from lower-altitude states should factor in. Projects in mountain communities — ski resort construction, bridge work in the Rockies — can involve harsher conditions and added travel, but some contractors pay a premium for remote or high-altitude site work.

The BLS OEWS figures here represent wages only and do not include benefits, pension contributions, per diem, or travel pay. For workers receiving those on top of wages, total compensation can run meaningfully higher than the numbers on this page. Use the figures as a baseline for negotiation and comparison, not as a ceiling.