How much do ironworkers make in Georgia in 2026?

The median ironworker in Georgia earns $48,090 per year, which works out to roughly $23.12 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Georgia's ironworkers earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or still building your hours, the 25th percentile lands at $43,260 a year, or about $20.80 an hour. Experienced hands in the upper quarter of earners hit $60,850 annually, around $29.25 an hour. The spread between the bottom quarter and top quarter is more than $17,000 a year, so where you fall on that range matters a lot over a career.

Ironwork in Georgia spans structural steel erection, reinforcing rod placement (rebar), ornamental work, and rigging. The specific type of work you do has a direct effect on your pay. Structural ironworkers who bolt and weld steel frames on high-rise buildings and bridges tend to command higher wages than those doing ornamental or miscellaneous fabrication. Riggers and machinery movers also tend to sit at the higher end of the pay scale because the hazard level and skill demand are significant.

Georgia's construction market is heavily concentrated in the Atlanta metro area. Projects in Atlanta — data centers, stadium construction, office towers, and highway interchange work — generate the most consistent ironworker demand in the state. Workers based in or willing to travel to the metro can expect better access to the kind of large-scale structural projects that push pay toward and above the 75th percentile. Markets like Savannah, Augusta, and Columbus have ironworker work, but the volume and pace are lower, which can mean fewer overtime hours and a longer wait between jobs.

Overtime is a major factor in annual take-home. The figures above reflect base straight-time wages. On a busy structural job with a tight schedule, 50- to 60-hour weeks are common. At the median rate of $23.12 an hour, every overtime hour (time-and-a-half) adds $34.68. A worker putting in ten overtime hours a week for six months adds roughly $9,000 to their annual earnings on top of the BLS figures. That's not guaranteed, but it's realistic on large commercial and infrastructure projects.

Getting from the 25th percentile to the median — or from the median to the 75th — comes down to a few concrete things. Years in the trade matter, but so does the type of work you pursue. Ironworkers who cross-train in welding, especially certified structural welding (AWS D1.1), make themselves more valuable on projects where fabrication and field welding happen simultaneously. Rigging certifications from recognized industry bodies add another credential that superintendents look for when deciding who gets the top-rate slots. Consistently showing up, working safe, and being the person who knows how to read erection drawings also accelerates your rate progression faster than time alone.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path into ironwork. A typical ironworker apprenticeship runs four years and combines on-the-job hours with related technical instruction. During apprenticeship, your pay scales up as a percentage of the journeyman rate — usually starting around 50–60% and climbing to full journeyman wage by the final year. Completing apprenticeship and earning journeyman status is the clearest way to move out of the lower percentiles and toward the median and above.

Some workers may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The BLS OEWS figures used on this page are sourced from the May 2025 survey. BLS collects data from employer payroll records, so the numbers capture regular wages well. They do not capture unreported cash pay, per diem allowances, tool stipends, or the value of employer-paid health and retirement benefits, all of which can add meaningful value to a total compensation package beyond the hourly wage figure alone.