How much do ironworkers make in Maryland in 2026?

Maryland ironworkers earn a median $71,730 a year, which works out to roughly $34.49 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That figure sits in the middle of the range — a quarter of ironworkers in the state earn below $59,710 (~$28.71/hr), and a quarter earn above $78,660 (~$37.82/hr). All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is about $18,950 a year. That gap is not random. It reflects real differences in specialty, employer type, project scale, and years on the job. Structural ironworkers who raise steel frames on high-rise and bridge projects in the Baltimore–Washington corridor tend to sit closer to the top of that range. Workers newer to the trade, or those doing lighter ornamental and reinforcing work in smaller markets, are more likely to land near the bottom quartile.

Geography within Maryland matters more than many workers expect. The Baltimore metro and the suburban D.C. counties — Montgomery, Prince George's, and Charles — generate the heaviest commercial and infrastructure construction activity in the state. Projects in those corridors are bigger, schedules are tighter, and contractors typically pay more to keep reliable crews on-site. Rural and Eastern Shore markets have lower project volumes and, generally, lower wages to match.

Specialty also drives pay. Reinforcing ironworkers (rodbusters) and structural ironworkers handle different scopes and carry different certifications. Workers who can rig loads, read erection drawings, and operate tools safely in confined or elevated conditions are harder to replace and get paid accordingly. Welding certification adds another layer — a certified ironworker welder brings skills that not every crew member has, and that credential translates directly into higher hourly rates.

Overtime is a significant income factor for ironworkers. Commercial and infrastructure projects in Maryland frequently run tight deadlines, and contractors regularly schedule 50- to 60-hour weeks during peak phases. At the median base rate of $34.49/hr, a single 10-hour overtime day at time-and-a-half adds roughly $172 above a straight-time equivalent. Workers who regularly pick up overtime can push their annual take-home well past the 75th-percentile benchmark without a change in their base wage.

Experience compounds over time. An ironworker in year one is learning connection sequences and safety protocols. By year five or six, that same worker is often leading small gangs, mentoring apprentices, and taking on more technical tasks — all factors that foremen and general contractors pay a premium for. Sticking with a single employer long enough to become a known, trusted hand is one of the most reliable ways to move up the pay range.

No union scale data was available for this trade and state at the time of publication. Workers interested in prevailing-wage projects or union rates for specific Maryland counties should contact the local ironworkers' union hall directly for current collective bargaining figures, as those numbers change with contract cycles and vary by local jurisdiction.