How much do ironworkers make in New Jersey in 2026?

Ironworkers in New Jersey earn a median annual salary of $113,220, which works out to roughly $54.43 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That puts New Jersey solidly among the higher-paying states for this trade, reflecting the dense concentration of commercial construction, infrastructure work, and industrial projects across the state.

The bottom quarter of ironworkers in New Jersey — those at the 25th percentile — earn $104,410 per year, or about $50.20 per hour. These are typically workers earlier in their careers, newer to a shop or crew, or working fewer overtime hours. The top quarter of earners hit $124,640 annually, which is approximately $59.92 per hour. Workers at that level tend to have years of experience, specialized skills such as rigging or reinforcing, or consistent access to high-overtime projects.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile — roughly $20,230 per year — tells you something important: where you land in this trade depends heavily on experience, specialization, and the type of work you're doing. Structural ironworkers who erect steel on bridges, high-rises, and industrial facilities generally command stronger rates than those working smaller commercial jobs. Reinforcing ironworkers (rod busters) and ornamental ironworkers occupy different niches, and pay can vary by specialty even within the same state and county.

New Jersey's geography is a major factor. Projects in and around the New York metro area — including Hudson County, Essex County, and Bergen County — tend to carry higher prevailing wages than work in more rural parts of the state. The proximity to major infrastructure corridors, port facilities, and dense urban construction keeps demand for ironworkers steady. Bridge and structural work along the Turnpike corridor and NJ Transit expansion projects have historically kept ironworker hours high.

Overtime is a significant part of total compensation for ironworkers. The hourly figures here reflect base wages — many ironworkers working active commercial or infrastructure projects log 50 or more hours per week during peak seasons, pushing actual annual take-home well above these benchmarks. A worker at the median rate of $54.43 who averages 10 hours of overtime per week over 48 working weeks would gross roughly $34,000 more than the base annual figure.

Apprentices entering the trade typically start at a fraction of journeyman scale. A standard four- or five-year apprenticeship program will move a worker through wage steps — often starting around 50–60% of journeyman rates — with increases tied to hours worked and skills demonstrated. By the end of a full apprenticeship, a worker should be earning at or near the journeyman rate reflected in the 25th percentile figures above.

Benefits matter in this trade. Ironworkers working under union contracts typically receive health insurance, pension contributions, and annuity funds on top of their hourly wage. Those benefits can add $10–$20 or more per hour in total compensation value that doesn't show up in the wage figures from BLS OEWS data. Non-union workers may receive different benefit structures, and total compensation packages vary widely.

The numbers on this page come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. They reflect wages paid to employed ironworkers in New Jersey and are not projections or estimates. If you're negotiating pay, benchmarking a job offer, or planning an apprenticeship, these figures give you a reliable starting point grounded in actual reported wages across the state.