How Do You Become a Structural Welder?
- Structural steel work relies heavily on these processes. College certificates and associate degrees teach them alongside blueprint reading.
- Median pay: $53,750 a year for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (BLS, May 2025); highest in Alaska at $80,840.
- Typical entry education, per BLS: high school diploma or equivalent, plus moderate-term on-the-job training.
- Outlook: +2.4% projected employment change over 2025–35, with about 40,300 openings a year.
What Does a Structural Welder Do?
Structural welders join beams, columns and plate on buildings, bridges and equipment. Structural welding is tested to codes such as AWS D1.1, the structural welding code for steel. BLS notes ironworkers connect structural and reinforcing steel with bolts, wire or welds, and install metal decking.
Structural welders join the steel that holds up buildings, bridges and equipment. The work overlaps with ironworking: BLS says ironworkers use shears, torches and welding equipment to cut, bend and weld structural and reinforcing steel. Structural welding work includes:
- Reading and following blueprints and sketches
- Fitting beams, columns, girders and plate before welding
- Welding structural connections to the drawings and code
- Aligning steel vertically and horizontally with levels, lasers and plumb bobs
- Connecting steel with welds as well as bolts
- Welding metal decking and shop-fabricated assemblies
BLS distinguishes structural iron and steel workers, who erect girders and columns on site, from structural metal fabricators and fitters, who build metal products in shops usually located away from construction sites. Structural welders work in both places: in the fabrication shop welding assemblies, and in the field welding connections on the frame.
Structural steel welding in the United States is commonly done to AWS D1.1, the structural welding code for steel. Structural steel work relies heavily on stick (shielded metal arc) and flux-cored welding, and AWS offers a Structural Steel (D1.1) endorsement for inspectors.
Where Structural Welders Work and What the Job Is Like
Field structural work is outdoors and often high up. BLS reports that ironworkers usually work outside in many kinds of weather, sometimes at great heights, and that they don't work at height when conditions are wet, icy or extremely windy. Harnesses, hard hats, boots, gloves and safety glasses are standard because falls from height can be deadly.
Among structural iron and steel workers, foundation, structure and building exterior contractors employed 47% in 2025 and nonresidential building construction 19%, with manufacturing another 10%. Shop-based structural welders work indoors on the same kinds of assemblies with a steadier schedule.
| Largest employers (BLS OOH) | Share of jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors | 47% |
| Nonresidential building construction | 19% |
| Manufacturing | 10% |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 6% |
| Building equipment contractors | 5% |
How to Become a Structural Welder: Step by Step
- 1Train in stick and flux-cored welding
Structural steel work relies heavily on these processes. College certificates and associate degrees teach them alongside blueprint reading.
- 2Pass structural tests
AWS Certified Welder tests include structural steel procedures, taken at an AWS Accredited Test Facility.
- 3Or apprentice as an ironworker
BLS reports many ironworkers learn through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship, usually sponsored by unions or contractor associations, and that welding training is useful before applying.
How to Become a Structural Welder: Training and Education
Most structural welders start with a welding certificate or associate degree that covers stick and flux-cored welding and blueprint reading, then pass structural weld tests.
The other route is an ironworker apprenticeship. BLS reports many ironworkers learn through a 3- or 4-year program that teaches both reinforcing and structural ironworking, with at least 144 hours of technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year. A high school diploma is generally required to enter, and BLS lists welding and blueprint reading as useful preparation.
Welding school is widely available: 892 U.S. colleges and schools conferred 50,572 welding certificates and degrees in 2022–23 (IPEDS). Find welding schools by state and city or compare verified programs.
Licenses and Credentials
BLS notes that certifications in welding, rigging and crane signaling may make ironworkers more attractive to employers. For structural welders, the weld test on the structural procedure is the credential that matters most.
Structural Welder Certification
Structural steel is one of the core areas of the AWS Certified Welder program. You weld a test coupon to a structural procedure at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, a Certified Welding Inspector inspects it, and passing adds that qualification to your record. There are no prerequisite courses, and you can retest at any time.
Keep the certification active by submitting maintenance (continuity) records through AWS WeldCert Pro before it expires, showing you've kept using the process.
Skills That Matter in This Job
- Comfort at heights
- Field work can mean walking narrow beams many stories up.
- Balance
- Keeps you steady on beams and decking.
- Depth perception
- Judging distances when signaling crane operators who move steel.
- Physical strength and stamina
- Guiding heavy beams into place through long, physical days.
Where the Career Leads
Experienced structural welders and ironworkers can advance to supervisor or manager roles directing crews, BLS notes. Welders with structural code experience are also well placed for the AWS Certified Welding Inspector path.
Structural Welder Salary and Job Outlook
Half of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earned more than $53,750 in May 2025, about $25.84 an hour. The middle half earned between $46,790 and $63,010, across 416,210 jobs in the wage survey. BLS projects employment to change +2.4% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected for all occupations, with about 40,300 openings a year as workers retire or change jobs.
| Employment, 2025 | 437,700 |
|---|---|
| Projected employment, 2035 | 448,100 |
| Projected change, 2025–35 | +2.4% (all occupations: +3.5%) |
| Openings per year | 40,300 |
| Related: Structural Iron and Steel Workers | Median $62,780, +3.1% projected |
National annual wages for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (SOC 51-4121). Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Where the Welding Jobs Are: States With the Most Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Structural welders are counted with all welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. Texas has the most of these jobs (52,000), followed by California and Ohio. A location quotient above 1 means the state has a larger share of these jobs than the U.S. as a whole.
| State | Jobs | Location quotient | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 52,000 | 1.38 | $53,340 |
| California | 26,060 | 0.53 | $58,060 |
| Ohio | 20,330 | 1.37 | $50,340 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,850 | 1.1 | $52,900 |
| Florida | 16,420 | 0.62 | $50,640 |
| Illinois | 16,260 | 1 | $51,320 |
| Wisconsin | 15,320 | 1.95 | $58,410 |
| Louisiana | 13,690 | 2.64 | $62,250 |
| Michigan | 13,330 | 1.13 | $49,990 |
| Indiana | 13,280 | 1.55 | $49,730 |
| Georgia | 13,130 | 1 | $48,430 |
| Tennessee | 12,510 | 1.43 | $48,040 |
| Alabama | 12,450 | 2.2 | $48,490 |
| North Carolina | 11,750 | 0.89 | $50,590 |
| Missouri | 10,600 | 1.35 | $51,950 |
| Virginia | 10,100 | 0.92 | $59,180 |
| Oklahoma | 9,960 | 2.18 | $49,720 |
| Iowa | 9,270 | 2.22 | $55,090 |
| Minnesota | 9,270 | 1.17 | $60,280 |
| New York | 8,310 | 0.32 | $59,140 |
| Washington | 7,720 | 0.81 | $63,020 |
| South Carolina | 7,380 | 1.2 | $49,980 |
| Arizona | 7,270 | 0.84 | $55,600 |
| Kentucky | 6,630 | 1.24 | $51,470 |
| Mississippi | 6,460 | 2.08 | $51,100 |
| Kansas | 6,370 | 1.66 | $49,410 |
| Arkansas | 6,150 | 1.76 | $47,970 |
| Oregon | 5,240 | 1 | $59,450 |
| Colorado | 4,970 | 0.65 | $58,590 |
| Utah | 4,440 | 0.96 | $58,380 |
| Nebraska | 4,200 | 1.53 | $52,220 |
| New Jersey | 3,730 | 0.33 | $59,440 |
| Idaho | 3,300 | 1.44 | $50,530 |
| South Dakota | 3,250 | 2.66 | $49,440 |
| Maryland | 2,850 | 0.39 | $60,310 |
| Massachusetts | 2,830 | 0.29 | $62,570 |
| North Dakota | 2,590 | 2.26 | $62,000 |
| New Mexico | 2,390 | 1.03 | $59,840 |
| Rhode Island | 2,300 | 1.71 | $50,580 |
| West Virginia | 2,100 | 1.12 | $48,810 |
| Wyoming | 1,850 | 2.46 | $63,820 |
| Connecticut | 1,790 | 0.39 | $64,880 |
| Maine | 1,690 | 0.99 | $62,220 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,680 | 0.67 | $30,220 |
| Nevada | 1,600 | 0.39 | $61,520 |
| Montana | 1,530 | 1.12 | $55,610 |
| New Hampshire | 1,110 | 0.61 | $62,360 |
| Alaska | 790 | 0.9 | $80,840 |
| Delaware | 600 | 0.46 | $57,270 |
| Hawaii | 520 | 0.31 | $79,000 |
| Vermont | 340 | 0.42 | $60,890 |
| District of Columbia | 280 | 0.15 | $60,180 |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, SOC 51-4121, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates. States where BLS suppressed the median are omitted; blank cells were suppressed.
Best-Paying Metro Areas: Lima Leads
Among metro areas with at least 100 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers jobs, Lima (OH) has the highest median pay, $85,790 a year.
| Metro area | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Lima (OH) | $85,790 | 470 |
| Urban Honolulu (HI) | $81,120 | 430 |
| Baton Rouge (LA) | $78,170 | 3,690 |
| Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford (CT) | $75,040 | 670 |
| Anchorage (AK) | $74,000 | 250 |
| Lake Charles (LA) | $72,920 | 970 |
| Bremerton–Silverdale–Port Orchard (WA) | $71,720 | 740 |
| Portland–South Portland (ME) | $66,420 | 1,060 |
| Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue (WA) | $66,240 | 3,230 |
| St. Joseph (MO–KS) | $66,060 | 610 |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, SOC 51-4121. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan area estimates, May 2025.
Is Structural Welder a Good Career?
What Works in Its Favor
- Structural steel is a core AWS Certified Welder test area, so the skill is easy to document and carry between employers.
- Welding school covers the stick and flux-cored processes structural work relies on.
- Ironworker apprenticeships offer a paid route with 2,000 hours of on-the-job training a year.
What to Weigh First
- Field work is outdoors and often at height, and falls from height can be deadly.
- Weather stops work at height when it's wet, icy or very windy.
- Construction work can mean travel between jobsites.
Structural Welder vs. Related Welding Careers
| Career | Median pay | Growth 2025–35 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural welderTrain directly | $53,750 | +2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| IronworkerApprenticeship | $62,780 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| WelderTrain directly | $53,750 | +2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welding inspectorExperience first | $48,570 | +2.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Structural Welder FAQ
What Is the Average Structural Welder Salary?
BLS estimates a median of $53,750 a year (about $25.84 an hour) for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (May 2025), with the lowest-paid 10% under $39,240 and the top 10% above $77,530.
Is Structural Welder a Growing Career?
BLS projects employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to change +2.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, with about 40,300 openings a year from growth and replacement.
Can a Structural Welder Make $100,000 a Year?
Some do. In Alaska, the top 10% of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn more than $109,940 (BLS, May 2025); nationally the 90th percentile is $77,530.
Which State Pays Structural Welders the Most?
Alaska, where the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers is $80,840 a year, against $30,220 in Puerto Rico (BLS, May 2025).
How Many Structural Welders Are There?
BLS counts about 437,700 jobs for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in 2025; the largest employer group is foundation, structure and building exterior contractors (47% of jobs, BLS OOH).
Do Structural Welders Work at Heights?
Often. Ironworkers and structural welders on building and bridge projects work on elevated steel with fall protection.
What Welding Process Do Structural Welders Use Most?
Structural steel work relies heavily on stick (SMAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) welding, and welding programs teach both alongside blueprint reading.
Is Structural Welding the Same as Ironworking?
They overlap. Ironworkers erect and connect steel with bolts, wire or welds; structural welders focus on the welded connections, in the shop or on site.
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national and state estimates, SOC 51-4121 and 47-2221.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, structural iron and steel workers.
- American Welding Society, AWS Certified Welder (structural steel).
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions, 2022–23, CIP 48.0508.