Ironworker pay in California
What ironworkers earn in California: pay for the state and 15 metro areas, plus job counts and 11 listed training programs.
- $80,920Average across all experience levels (state)
- $47,480Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $76,370Median pay (state)
- $118,030Top 10% earn over
7,110 jobs in California.
Pay by percentile
Ironworker pay in California
Annual wages.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $47,480 | $59,220 | $76,370 | $103,980 | $118,030 | $80,920 | 7,110 |
| United States | $44,580 | $49,880 | $62,780 | $82,660 | $108,260 | $70,280 | 68,380 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,360 | $71,040 | $109,440 | $113,670 | $130,590 | $96,410 | 330 |
| Vallejo, CA | $61,140 | $81,600 | $106,900 | $121,820 | $142,550 | $103,370 | 150 |
| Chico, CA | $48,500 | $68,900 | $88,070 | $124,470 | $124,470 | $90,070 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $56,880 | $71,990 | $87,340 | $119,600 | $124,470 | $91,760 | 800 |
| Fresno, CA | $46,800 | $57,520 | $80,110 | $99,630 | $117,110 | $81,010 | 180 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,000 | $59,960 | $78,040 | $104,060 | $110,200 | $81,100 | 2,150 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $52,040 | $61,010 | $77,760 | $103,420 | $111,630 | $81,790 | 450 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,340 | $61,090 | $76,400 | $104,130 | $110,350 | $79,480 | 740 |
| Modesto, CA | $47,850 | $60,280 | $75,820 | $115,980 | $129,460 | $84,580 | 100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $51,880 | $61,920 | $75,380 | $83,630 | $99,680 | $76,600 | 60 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $48,290 | $59,080 | $74,890 | $100,580 | $127,800 | $78,850 | 170 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $47,280 | $49,090 | $72,790 | $99,170 | $105,570 | $74,480 | 1,120 |
At a glance
How California compares
| Rank by average pay | 13 of 52 states and territories with a BLS estimate |
|---|---|
| Average vs U.S. average | +15.1% ($80,920 vs $70,280) |
| Median vs U.S. median | +21.6% ($76,370 vs $62,780) |
| Median hourly wage | $36.72 |
| Bottom 10% to top 10% | $47,480 to $118,030 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state | 0.39 |
| Location quotient | 0.89 (less concentrated than the U.S. average of 1.00) |
| Metro areas with a BLS estimate | 15; highest median San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $109,440, lowest San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $60,080 |
Training
Schools and apprenticeships in California
We matched 11 ironworker training options in California: 0 school programs in the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file and 11 registered apprenticeship sponsors in the DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file. This site covers pay and careers; the school and apprenticeship directory lives on our sister site.
Veterans can compare gI Bill-approved welding programs on VeteranTradeSchools.com.
Sources
Figures as of BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (released 2026-05-15) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (released 2026-08-27).
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-04.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 47-2221.00 Structural Iron and Steel Workers, retrieved 2026-11-04 (CC BY 4.0).
- Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
- Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades Data Team; last refreshed 2026-11-04.