Ironworker pay in North Carolina
What ironworkers earn in North Carolina: pay for the state and 5 metro areas, plus job counts and 1 listed training program.
- $53,250Average across all experience levels (state)
- $36,780Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $48,740Median pay (state)
- $79,130Top 10% earn over
2,000 jobs in North Carolina.
Pay by percentile
Ironworker pay in North Carolina
Annual wages.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $36,780 | $44,120 | $48,740 | $58,330 | $79,130 | $53,250 | 2,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $47,560 | $49,380 | $58,630 | $64,980 | $74,250 | $58,700 | 700 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $38,810 | $48,740 | $57,810 | $59,900 | $60,530 | $53,220 | 100 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $38,910 | $46,350 | $49,490 | $56,380 | $81,640 | $53,190 | 170 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $39,320 | $46,120 | $48,290 | $58,020 | $63,530 | $53,000 | 550 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $36,190 | $46,370 | $47,730 | $56,120 | $56,460 | $49,210 | 160 |
At a glance
How North Carolina compares
| Rank by average pay | 44 of 52 states and territories with a BLS estimate |
|---|---|
| Average vs U.S. average | -24.2% ($53,250 vs $70,280) |
| Median vs U.S. median | -22.4% ($48,740 vs $62,780) |
| Median hourly wage | $23.43 |
| Bottom 10% to top 10% | $36,780 to $79,130 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state | 0.41 |
| Location quotient | 0.92 (less concentrated than the U.S. average of 1.00) |
| Metro areas with a BLS estimate | 5; highest median Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $58,630, lowest Winston-Salem, NC $47,730 |
Training
Schools and apprenticeships in North Carolina
We matched 1 ironworker training option in North Carolina: 0 school programs in the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file and 1 registered apprenticeship sponsor 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.