Ironworker pay in Wisconsin
What ironworkers earn in Wisconsin: pay for the state and 5 metro areas, plus job counts and 3 listed training programs.
- $85,460Average across all experience levels (state)
- $58,150Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $92,820Median pay (state)
- $100,160Top 10% earn over
710 jobs in Wisconsin.
Pay by percentile
Ironworker pay in Wisconsin
Annual wages.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $58,150 | $74,880 | $92,820 | $95,840 | $100,160 | $85,460 | 710 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $87,360 | $92,650 | $100,160 | $100,160 | $100,160 | $95,930 | 40 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,780 | $91,800 | $97,810 | $98,170 | $99,150 | $94,280 | 750 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $59,920 | $76,790 | $95,730 | $95,770 | $99,530 | $85,920 | 240 |
| Appleton, WI | $60,700 | $77,480 | $93,960 | $93,960 | $93,960 | $84,590 | 80 |
| Madison, WI | $59,170 | $73,470 | $92,460 | $97,160 | $105,040 | $86,060 | 70 |
At a glance
How Wisconsin compares
| Rank by average pay | 10 of 52 states and territories with a BLS estimate |
|---|---|
| Average vs U.S. average | +21.6% ($85,460 vs $70,280) |
| Median vs U.S. median | +47.8% ($92,820 vs $62,780) |
| Median hourly wage | $44.63 |
| Bottom 10% to top 10% | $58,150 to $100,160 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state | 0.24 |
| Location quotient | 0.55 (less concentrated than the U.S. average of 1.00) |
| Metro areas with a BLS estimate | 5; highest median La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN $100,160, lowest Madison, WI $92,460 |
Training
Schools and apprenticeships in Wisconsin
We matched 3 ironworker training options in Wisconsin: 1 school program in the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file and 2 registered apprenticeship sponsors in the DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file. Published annual tuition and fees at 1 of the schools range from $4,932 to $7,243 (College Scorecard). 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.