Ironworkers in the Modesto area earn a median of $75,820 a year, 18% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #51 of 155 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose and Vallejo, but less in Stockton.
It's one of 15 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide ironworker pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for ironworkers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (7.2%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 270 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $58,578 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $89/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Modesto scorecard for ironworkers Our calculation
Grades compare Modesto with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($64,000).
Pay over time
The median pay for ironworkers in the Modesto area went from $50,450 in 2020 to $75,820 in 2025, up 50.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +19.9% — a real raise. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Modesto Our calculation
Prices in the Modesto area run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $72,828 would in a typical place, ranking #66 of 154 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What ironworkers do
Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, ironworker jobs are projected to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 5,900 openings a year.
What the work is like Government data
How often ironworkers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most ironworkers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Modesto ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for ironworkers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for ironworkers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, ironworkers have 131 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.5× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for ironworkers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $109,440 | $99,110 | 330 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $106,900 | $98,544 | 150 |
| ChicoCALIFORNIA · CA | $88,070 | $87,028 | 50 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $87,340 | $75,545 | 800 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $80,110 | $78,418 | 180 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $78,040 | $68,718 | 2,150 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $77,760 | $72,898 | 450 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,400 | $68,283 | 740 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,820 | $72,828 | 100 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,380 | $69,936 | 60 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Modesto area's unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just ironworkers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Modesto area is 30 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 22% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Modesto area's population grew 0.7% from 2020 to 2025 (553,702 → 557,719), ranking #266 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -5,617).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Modesto
The Modesto area has about 187,031 homes. 45% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 6% were built in 2010 or later. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $468,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Modesto are up 49% from 2021 to 2025 (811 → 1,205).
In 2025 the Modesto area approved permits for 1,205 new homes (894 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 270 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $58,578 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Modesto compares among the best cities to start an ironworker business.
They compete with 148 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 1,282 workers in total). 67% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Modesto Government data
In an average year, Modesto has 90 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 18 at 100°F or more, 12 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 30 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 93°F and winter nights 40°F. That matters for ironworkers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Modesto City Co Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $75,820 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get ironworker pricing & estimate templates →Compare Modesto with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.