Ironworkers in the San Jose area earn a median of $109,440 a year, 71% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #6 of 155 metros for ironworker salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Modesto.
It's one of 15 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide ironworker pay.
Ironworker pay in San Jose at a glance
- Ironworkers in the San Jose, CA metro earn a median $109,440 a year ($52.62 an hour), #6 of 155 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $56,360 and $130,590.
- After local prices, that median buys what $99,110 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $2,762 a month, 30% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among ironworkers in San Jose.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for ironworkers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.3%) and the population is shrinking (-0.6% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 509 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $77,415 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $119/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
San Jose scorecard for ironworkers Our calculation
Grades compare San Jose 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 San Jose area went from $85,690 in 2020 to $109,440 in 2025, up 27.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +1.9% — a real raise.
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 San Jose Our calculation
Prices in San Jose run 10% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $99,110 would in a typical place, ranking #11 of 154 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a San Jose budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 San Jose ↗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 San Jose area's unemployment rate was 4.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just ironworkers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the San Jose area is 28 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 16% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 66% drive alone, 3% take transit and 15% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The San Jose area's population shrank 0.6% from 2020 to 2025 (1,995,874 → 1,984,473), ranking #321 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -48,500).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in San Jose
The San Jose area has about 729,606 homes. 57% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 54% of households own their home, and the median home value is $1,528,500.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in San Jose are up 23% from 2021 to 2025 (4,529 → 5,570).
In 2025 the San Jose area approved permits for 5,570 new homes (2,042 single-family), or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #234 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 509 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $77,415 a year in revenue before expenses. See how San Jose compares among the best cities to start an ironworker business.
They compete with 464 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 7,010 workers in total). 54% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The San Jose area has 43 active C-51 Structural Steel contractor licenses, about 0.2 per 10,000 residents (#21 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in San Jose Government data
In an average year, San Jose has 21 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 2 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 38 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 82°F and winter nights 44°F. That matters for ironworkers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, San Jose, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $109,440 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 San Jose with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for ironworkersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in San JoseSee where it falls among local ironworkers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolSan Jose budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the San Jose metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank San Jose against every other metro for ironworkers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.