Ironworkers in the Stockton area earn a median of $74,890 a year, 17% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #57 of 155 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Modesto and Vallejo.
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 (6.7%) and the population is growing faster than most (+5.5% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 281 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $53,320 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $88/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Stockton scorecard for ironworkers Our calculation
Grades compare Stockton 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 Stockton area went from $83,380 in 2020 to $74,890 in 2025, down 10.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -28.4% — a real pay cut.
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 Stockton Our calculation
Prices in Stockton run 5% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $71,263 would in a typical place, ranking #68 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. About nan% are self-employed.
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 Stockton ↗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 Stockton area's unemployment rate was 6.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just ironworkers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Stockton area is 35 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 27% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 1% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Stockton area's population grew 5.5% from 2020 to 2025 (780,618 → 823,815), ranking #85 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +27,693) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Stockton
The Stockton area has about 266,936 homes. 42% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 14% were built in 2010 or later. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $562,500.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Stockton are down 43% from 2021 to 2025 (4,389 → 2,522).
In 2025 the Stockton area approved permits for 2,522 new homes (2,520 single-family), or 3.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #210 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 281 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $53,320 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 192 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 2,563 workers in total). 59% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
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 $74,890 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 Stockton 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.