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Salary Guides / Virginia
Ironworker Salary in Virginia
Published Virginia structural ironworker wages help you compare building and bridge offers, training stages and the full proposed employment package.
What Ironworkers Earn in Virginia
Virginia structural ironworkers earn $22.61–$35.53/hr across the range shown here, with annual employee wages of $47,040–$73,890 a year. These workers erect and connect steel for buildings and bridges. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers have a separate wage category. Discuss connection duties, welding assignments and travel with the employer when comparing an offer. Budget household spending around the hours offered for the project, including gaps between scheduled erection phases.
Hourly rates by level in Virginia
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other ironworkers in Virginia.
What are you making?
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Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in Virginia
These national sector figures offer context for Virginia bridge, specialist erection and commercial building vacancies. Ask each prospective employer about the actual steel assignment.
Highway and Bridge Construction
Bridge steel erection brings lifting sequences and roadwork interfaces into the job. For Virginia offers, discuss closure shifts and travel arrangements. Ask how the prospective employer handles a delayed lift or canceled erection shift.
Foundation, Structure and Exterior Contractors
Specialist erection firms install structural frames within this broader contractor sector. Ask Virginia employers how steel deliveries and moves between projects affect hours. Include required equipment preparation when discussing the paid workday.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial and institutional building crews coordinate steel with other trades. Discuss who assigns connection work and handles schedule changes on Virginia sites. Ask how crews report unfinished work during handovers.
Which states pay ironworkers the most
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironworkers Local 5 Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$4.31 | $8,965 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.90 | $1,872 | $159 | 5 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.30 | $624 | $59 | 5 weeks |
| AWS Certified Welder (SMAW, accredited test facility) | +$1.80 | $3,744 | $897 | 13 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.24 | $499 | $149 | 16 weeks |
| NCCCO Rigger Level I | +$0.72 | $1,498 | $1,750 | 61 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.97/hr.
Questions workers ask
Will my pay rise during a Virginia ironworker apprenticeship?▾
Can prior ironwork experience move me up the apprentice pay scale?▾
Where can I take an unpaid wage complaint?▾
See Open Ironworker Jobs in Virginia
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, SOC 47-2221; excludes premium pay and benefits, with reinforcing iron and rebar workers measured separately.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.