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Salary Guides / California
Steel Erector Salary in California
Compare California structural steel employee wages with erection duties, project schedules, overtime terms and the benefits attached to each offer.
What Steel Erectors Earn in California
California structural iron and steel employees earn $22.83–$56.75/hr across the range shown here, or $47,480–$118,030 a year. Steel erectors share this occupation with other structural ironworkers. These wages exclude premium pay and benefits. Read an offer alongside its connection duties, travel arrangements and working hours to understand what the employer expects for that pay. Separate base wages, overtime and employer payments when comparing offers with different shift patterns.
Hourly rates by level in California
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 steel erectors in California.
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 California
These national sector figures give California erectors context for bridge, specialist structural and nonresidential building offers. Ask employers which erection duties each vacancy includes.
Highway and Bridge Construction
Bridge members bring lifting sequences and traffic interfaces into the job. Ask how closure windows shape shifts and which DIR classification covers public bridge work.
Structural Exterior Contractors
Specialist contractors handle structural packages within a broader foundation and exterior industry. Discuss beam connections, decking and the C-51 contractor responsible for the erection package.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building crews coordinate steel with other trades. Clarify erection and welding duties, then ask how California daily overtime applies to long concrete-placement or decking shifts.
Which states pay steel erectors 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Workers Local 433 Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$2.67 | $5,554 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$1.43 | $2,974 | $159 | 3 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.38 | $790 | $149 | 10 weeks |
| Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator | +$0.12 | $250 | $59 | 13 weeks |
| NCCCO Signalperson | +$0.38 | $790 | $200 | 14 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $36.72/hr.
Questions workers ask
Are these bands the apprentice wage schedule?▾
How should I compare a public bridge offer with building work?▾
Does the annual range describe my take-home pay?▾
See Open Steel Erector Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS California employee wages for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, SOC 47-2221; employee earnings exclude premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 20, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.