How To Become A Steel Erector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a steel erector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

What do parking garages, skyscrapers, and control towers have in common? Many of them are made with steel. Steel beams provide the framework for a tall building and are the foundation for any future construction. Steel erectors, or ironworkers, are the people who create the steel framework for buildings.

Steelworkers spend most of their day working with steel beams, girders, and columns. They help cut steel to its proper size, install beams where they are supposed to go based on the blueprint or design, and weld steel parts together. Sometimes they help with building renovation or operate equipment like cranes.

A steel erector needs to do its job very carefully. If they make a mistake, the whole building could collapse. A mistake could also be deadly since steel erectors often work with dangerous power tools many feet above the ground. To prepare for this demanding yet rewarding career, many steel erectors start out as apprentices so they can learn important skills through practical experience. Once they are done with their apprenticeship, steel erectors can earn an average of $32,850 a year.

ScoreSteel ErectorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $36,280

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.3

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.03%

Asian 1.59%

Black or African American 8.24%

Hispanic or Latino 15.71%

Unknown 4.92%

White 67.50%

Gender

female 2.63%

male 97.37%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.0

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a steel erector

Explore steel erector education requirements

Most common steel erector degrees

High School Diploma

54.4 %

Diploma

14.4 %

Bachelor's

13.9 %

Start to develop specific steel erector skills

Skills	Percentages
Torches	24.98%
Blueprint Specifications	13.77%
Steel Beams	12.66%
Safety Guidelines	8.32%
Hand Tools	5.63%

Complete relevant steel erector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New steel erectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a steel erector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real steel erector resumes.

Research steel erector duties and responsibilities

Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using torches, saws and or welding equipment.
Erect steel into place by using forklifts, chain hoists, and signaling crane operators.
Load, unload, and set machinery and equipment and operate power hoists, forklifts, and aerial lifts.
Handle and execute all activities relate to erection and dismantling of scaffolding.

Prepare your steel erector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your steel erector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a steel erector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Steel Erector Resume templates

Build a professional Steel Erector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Steel Erector resume.

Apply for steel erector jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a steel erector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do steel erectors rate their job?

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Steel Erector reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

I’ve been a steel erector for 10 years would like to try something new

Cons

I wouldn’t say I do no like anything certainly not scared of heights

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019