Ironworker

Ironworkers are “industrial athletes”, one of the most physical and mental jobs in the skilled trades industry.

Structural

• Unloads, erects, and connects fabricated iron beams to form the project skeleton.
• Works primarily on industrial, commercial and large residential buildings.
• Builds towers, bridges, stadiums, and prefabricated metal buildings
• Erects and installs pre-cast beams, columns and panels.

Reinforcing

• Fabricates and places steel bars (rebar) in concrete forms to reinforce structures.
• Places rebar on appropriate supports and tie them together with tie wire.
• Installs post-tensioning tendons (cables) to place in concrete forms along reinforcing steel.
• Stresses the tendons using hydraulic jacks and pumps after the concrete is poured and hardened

Ornamental

• Installs metal windows into buildings a building's masonry or wooden openings.
• Erects curtain wall and window wall systems that cover the steel or reinforced concrete structure of a building.
• Installs and erects metal stairways, catwalks, gratings, doors, railings, fencing, elevator fronts and building entrances.

Rigging and Machinery Moving

• Loads, unloads, moves and sets machinery, structural steel and curtain walls.
• Operates power hoists, cranes, derricks, forklifts and aerial lifts.
• Has knowledge of fiber line, wire rope, hoisting equipment and proper hand signals.

Welding and Burning
Welding and burning equipment are considered tools of the trade and performed by structural, reinforcing, ornamental and rigging ironworkers to secure their work to the structure. Ironworkers can be tested to be designated a certified welder.

• Manual dexterity: good with your hands.
• Hand eye coordination
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: will encounter unexpected problems and you will have to figure them out in a timely fashion.
• Attention to detail
• Physical strength and stamina
• Balance
• Unafraid of heights

• Foundation, structure and building exterior contractor
• Heavy and civil engineering contractor

• Union negotiates competitive rates: For example) In Forest Park, IL, $40.82 per hour as journeyman which is the position after you are an apprentice.
• Full medical benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• Pension
• Annuity
• Access to better jobs and amazing opportunities

• Dangerous: Have higher-than-average risk of injury and illness. Workers may experience cuts from sharp metal edges and equipment, as well as muscle strains and other injuries from moving and guiding structural steel.
• Welding: Getting welding certification is the toughest part of being an ironworker. Takes a lot of practice.
• Downtime: When there isn’t work, you might be laid off and wait for another job. Don’t expect this to be a career where you are working the whole year. Your hourly rate is higher than most and your work is more physically demanding so you don’t need to work every day of the year to make a good living.

• Those who are certified in welding and rigging should have the best job opportunities.
• Those with prior military service are also viewed favorably during initial hiring.

• Building and fixing things! : working with your hands.
• Being outside in nature.
• Sports
• Anything mechanical: Working on cars

Welders are an important part of the industry as they use different welding processes to join two pieces of metal together. That way, they are able to create bridges, structures, small appliances, and more.

Welding doesn’t have to be a male-orientated occupation as there are many women welders that are doing a much better job than men. The welding industry currently employs about 1% of females in its welding force. But it has been able to add more than 1,200 workers in the past three years, which is a lot as opposed to the years prior.

Predictions say that by the year 2024, more than 400,000 experienced welders will retire, leaving the door for women welders wide open.

Becoming a welder is a lucrative job opportunity because it doesn’t only offer you a steady job and a chance to travel all over the world, it also sets you up for life with a very lucrative salary. Reports indicate that a median salary for an Industrial Pipeline Welder starts at $36,000 a year, while a Certified Welding Inspector can earn up to $70,000 on a yearly basis.

Women welders usually feel a great sense of accomplishment for succeeding in a primarily male-orientated field and being a role model for women and young girls that are attracted to trades.