Structural Ironworker

Structural Ironworkers are in charge of the placement and installation of metal materials that form the foundation of buildings, bridges, and other large structures. While they do most of their work on a construction site, connecting and securing the pieces, Structural Ironworkers may sometimes work off-site, creating each piece and preparing it for assembly.

As with most construction jobs, your workday as a Structural Ironworker starts early. You read blueprints completed during the design phase, and begin to erect the steel framework of the structure. You unload, sort, and stack heavy steel pieces, then hoist each one into the proper place for fastening. With your colleagues, you go piece by piece, connecting the heavy beams and columns that comprise the “skeleton” of the finished building.

To do this job, you need to be physically fit and strong enough to do some serious heavy lifting. Your working conditions will require a tolerance for all kinds of weather and some extreme heights. In fact, even with the use of safety harnesses and other gear, this job has a higher-than-average rate of workplace injuries. You need to work well on a team, respect the need for precision and focus on a job site, and be flexible as construction timelines change.

Much of your work may be hidden inside walls and floors when you’re done, but you’ll know that your labor is a lasting tribute to modern architecture and safety.