Ironworker salary in Delaware
Median $28.76 an hour for 90 ironworkers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Ironworker pay in Delaware: the full range
Delaware ranks 33rd of 50 states for median ironworker pay, and 34th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.82). 90 ironworkers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $24.04 – $24.89 | $50,000 – $51,760 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $24.89 – $30.45 | $51,760 – $63,340 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $30.45 – $34.80 | $63,340 – $72,370 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Ironworker pay by metro in Delaware
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $25.36 | $49.68 | $58.38 | 800 | 73% above |
Ironworker wages in Delaware over time
Table
| Year | Delaware $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $17.96 | $34.71 | $17.19 | 790 |
| 2000 | $18.68 | $34.92 | $17.92 | 510 |
| 2001 | $18.82 | $34.21 | $18.72 | 410 |
| 2002 | $19.28 | $34.50 | $19.55 | 240 |
| 2003 | $22.62 | $39.58 | $19.58 | — |
| 2004 | $24.17 | $41.19 | $20.40 | 300 |
| 2005 | $19.60 | $32.31 | $19.51 | 260 |
| 2006 | $19.92 | $31.81 | $19.46 | 240 |
| 2007 | $19.16 | $29.75 | $20.26 | 180 |
| 2008 | $19.56 | $29.25 | $20.68 | 200 |
| 2009 | $19.45 | $29.19 | $21.40 | 180 |
| 2010 | $19.76 | $29.17 | $21.42 | 230 |
| 2011 | $21.55 | $30.84 | $21.97 | 200 |
| 2012 | $22.49 | $31.54 | $22.18 | 170 |
| 2013 | $25.35 | $35.03 | $22.36 | — |
| 2014 | $22.92 | $31.17 | $23.17 | 160 |
| 2015 | $21.96 | $29.83 | $24.28 | 170 |
| 2016 | $22.21 | $29.79 | $24.91 | — |
| 2017 | $22.62 | $29.71 | $25.30 | 220 |
| 2018 | $23.99 | $30.76 | $25.95 | 190 |
| 2019 | $30.60 | $38.53 | $26.46 | 360 |
| 2020 | $31.91 | $39.69 | $26.36 | 340 |
| 2021 | $26.19 | $31.12 | $28.15 | 240 |
| 2022 | $27.45 | $30.20 | $29.09 | 160 |
| 2023 | $28.43 | $30.04 | $30.17 | 110 |
| 2024 | $28.04 | $28.78 | $30.14 | 100 |
| 2025 | $28.76 | $28.76 | $30.18 | 90 |
In today's dollars, the median ironworker wage in Delaware changed by -3.6% over the last ten years of data and by -25.4% since 2019.
Are there more ironworker jobs in Delaware?
BLS counted 90 ironworkers in Delaware in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 27%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for ironworkers in Delaware
Delaware's labor market agency projects the number of ironworkers in the state to change by +13.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 110 to 120, with about 10 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.1% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 90 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Delaware labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for ironworkers in Delaware
On federally funded construction in Delaware, contractors must pay ironworkers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 1 of the 3 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $79.33 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $51.73). 2 of the 3 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Kent County at $52.46). The market median for the state is $28.76.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | Union IRON0451-005 2024-07-01 | $41.10 | $38.23 | $79.33 | DE20260008 |
| Kent | Survey SUDE2014-004 2016-01-20 | $37.42 | $15.04 | $52.46 | DE20260007 |
| Sussex | Survey SUDE2014-006 2016-01-20 | $43.59 | $7.41 | $51.00 | DE20260009 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Delaware prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Delaware?
Keep comparing
Ironworker pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Delaware
More on Delaware
Questions this page answers
How much do ironworkers make in Delaware?
The median ironworker in Delaware earned $28.76 an hour ($59,820 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $30.18. The middle half earn $24.89–$30.45; the top 10% earn more than $34.80.
Where does Delaware rank for ironworker pay?
Delaware ranks 33rd of 50 states for ironworker pay, with a median of $28.76 an hour, and 34th after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (BEA price parity 99.8, US = 100).
What is the union ironworker rate in Delaware?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for ironworkers in 1 counties, with a typical package of $79.33 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many ironworkers work in Delaware?
BLS counted 90 ironworkers in Delaware in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.41; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is ironworker work growing in Delaware?
Delaware's labor market agency projects +13.1% growth for ironworkers between 2024 and 2034, from 110 to 120 jobs.
How many ironworker openings a year are there in Delaware?
Delaware projects about 10 openings a year for ironworkers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 5,900 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Delaware and metro areas, SOC 47-2221. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Delaware labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.