Skilled Wages

Ironworker salary in Kansas

Median $28.15 an hour for 260 structural iron and steel workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.15/hrMedian hourly wageKansas, May data
$58,560/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.53 – $38.3810th to 90th percentilehourly range
260Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Ironworker pay in Kansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, KansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrKansas: 10th $21.53 · 25th $23.29 · median $28.15 · 75th $30.34 · 90th $38.38Kansas$28.15$21.53$38.38United States: 10th $21.43 · 25th $23.98 · median $30.18 · 75th $39.74 · 90th $52.05United States$30.18
Hourly wage percentiles for structural iron and steel workers: Kansas vs United States, May 2025.

Kansas ranks 36th of 50 states for median ironworker pay, and 27th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.24). 260 structural iron and steel workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.53 – $23.29$44,770 – $48,450roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.29 – $30.34$48,450 – $63,100the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.34 – $38.38$63,100 – $79,820the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Ironworker pay by metro in Kansas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrKansas City: $37.30Kansas City$37.30Joplin: $30.10Joplin$30.10Wichita: $27.93Wichita$27.93
Median hourly wage for structural iron and steel workers by metro area in Kansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Kansas City$23.29$37.30$41.5938033% above
Joplin$22.25$30.10$43.85907% above
Wichita$21.81$27.93$34.76901% below

Ironworker wages in Kansas over time

Kansas, 1999-2025KansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$30.18United States$28.15Kansas
Median hourly wage for structural iron and steel workers, Kansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.57$33.95$17.19310
2000$15.95$29.82$17.92550
2001$16.90$30.72$18.72570
2002$16.41$29.37$19.55600
2003$15.83$27.70$19.58550
2004$15.60$26.59$20.40360
2005$14.37$23.69$19.51340
2006$13.09$20.90$19.46350
2007$14.89$23.12$20.26420
2008$18.69$27.95$20.68510
2009$23.72$35.60$21.40840
2010$24.49$36.16$21.42760
2011$23.70$33.92$21.97630
2012$16.79$23.54$22.18480
2013$17.63$24.36$22.36480
2014$18.39$25.01$23.17460
2015$18.62$25.29$24.28340
2016$18.92$25.38$24.91360
2017$18.43$24.21$25.30470
2018$19.59$25.12$25.95460
2019$19.56$24.63$26.46490
2020$21.62$26.89$26.36290
2021$22.88$27.18$28.15390
2022$25.51$28.06$29.09410
2023$22.65$23.93$30.17480
2024$23.40$24.02$30.14450
2025$28.15$28.15$30.18260

In today's dollars, the median ironworker wage in Kansas changed by +11.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for ironworkers in Kansas

On federally funded construction in Kansas, contractors must pay ironworkers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 12 of the 105 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $73.25 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $38.11). 93 of the 105 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Allen County at $38.11). The market median for the state is $28.15.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KSAllen: $38.11 (survey)Anderson: $38.11 (survey)Atchison: $38.11 (survey)Barber: $38.11 (survey)Barton: $38.11 (survey)Bourbon: $38.11 (survey)Brown: $38.11 (survey)Butler: $41.12 (union)Chase: $38.11 (survey)Chautauqua: $38.11 (survey)Cherokee: $38.11 (survey)Cheyenne: $38.11 (survey)Clark: $38.11 (survey)Clay: $38.11 (survey)Cloud: $38.11 (survey)Coffey: $38.11 (survey)Comanche: $38.11 (survey)Cowley: $38.11 (survey)Crawford: $38.11 (survey)Decatur: $38.11 (survey)Dickinson: $38.11 (survey)Doniphan: $73.25 (union)Douglas: $73.25 (union)Edwards: $38.11 (survey)Elk: $38.11 (survey)Ellis: $38.11 (survey)Ellsworth: $38.11 (survey)Finney: $38.11 (survey)Ford: $38.11 (survey)Franklin: $73.25 (union)Geary: $70.25 (union)Gove: $38.11 (survey)Graham: $38.11 (survey)Grant: $38.11 (survey)Gray: $38.11 (survey)Greeley: $38.11 (survey)Greenwood: $38.11 (survey)Hamilton: $38.11 (survey)Harper: $38.11 (survey)Harvey: $41.12 (union)Haskell: $38.11 (survey)Hodgeman: $38.11 (survey)Jackson: $54.35 (survey)Jefferson: $54.35 (survey)Jewell: $38.11 (survey)Johnson: $73.25 (union)Kearny: $38.11 (survey)Kingman: $38.11 (survey)Kiowa: $38.11 (survey)Labette: $38.11 (survey)Lane: $38.11 (survey)Leavenworth: $73.25 (union)Lincoln: $38.11 (survey)Linn: $73.25 (union)Logan: $38.11 (survey)Lyon: $38.11 (survey)McPherson: $38.11 (survey)Marion: $38.11 (survey)Marshall: $38.11 (survey)Meade: $38.11 (survey)Miami: $73.25 (union)Mitchell: $38.11 (survey)Montgomery: $38.11 (survey)Morris: $38.11 (survey)Morton: $38.11 (survey)Nemaha: $38.11 (survey)Neosho: $38.11 (survey)Ness: $38.11 (survey)Norton: $38.11 (survey)Osage: $54.35 (survey)Osborne: $38.11 (survey)Ottawa: $38.11 (survey)Pawnee: $38.11 (survey)Phillips: $38.11 (survey)Pottawatomie: $54.35 (survey)Pratt: $38.11 (survey)Rawlins: $38.11 (survey)Reno: $18.58 (survey)Republic: $38.11 (survey)Rice: $38.11 (survey)Riley: $54.35 (survey)Rooks: $38.11 (survey)Rush: $38.11 (survey)Russell: $38.11 (survey)Saline: $38.11 (survey)Scott: $38.11 (survey)Sedgwick: $41.12 (union)Seward: $38.11 (survey)Shawnee: $54.35 (survey)Sheridan: $38.11 (survey)Sherman: $38.11 (survey)Smith: $38.11 (survey)Stafford: $38.11 (survey)Stanton: $38.11 (survey)Stevens: $38.11 (survey)Sumner: $26.10 (survey)Thomas: $38.11 (survey)Trego: $38.11 (survey)Wabaunsee: $54.35 (survey)Wallace: $38.11 (survey)Washington: $38.11 (survey)Wichita: $38.11 (survey)Wilson: $38.11 (survey)Woodson: $38.11 (survey)Wyandotte: $73.25 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$38.11survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for ironworkers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrDoniphan (Kansas): market median $28.15, prevailing (union) $73.25, gap +$45.10Doniphan (Kansas)+$45.10Johnson (Kansas City): market median $37.30, prevailing (union) $73.25, gap +$35.95Johnson (Kansas City)+$35.95Butler (Wichita): market median $27.93, prevailing (union) $41.12, gap +$13.19Butler (Wichita)+$13.19Cherokee (Joplin): market median $30.10, prevailing (survey) $38.11, gap +$8.01Cherokee (Joplin)+$8.01
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for ironworkers, metro counties in Kansas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DoniphanUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260047
DouglasUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260048
FranklinUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260060
JohnsonUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260052
LeavenworthUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260053
LinnUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260054
MiamiUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260060
WyandotteUnion IRON0010-032 2025-04-01$39.00$34.25$73.25KS20260060
GearyUnion IRON0010-033 2025-04-01$36.00$34.25$70.25KS20260049
JacksonSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260061
JeffersonSurvey SUKS2015-020 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260051
OsageSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260061
PottawatomieSurvey SUKS2015-024 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260055
RileySurvey SUKS2015-025 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260056
ShawneeSurvey SUKS2015-027 2015-07-08$29.00$25.35$54.35KS20260058

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Kansas prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Kansas?

79.3kConstruction jobsKansas, 2026-08
+4.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k1990199520002005201020152020202579kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kansas (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Ironworker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kansas

Questions this page answers

How much do ironworkers make in Kansas?

The median ironworker in Kansas earned $28.15 an hour ($58,560 a year) in May 2025, 7% below the national median of $30.18. The middle half earn $23.29–$30.34; the top 10% earn more than $38.38.

Where does Kansas rank for ironworker pay?

Kansas ranks 36th of 50 states for ironworker pay, with a median of $28.15 an hour, and 27th after adjusting for Kansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union ironworker rate in Kansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for ironworkers in 12 counties, with a typical package of $73.25 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many ironworkers work in Kansas?

BLS counted 260 structural iron and steel workers in Kansas in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.42; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas and metro areas, SOC 47-2221.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.