Ironworker salary in Maine
Median $29.69 an hour for 200 ironworkers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Ironworker pay in Maine: the full range
Maine ranks 29th of 50 states for median ironworker pay, and 30th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.61). 200 ironworkers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.95 – $23.57 | $45,660 – $49,020 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.57 – $35.41 | $49,020 – $73,650 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $35.41 – $41.75 | $73,650 – $86,840 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Ironworker pay by metro in Maine
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $25.76 | $30.64 | $42.99 | 80 | 3% above |
Ironworker wages in Maine over time
Table
| Year | Maine $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.46 | $26.01 | $17.19 | 430 |
| 2000 | $15.76 | $29.46 | $17.92 | 350 |
| 2001 | $15.56 | $28.29 | $18.72 | 320 |
| 2002 | $16.07 | $28.76 | $19.55 | 360 |
| 2003 | $16.53 | $28.92 | $19.58 | 280 |
| 2004 | $16.73 | $28.51 | $20.40 | 290 |
| 2005 | $17.73 | $29.23 | $19.51 | 340 |
| 2006 | $18.69 | $29.85 | $19.46 | 310 |
| 2007 | $17.32 | $26.89 | $20.26 | 420 |
| 2008 | $18.46 | $27.60 | $20.68 | 240 |
| 2009 | $16.98 | $25.48 | $21.40 | 140 |
| 2010 | $20.13 | $29.72 | $21.42 | 50 |
| 2011 | $17.65 | $25.26 | $21.97 | 130 |
| 2012 | $18.23 | $25.56 | $22.18 | 260 |
| 2013 | $17.96 | $24.82 | $22.36 | 240 |
| 2014 | $19.48 | $26.49 | $23.17 | 180 |
| 2015 | $19.62 | $26.65 | $24.28 | 140 |
| 2016 | $21.03 | $28.21 | $24.91 | 240 |
| 2017 | $21.61 | $28.38 | $25.30 | 250 |
| 2018 | $23.12 | $29.64 | $25.95 | 350 |
| 2019 | $24.78 | $31.20 | $26.46 | 330 |
| 2020 | $24.32 | $30.25 | $26.36 | 290 |
| 2021 | $22.99 | $27.31 | $28.15 | 370 |
| 2022 | $22.87 | $25.16 | $29.09 | 180 |
| 2023 | $30.43 | $32.15 | $30.17 | 180 |
| 2024 | $30.16 | $30.95 | $30.14 | 780 |
| 2025 | $29.69 | $29.69 | $30.18 | 200 |
In today's dollars, the median ironworker wage in Maine changed by +11.4% over the last ten years of data and by -4.9% since 2019.
Are there more ironworker jobs in Maine?
BLS counted 200 ironworkers in Maine in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 28%. 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 Maine
Maine's labor market agency projects the number of ironworkers in the state to change by -1.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 800 to 790, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.1% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 200 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for ironworkers in Maine
On federally funded construction in Maine, contractors must pay ironworkers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 6 of the 16 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $59.92 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $31.45). 10 of the 16 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Aroostook County at $28.91). The market median for the state is $29.69.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin | Union IRON0007-003 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260004 |
| Cumberland | Union IRON0007-003 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260050 |
| Hancock | Union IRON0007-035 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260008 |
| Penobscot | Union IRON0007-003 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260051 |
| Sagadahoc | Union IRON0007-003 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260052 |
| York | Union IRON0007-003 2025-09-16 | $33.65 | $26.27 | $59.92 | ME20260053 |
| Washington | Survey SUME2014-022 2017-01-31 | $22.71 | $10.88 | $33.59 | ME20260013 |
| Franklin | Survey SUME2014-016 2017-01-31 | $22.17 | $9.28 | $31.45 | ME20260007 |
| Knox | Survey SUME2014-019 2017-01-31 | $22.17 | $9.28 | $31.45 | ME20260010 |
| Lincoln | Survey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31 | $22.17 | $9.28 | $31.45 | ME20260014 |
| Oxford | Survey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31 | $22.17 | $9.28 | $31.45 | ME20260014 |
| Waldo | Survey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31 | $22.17 | $9.28 | $31.45 | ME20260014 |
| Somerset | Survey SUME2014-021 2017-01-31 | $22.61 | $8.67 | $31.28 | ME20260012 |
| Piscataquis | Survey SUME2014-020 2017-01-31 | $21.77 | $8.43 | $30.20 | ME20260011 |
| Aroostook | Survey SUME2014-015 2017-01-31 | $20.65 | $8.26 | $28.91 | ME20260006 |
| Kennebec | Survey SUME2014-018 2017-01-31 | $18.84 | $1.81 | $20.65 | ME20260009 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Maine prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Maine?
Keep comparing
Ironworker pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Maine
More on Maine
Questions this page answers
How much do ironworkers make in Maine?
The median ironworker in Maine earned $29.69 an hour ($61,750 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $30.18. The middle half earn $23.57–$35.41; the top 10% earn more than $41.75.
Where does Maine rank for ironworker pay?
Maine ranks 29th of 50 states for ironworker pay, with a median of $29.69 an hour, and 30th after adjusting for Maine's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.0, US = 100).
What is the union ironworker rate in Maine?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for ironworkers in 6 counties, with a typical package of $59.92 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many ironworkers work in Maine?
BLS counted 200 ironworkers in Maine in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.70; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is ironworker work growing in Maine?
Maine's labor market agency projects -1.6% growth for ironworkers between 2024 and 2034, from 800 to 790 jobs.
How many ironworker openings a year are there in Maine?
Maine projects about 60 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, Maine 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 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.