Skilled Wages

Ironworker salary in Oregon

Median $46.18 an hour for 570 ironworkers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$46.18/hrMedian hourly wageOregon, May data
$96,050/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$25.30 – $58.1110th to 90th percentilehourly range
570Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

Ironworker pay in Oregon: the full range

Wage percentiles, OregonMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrOregon: 10th $25.30 · 25th $35.75 · median $46.18 · 75th $48.19 · 90th $58.11Oregon$46.18$25.30$58.11United States: 10th $21.43 · 25th $23.98 · median $30.18 · 75th $39.74 · 90th $52.05United States$30.18
Hourly wage percentiles for ironworkers: Oregon vs United States, May 2025.

Oregon ranks 7th of 50 states for median ironworker pay, and 8th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $44.66). 570 ironworkers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.3× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$25.30 – $35.75$52,630 – $74,360roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$35.75 – $48.19$74,360 – $100,240the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$48.19 – $58.11$100,240 – $120,860the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Ironworker pay by metro in Oregon

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrPortland: $47.17Portland$47.17Eugene: $44.51Eugene$44.51Salem: $36.02Salem$36.02
Median hourly wage for ironworkers by metro area in Oregon, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Portland$29.96$47.17$44.75$59.484102% above
Eugene$24.14$44.51$43.81$55.59404% below
Salem$21.43$36.02$34.77$56.314022% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Ironworker wages in Oregon over time

Oregon, 1999-2025OregonUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$46.18Oregon$30.18United States
Median hourly wage for ironworkers, Oregon vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearOregon $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.48$41.51$17.19500
2000$20.22$37.80$17.92670
2001$21.77$39.57$18.72910
2002$21.86$39.12$19.55840
2003$22.78$39.86$19.58940
2004$24.92$42.47$20.401,090
2005$27.01$44.52$19.51480
2006$22.02$35.16$19.46450
2007$22.24$34.53$20.26400
2008$19.46$29.10$20.68350
2009$21.99$33.00$21.40440
2010$23.12$34.13$21.42420
2011$30.17$43.18$21.97470
2012$30.26$42.43$22.18500
2013$29.62$40.93$22.36430
2014$27.45$37.33$23.17560
2015$27.77$37.72$24.28430
2016$30.42$40.81$24.91650
2017$29.51$38.76$25.30780
2018$33.63$43.12$25.951,130
2019$35.12$44.23$26.46950
2020$38.07$47.36$26.36920
2021$36.98$43.94$28.15590
2022$41.05$45.16$29.09580
2023$41.70$44.06$30.17460
2024$43.30$44.44$30.14560
2025$46.18$46.18$30.18570

In today's dollars, the median ironworker wage in Oregon changed by +22.4% over the last ten years of data and by +4.4% since 2019.

Are there more ironworker jobs in Oregon?

0.3Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.7× the US share, 34th of 49 states

BLS counted 570 ironworkers in Oregon in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 26%. 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 Oregon

+11.2%Projected growth in Oregon2024–2034, state agency
50Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
550Jobs in 2024620 projected for 2034
+3.1%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Oregon's labor market agency projects the number of ironworkers in the state to change by +11.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 550 to 620, with about 50 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.1% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 570 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Oregon labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for ironworkers in Oregon

On federally funded construction in Oregon, contractors must pay ironworkers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 31 of the 36 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $82.83 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $64.87). The market median for the state is $46.18.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ORBaker: $82.83 (union)Benton: $82.83 (union)Clackamas: $82.83 (union)Clatsop: $64.87 (survey)Columbia: $82.83 (union)Coos: $64.87 (survey)Crook: $82.83 (union)Curry: $64.87 (survey)Deschutes: $82.83 (union)Douglas: $82.83 (union)Gilliam: $82.83 (union)Grant: $82.83 (union)Harney: $82.83 (union)Hood River: $82.83 (union)Jackson: $82.83 (union)Jefferson: $82.83 (union)Josephine: $82.83 (union)Klamath: $82.83 (union)Lake: $82.83 (union)Lane: $82.83 (union)Lincoln: $64.87 (survey)Linn: $82.83 (union)Malheur: $82.83 (union)Marion: $82.83 (union)Morrow: $82.83 (union)Multnomah: $82.83 (union)Polk: $82.83 (union)Sherman: $82.83 (union)Tillamook: $64.87 (survey)Umatilla: $82.83 (union)Union: $82.83 (union)Wallowa: $82.83 (union)Wasco: $82.83 (union)Washington: $82.83 (union)Wheeler: $82.83 (union)Yamhill: $82.83 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey 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)$20$40$60$80$100/hrMarion (Salem): market median $36.02, prevailing (union) $82.83, gap +$46.81Marion (Salem)+$46.81Lane (Eugene): market median $44.51, prevailing (union) $82.83, gap +$38.32Lane (Eugene)+$38.32Benton (Oregon): market median $46.18, prevailing (union) $82.83, gap +$36.65Benton (Oregon)+$36.65Clackamas (Portland): market median $47.17, prevailing (union) $82.83, gap +$35.66Clackamas (Portland)+$35.66
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for ironworkers, metro counties in Oregon.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BakerUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260002
BentonUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260094
ClackamasUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260095
ColumbiaUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260096
CrookUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260083
DeschutesUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260097
DouglasUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260085
GilliamUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260093
GrantUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260093
HarneyUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260086
Hood RiverUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260087
JacksonUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260103
JeffersonUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260093
JosephineUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260103
KlamathUnion IRON0029-001 2025-07-07$48.31$34.52$82.83OR20260093

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Oregon prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Oregon?

117.9kConstruction jobsOregon, 2026-09
+3.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202625k50k75k100k125k150k19901995200020052010201520202025118kSep 2026
Construction employment in Oregon (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Ironworker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Oregon

More on Oregon

Questions this page answers

How much do ironworkers make in Oregon?

The median ironworker in Oregon earned $46.18 an hour ($96,050 a year) in May 2025, 53% above the national median of $30.18. The middle half earn $35.75–$48.19; the top 10% earn more than $58.11.

Where does Oregon rank for ironworker pay?

Oregon ranks 7th of 50 states for ironworker pay, with a median of $46.18 an hour, and 8th after adjusting for Oregon's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.4, US = 100).

What is the union ironworker rate in Oregon?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for ironworkers in 31 counties, with a typical package of $82.83 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many ironworkers work in Oregon?

BLS counted 570 ironworkers in Oregon in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.65; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is ironworker work growing in Oregon?

Oregon's labor market agency projects +11.2% growth for ironworkers between 2024 and 2034, from 550 to 620 jobs.

How many ironworker openings a year are there in Oregon?

Oregon projects about 50 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, Oregon 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: Oregon labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.