Skilled Wages

Ironworker salary in West Virginia

Median $34.54 an hour for 150 ironworkers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$34.54/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$71,850/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.34 – $38.5610th to 90th percentilehourly range
150Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Ironworker pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrWest Virginia: 10th $24.34 · 25th $27.70 · median $34.54 · 75th $35.85 · 90th $38.56West Virginia$34.54$24.34$38.56United States: 10th $21.43 · 25th $23.98 · median $30.18 · 75th $39.74 · 90th $52.05United States$30.18
Hourly wage percentiles for ironworkers: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 19th of 50 states for median ironworker pay, and 16th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $38.59). 150 ironworkers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.6× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$24.34 – $27.70$50,620 – $57,610roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$27.70 – $35.85$57,610 – $74,560the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$35.85 – $38.56$74,560 – $80,200the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Ironworker pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrWashington DC: $32.85Washington DC$32.85Winchester: $29.05Winchester$29.05
Median hourly wage for ironworkers by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$24.39$32.85$30.17$41.041,0605% below
Winchester$23.03$29.05$30.10$42.853016% below

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

Ironworker wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$34.54West Virginia$30.18United States
Median hourly wage for ironworkers, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.94$36.60$17.19—
2000$17.07$31.91$17.92630
2001$17.95$32.63$18.72580
2002$19.04$34.07$19.55490
2003$15.85$27.73$19.58340
2004$15.32$26.11$20.40360
2005$13.55$22.34$19.51580
2006$14.59$23.30$19.46800
2007$16.70$25.93$20.26820
2008$18.64$27.87$20.68560
2009$23.81$35.73$21.40530
2010$23.45$34.62$21.42350
2011$25.33$36.25$21.97390
2012$26.58$37.27$22.18400
2013$23.76$32.84$22.36420
2014$21.90$29.78$23.17420
2015$22.03$29.92$24.28420
2016$22.75$30.52$24.91310
2017$28.18$37.01$25.30220
2018$27.53$35.30$25.95170
2019$28.08$35.36$26.46150
2020$24.94$31.02$26.36190
2021$28.34$33.67$28.15120
2022$27.67$30.44$29.09100
2023$28.53$30.14$30.17110
2024$36.23$37.18$30.1480
2025$34.54$34.54$30.18150

In today's dollars, the median ironworker wage in West Virginia changed by +15.4% over the last ten years of data and by -2.3% since 2019.

Are there more ironworker jobs in West Virginia?

0.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.5× the US share, 44th of 49 states

BLS counted 150 ironworkers in West Virginia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 32%. 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 West Virginia

+12.4%Projected growth in West Virginia2024–2034, state agency
10Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
140Jobs in 2024160 projected for 2034
+3.1%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

West Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of ironworkers in the state to change by +12.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 140 to 160, with about 10 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 150 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections.

Union scale and prevailing wage for ironworkers in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay ironworkers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 27 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $60.75 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $38.19). 28 of the 55 counties still use a survey rate dated 2012 or earlier (for example Barbour County at $38.19). The market median for the state is $34.54.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $38.19 (survey)Berkeley: $56.15 (union)Boone: $60.75 (union)Braxton: $38.19 (survey)Brooke: $60.85 (union)Cabell: $69.29 (union)Calhoun: $38.19 (survey)Clay: $60.75 (union)Doddridge: $60.85 (union)Fayette: $39.17 (survey)Gilmer: $38.19 (survey)Grant: $56.15 (union)Greenbrier: $38.19 (survey)Hampshire: $56.15 (union)Hancock: $60.85 (union)Hardy: $38.19 (survey)Harrison: $60.85 (union)Jackson: $38.19 (survey)Jefferson: $56.15 (union)Kanawha: $60.75 (union)Lewis: $42.12 (survey)Lincoln: $60.75 (union)Logan: $38.19 (survey)McDowell: $60.75 (union)Marion: $60.85 (union)Marshall: $60.85 (union)Mason: $38.19 (survey)Mercer: $38.19 (survey)Mineral: $56.15 (union)Mingo: $38.19 (survey)Monongalia: $60.85 (union)Monroe: $38.19 (survey)Morgan: $56.15 (union)Nicholas: $38.19 (survey)Ohio: $60.85 (union)Pendleton: $38.19 (survey)Pleasants: $42.22 (survey)Pocahontas: $38.19 (survey)Preston: $56.15 (union)Putnam: $60.75 (union)Raleigh: $60.75 (union)Randolph: $38.19 (survey)Ritchie: $38.19 (survey)Roane: $38.19 (survey)Summers: $38.19 (survey)Taylor: $60.85 (union)Tucker: $38.19 (survey)Tyler: $60.85 (union)Upshur: $38.19 (survey)Wayne: $69.29 (union)Webster: $38.19 (survey)Wetzel: $60.85 (union)Wirt: $42.22 (survey)Wood: $42.22 (survey)Wyoming: $38.19 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$56.15$60.85survey 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/hrCabell (West Virginia): market median $34.54, prevailing (union) $69.29, gap +$34.75Cabell (West Virginia)+$34.75Hampshire (Winchester): market median $29.05, prevailing (union) $56.15, gap +$27.10Hampshire (Winchester)+$27.10Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $32.85, prevailing (union) $56.15, gap +$23.30Jefferson (Washington DC)+$23.30
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for ironworkers, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CabellUnion IRON0769-009 2025-06-01$39.70$29.59$69.29WV20260035
WayneUnion IRON0769-009 2025-06-01$39.70$29.59$69.29WV20260048
BrookeUnion IRON0549-009 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260050
DoddridgeUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260005
HancockUnion IRON0549-009 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260050
HarrisonUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260011
MarionUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260015
MarshallUnion IRON0549-009 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260040
MonongaliaUnion IRON0549-009 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260042
OhioUnion IRON0549-009 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260044
TaylorUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260027
TylerUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260029
WetzelUnion IRON0549-008 2022-12-01$35.19$25.66$60.85WV20260032
BooneUnion IRON0787-004 2025-12-01$36.10$24.65$60.75WV20260049
ClayUnion IRON0787-004 2025-12-01$36.10$24.65$60.75WV20260049

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the West Virginia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

35.2kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-09
-5.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202535kSep 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Ironworker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

More on West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do ironworkers make in West Virginia?

The median ironworker in West Virginia earned $34.54 an hour ($71,850 a year) in May 2025, 14% above the national median of $30.18. The middle half earn $27.70–$35.85; the top 10% earn more than $38.56.

Where does West Virginia rank for ironworker pay?

West Virginia ranks 19th of 50 states for ironworker pay, with a median of $34.54 an hour, and 16th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union ironworker rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for ironworkers in 27 counties, with a typical package of $60.75 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many ironworkers work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 150 ironworkers in West Virginia in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.47; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is ironworker work growing in West Virginia?

West Virginia's labor market agency projects +12.4% growth for ironworkers between 2024 and 2034, from 140 to 160 jobs.

How many ironworker openings a year are there in West Virginia?

West Virginia 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, West Virginia 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: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.