What Is a Steel Worker's Yearly Income in Illinois?

Some steel workers can weld metal pieces together.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2010 classified steel workers into two categories: structural workers who create the framework of structures and reinforcing workers who add metal supports known as rebar to concrete forms. In Illinois, as with other states of the U.S., incomes vary by job category and locations within the state.

Basics

Steel workers handle, install, maintain and repair the steel components needed for modern structures such as skyscrapers and bridges. The job generally starts with a three- or four-year apprenticeship that combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Steel workers must also be at least 18 years old, and have the physical strength to manage heavy structural components. They must not be afraid of heights and have good balance, eyesight and agility. Employment growth for the field throughout the country will be an average 12 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

State

In Illinois, the 2,030 structural steelworkers made a mean yearly income of $33.02 per hour or $68,690 per year, which was higher than the salaries of the 890 reinforcing rebar workers, with mean wages at $63,190 per year. Both salaries were higher than the averages for all 205,000 construction occupations in the state, which ran a mean $54,970 per year. Both incomes were also higher than the national averages for the profession. In the U.S., over 58,000 structural steelworkers earned a mean $48,710 per year, while over 19,000 reinforcing rebar workers averaged $44,690 annually. However, state averages for construction jobs were also higher than the national average of $43,870 per year.

Cities

For structural steel workers, the Illinois metropolitan region with the best employment was the Chicago-Napierville-Joliet area with 1,120 jobs. This makes the city the fifth highest in employment in the U.S. for that position. The highest employment was in New York City, with 2,650 jobs. Mean annual pay in the Chicago area was $71,520, which was slightly better than the state average. As for salaries, the Lake County division showed the best wages at $75,830 annually. This region showed the seventh highest wages, with the top belonging to the $99,470 annual average in San Jose, California. Reinforcing rebar workers had information for only one city in the state. The Chicago-Naperville-Joliet had 690 positions earning a mean $28,130 per year. This made it third in employment for those workers, but not anywhere near the top for pay.

Rural Areas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics divides Illinois into four rural regions: Northwest, West Central, East Central and South Illinois. Of these, the one with the highest employment for structural steel workers was South Illinois with 130 jobs earning a mean $56,550 per year. The rural region with the best pay was Northwest Illinois, with mean salaries of $59,040 per year. Neither statistic was enough to put the rural regions of Illinois in the top for employment or pay. South Arkansas had the highest employment with 270 positions, and Central New York had the best pay at $60,200 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no information on reinforcing rebar workers for the rural regions of Illinois.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Structural and Reinforcing Iron and Metal Workers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Illinois Wages
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Wages
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Structural Iron and Steel Workers Wages
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Wages
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: South Illinois Nonmetropolitan Wages

Resources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Northwest Illinois Nonmetropolitan Wages