How to hire structural iron and steel workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials. • Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place. • Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors. • Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails. • Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors. • Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members. • Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required. • Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, critical thinking and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of building and construction, public safety and security, production and processing and mechanical • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $30.18 an hour ($62,780 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for structural iron and steel workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What structural iron and steel workers do
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
- Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for structural iron and steel workers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Apprenticeship (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.1% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 5,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay structural iron and steel workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $120,840 |
| New Jersey | $113,220 |
| Washington | $107,660 |
| Illinois | $101,850 |
| Oregon | $96,050 |
| Georgia | $48,090 |
| Oklahoma | $47,660 |
| Arkansas | $45,510 |
See structural iron and steel workers pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.