IRONWORKER
Erects the skeleton of buildings, bridges, stadiums. Walks the iron. Highest-paid construction trade in many metros. Minnesota is not a right-to-work state — union density is higher than average and prevailing wage rules cover most public projects.
The License.
Check with Minnesota directly — licensing for ironworkervaries by municipality in this state. There is no single state board that we can point to with confidence for this trade. Contact your local city or county building department, or check the state labor department's website.
The Money.
Pay data for this trade in Minnesota. BLS metro-level data was not available for this combination. National medians shown below.
| Stage | Hourly range | Approx. annual |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 apprentice | $22–$32/hr | $44,000 – $64,000 |
| Journeyman scale | $42–$68/hr | $84,000 – $136,000 |
| BLS national median | — | $58,550 |
| BLS top 10% | — | $99,880 |
Minnesota is NOT a right-to-work state. Union scale in Minnesota's major metros typically runs 20–40% above the national median. Prevailing wage laws apply to most public-sector projects.
The Path.
Minnesota is a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) state — it administers its own apprenticeship programs separately from the federal RAPIDS system. Contact the state labor department directly or visit apprenticeship.gov and filter by state.
- · Iron Workers (IW)
The Exam.
Most construction trade licenses at the contractor level require a business and law exam in addition to the trade exam. Minnesota may have this structure. Pass rates are not published uniformly — ask the licensing board directly for current data. Prevailing wage requirements in Minnesota apply to most public-sector projects, which ties exam and licensure to wage scale compliance for contractors.
Be honest about pass rates. Many licensing boards do not publish them. When they do, first-time pass rates for journeyman exams in the trades typically run 50–75%. Preparation time varies — most serious candidates spend 60–120 hours on exam prep. Use code books from the correct edition, not what's currently in print.
What recruiters won't tell you.
- 01Fatality rate among the highest in construction. Heights aren't for everyone — be honest with yourself.
- 02Heavy travel for major projects. 'Boomer' work means weeks away from home.
- 03Layoffs between projects are normal. Plan finances for feast-or-famine cycles.
- 04Almost entirely union — non-union ironwork is rare and usually pays badly.