Ironworker.
Los Angeles.
$74,000
median salary, 17% above the national average
$57,000 to $97,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
Los Angeles is 18% more expensive than the national average. For Ironworkers, that shakes out to a median of $74,000, with the full range spanning $57,000 to $97,000. Structural ironworkers on high-rise projects earn the most due to height premiums and physical risk factors. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
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How Los Angeles compares
Los Angeles, CA
$74,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$63,000
Los Angeles is $11,000 above
What you should know
The Ironworker landscape in Los Angeles is not what most salary sites will tell you. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Structural ironworkers on high-rise projects earn the most due to height premiums and physical risk factors. Welding certifications combined with ironworking skills add 15 to 20% to base rates. Union ironworkers in major cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco see the strongest wage floors, with journeyman rates exceeding $45 per hour.
Ironworker apprentices start at $34,000 to $42,000 during their three to four year training period. Journeyman ironworkers earn $48,000 to $70,000, while foremen and superintendents reach $72,000 to $95,000. Project managers with ironworking backgrounds earn $90,000 to $125,000 at large structural contractors. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Union benefits add $18,000 to $28,000 annually including health insurance, pension, annuity, and training fund contributions. Hazard pay for bridge, high-rise, or demolition work can add $2 to $8 per hour on top of base journeyman rates. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $74,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Ironworkers in Los Angeles runs from $57,000 to $97,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in Los Angeles
Negotiating in Los Angeles
Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers.