Ironworker Pay NYC 2026: Union Scales Crush Non-Union
NYC union ironworkers pull $47-58/hr base + $47-64/hr fringes in 2026 per local schedules. Non-union averages $37k/yr or ~$18/hr—half the take-home after OT and per diem factored.
Ironworker Pay NYC 2026: Union Scales Crush Non-Union
NYC ironwork ain't for the faint. Heights, wind, zero margin for screwups. Pay reflects it—especially union. Non-union? Shop rats and casuals scrape by. Here's the 2026 breakdown from active local schedules and reports. Traveling hands, chase union books or Davis-Bacon gigs if you're swinging in the five boroughs.
Union Journeyman Scales
Local 580 (Structural/Ornamental) sets the NYC benchmark. Their 2025-2026 apprentice schedules imply journeyman bases north of $50/hr, with supplements hitting $63.80/hr for early apprentices—full books pull more.1
Local 12 (Western NY but indicative) locks structural ironworkers at $40.75/hr base effective July 2025-June 2026, plus $6.50 welfare, $14.28 pension, $5 annuity—total package ~$70/hr employer cost.2 Foremen jump to $44.25/hr.
NY DOL prevailing for District 11 (covers NYC-adjacent counties) lists $52.88/hr structural/reinforcing/ornamental effective 7/1/2025, plus $47.33/hr supplemental benefits. Shift diffs push 3rd to $63.04/hr.3
Unionpayscales.com aggregates NYC locals: Local 21 (M) at $57.76/hr equivalent ($115k/yr), Local 580 (O) $47.15/hr ($94k/yr)—with fringes 14-16/hr extra.4 Real street money? Base + OT (double after 8) + $150-200/day per diem on travel jobs. Submit your pay report.
Non-Union Reality
No cards, no scale. Glassdoor pegs NYC ironworker average at $76,357/yr (~$37/hr straight-time, no fringes baked in).5 That's shop work, fences, small renos—half union take-home when OT/per diem hits. Unionpayscales shows rural non-union like Union City TN at $30/hr; NYC non-union clusters low $30s/hr tops.4
BLS OEWS national ironworker median sits ~$25/hr (May 2024, full pop including shops). NYC MSA skews higher—check NYC ironworker wages for latest—but non-union stays below prevailing floors. National ironworker overview.
Apprentices & Progression
Union apprentices grind but build fast. NYC Comptroller 2025-2026:
| Year | Ornamental Wage | Supp Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | $25.98/hr | $15.99/hr |
| 2nd | $28.45/hr | $17.99/hr |
| 3rd | $30.80/hr | $18.99/hr |
| 4th | $34.39/hr | $20.99/hr |
Structural apprentices hit $31/hr + $63.80 supp by 7-18 months. Non-union? Self-taught or helper rates, $15-25/hr, no structured path.
Davis-Bacon & Travel Boost
Federally funded? Hit dol.gov wage determinations or SAM.gov. NYC ironworker prevailing often $50+/hr base + fringes. Add GSA per diem—NYC FY2026 lodging ~$250+/night outside base, total $300+/day. Stack with union scale on LNG, bridges, high-rises.
NY ironworker wages | NYC area report.
Bottom Line
Union card = $50-60/hr package + benefits locking retirement. Non-union = grind for $35k-50k/yr, exposure without the book. Travelers: Local 580/361 hiring halls first stop. Got numbers? Drop a pay report. Work safe up top.
Sources
- https://www.ironworkers12.org/ULWSiteResources/iron12/Resources/file/Wage-Rates/2025-2026%20JIW%20Schedule.pdf
- https://unionpayscales.com/trades/iron-workers/
- https://ironworkers361.com/wage-and-benefits/
- https://apps.labor.ny.gov/wpp/publicViewWageSchedule.do?scheduleTypeId=General+Construction&id=314
- https://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ConstructionApprenticeSchedule-2025-2026.pdf
- https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/new-york-city-ny-ironworker-salary-SRCH_IL.0,16_IM615_KO17,27.htm