SOC 47-2221 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro

Structural Iron and Steel Workers Salary in San Diego, CA

The average salary for structural iron and steel workers in San Diego, California is $79,480 a year ($38.21 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $76,400: half of the 740 people in this job in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% more than the U.S. average for this job ($70,280).

$79,480average per year

$38.21 / hourMedian $76,400Take-home ≈ $61,445

  • $49K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $104K75th
  • $110K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

740people in this job
+13%vs U.S. average
#9 of 15California metros
112cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay range in San Diego

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,340 a year or less, while the top 10% make $110,350 or more. The middle half of structural iron and steel workers in San Diego earn between $61,090 and $104,130.

  • $49K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $104K75th
  • $110K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$79,480$6,623$38.21
Median$76,400$6,367$36.73
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,090$5,091$29.37
Experienced (75th percentile)$104,130$8,678$50.06

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay in San Diego vs. California and the U.S.

Structural iron and steel workers in San Diego earn about the same as the California average ($80,920) and 13% more than the U.S. average ($70,280). At the median the gap is +22% against the U.S. median of $62,780.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Diego$79,480$76,400$49,340$110,350740
California$80,920$76,370$47,480$118,0307,110
United States$70,280$62,780$44,580$108,26068,380

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers salary after taxes in San Diego

On the average salary of $79,480, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $61,445 a year, or $5,120 a month and $2,363 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is San Diego a good place for structural iron and steel workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $79,480 buys what about $71,036 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 11.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $79,480 is worth in another city

Structural Iron and Steel Workers salary in other California cities

San Diego ranks 9th of 15 California metro areas for this job; Vallejo pays the most ($103,370).

All Structural Iron and Steel Workers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for structural iron and steel workers

Boston, MA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($113,210).

Structural Iron and Steel Workers salary by city

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Structural Iron and Steel Workers salary in San Diego: questions

How much do structural iron and steel workers make an hour in San Diego?

$38.21 an hour on average, and $36.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level structural iron and steel workers salary in San Diego?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,340 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,090, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the structural iron and steel workers take-home pay in San Diego?

About $61,445 a year ($5,120 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,480. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do structural iron and steel workers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% more than the U.S. average for this job ($70,280).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2221; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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