How to hire a journeyman ironworker

How to hire a journeyman ironworker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step journeyman ironworker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a journeyman ironworker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman ironworker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the journeyman ironworker you need to hire. Certain journeyman ironworker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a journeyman ironworker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a journeyman ironworker that fits the bill.

   This list presents journeyman ironworker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Journeyman Ironworker	Description	Hourly rate
   Journeyman Ironworker	Ironworkers install structural and reinforcing iron and steel to form and support buildings, bridges, and roads.	$14-26
   Carpenter/Labour	Carpenters/ Laborers do general maintenance tasks and help in mechanical and carpentry-related jobs. Carpenters are versatile workers and perform different construction duties... Show more	$12-22
   Commercial And Industrial Electrician	A commercial electrician is different from an industrial electrician since both perform in different environments and have distinct training. Commercial electricians are responsible for ensuring that the electrical components and wiring of the structure are working safely and efficiently... Show more	$14-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cranes
   • BARS
   • Hoisting
   • Rebar
   • Steel Beams
   • Bolt-Up
   • Torches
   • Equipment Operators
   • Steel Erection
   • Metal Shears
   • Ironworker
   • Construction Sites
   • R
   • MIG

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead ironworkers and coordinate with project managers, superintendents, and other tradespeople to complete projects on-time and within budget.
   • Dot certification for unlimite thickness SMAW.
   • Certify through company in stick and mig welding.
   • Perform all welding duties to include, stick and mig welding.
   • Install grating and modify it when need to fit around columns or i-beams.
   • Force structural members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, hammers, and hand tools.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your journeyman ironworker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A journeyman ironworker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, journeyman ironworkers' average salary in florida is 44% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level journeyman ironworkers earn 45% less than senior-level journeyman ironworkers.
   • Certifications. A journeyman ironworker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a journeyman ironworker's salary.

   Average journeyman ironworker salary

   $41,312yearly

   $19.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level journeyman ironworker salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a journeyman ironworker job description

   A journeyman ironworker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a journeyman ironworker job description:

   Journeyman ironworker job description example

   Responsible for raising, placing and connecting girders, columns and other structural-steel members to form completed structure or framework.
   Responsibilities
   
   + Promote and comply with all Company and safety policies and procedures
   
   + Set up hoisting equipment for raising and placing structural-steel members
   
   + Fasten steel members to cable of hoist using chain, cable or rope
   
   + Signal worker operating hoisting equipment to lift and place steel member
   
   + Guide member using tab line (rope) or ride on member in order to guide it into position
   
   + Pull, push or pry steel members into approximate position while member is supported by hoisting device
   
   + Force members into final position using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks and hand tools
   
   + Align holes in member with corresponding holes in previously placed member by drifting drift pins or handle of wrench trough holes
   
   + Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of members, using plumb bob and level
   
   + Bolt aligned members to keep them in position until they can be permanently bolted or welded in place
   
   + Cut and weld steel members to make alterations, using oxyacetylene welding equipment
   
   + May be required to travel to different jobsites on limited notice
   
   + Maintain a professional appearance
   
   + Other duties as assigned by Foreman or Superintendent
   
   Qualifications
   
   Education and Work Experience Requirements:
   
   + High school diploma or general education degree (GED) preferred
   
   + One to three years related experience and/or training
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
   
   + Take reasonable care of your own and others' health and safety and of those who may be affected by the day-to-day delivery of this role by taking personal responsibility for working toward Wanzek's Zero Injury principles
   
   + Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, blueprints and procedure manuals
   
   + Add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals
   
   + Compute rate, ratio and percent
   
   + Rate information using standards that can be measured or checked work within precise limits or standards of accuracy look at flat drawings, pictures, and blueprints and visualize how they would look as solid objects with height, width and depth visualize objects in three-dimensions from plans and drawings, see detail in objects or drawings and recognize slight differences in shapes or shadings
   
   Wanzek construction offers an extensive and competitive benefit package that includes, but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401 (k), and paid time off. Salary depends upon experience: $28 per hour.
   
   MasTec, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer. The Company's policy is not to unlawfully discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state, or local laws. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also MasTec's policy to comply with all applicable state, federal and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.
   
   Job LocationsUS-CO-Pueblo
   
   Posted Date1 month ago(9/12/2022 11:02 AM)
   
   
   # of Openings 1
   
   Candidate Search Category Construction

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right journeyman ironworker for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with journeyman ironworkers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit journeyman ironworkers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your journeyman ironworker job on Zippia to find and attract quality journeyman ironworker candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting journeyman ironworkers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman ironworker

   Once you've found the journeyman ironworker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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