Best states for a steel worker

Q: What is the best state for steel workers?

The best state to be a steel worker is West Virginia based on steel worker salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for steel workers?

The highest paying state for steel workers is Florida based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for steel workers?

The worst state for steel workers is Arkansas, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for steel workers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for steel worker jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant steel worker jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. West Virginia is the best state in the country for steel worker jobs.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for steel workers.We found that the South is best for steel workers, and the Midwest is the worst. Buffalo, NY is the best city in the country for steel worker jobs, where as West Virginia is the best state in the country.

10 best states for steel workers in 2025

1. West Virginia
Total steel worker jobs: 221
Average annual salary: $41,921
Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Location Quotient:
2.24
Steel worker jobs in West Virginia
2. South Dakota
Total steel worker jobs: 134
Average annual salary: $42,048
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Location Quotient:
1.94
Steel worker jobs in South Dakota
3. Utah
Total steel worker jobs: 380
Average annual salary: $42,112
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Location Quotient:
1.84
Steel worker jobs in Utah
4. Iowa
Total steel worker jobs: 9
Average annual salary: $44,238
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Location Quotient:
0.04
Steel worker jobs in Iowa
5. Wisconsin
Total steel worker jobs: 17
Average annual salary: $43,440
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Location Quotient:
0.05
Steel worker jobs in Wisconsin
6. California
Total steel worker jobs: 3,461
Average annual salary: $44,837
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Location Quotient:
1.83
Steel worker jobs in California
7. New York
Total steel worker jobs: 1
Average annual salary: $51,513
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Location Quotient:
0
Steel worker jobs in New York
8. North Dakota
Total steel worker jobs: 0
Average annual salary: $45,261
Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Location Quotient:
0
Steel worker jobs in North Dakota
9. Alaska
Total steel worker jobs: 0
Average annual salary: $49,247
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Location Quotient:
0
Steel worker jobs in Alaska
10. Illinois
Total steel worker jobs: 3
Average annual salary: $44,857
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Location Quotient:
0
Steel worker jobs in Illinois

Steel worker jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a steel worker

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a steel worker

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	West Virginia	$41,921	$31,000	1,815,857	221
2	South Dakota	$42,048	$32,000	869,666	134
3	Utah	$42,112	$32,000	3,101,833	380
4	Iowa	$44,238	$33,000	3,145,711	9
5	Wisconsin	$43,440	$33,000	5,795,483	17
6	California	$44,837	$33,000	39,536,653	3,461
7	New York	$51,513	$39,000	19,849,399	1
8	North Dakota	$45,261	$35,000	755,393	0
9	Alaska	$49,247	$43,000	739,795	0
10	Illinois	$44,857	$34,000	12,802,023	3
11	Louisiana	$37,794	$28,000	4,684,333	442
12	Kansas	$41,727	$32,000	2,913,123	2
13	Indiana	$41,616	$31,000	6,666,818	3
14	Washington	$39,369	$30,000	7,405,743	916
15	Ohio	$40,773	$31,000	11,658,609	5
16	Montana	$42,853	$33,000	1,050,493	0
17	Hawaii	$47,997	$41,000	1,427,538	0
18	South Carolina	$38,088	$29,000	5,024,369	481
19	Mississippi	$39,301	$30,000	2,984,100	2
20	Idaho	$37,913	$29,000	1,716,943	179
21	Pennsylvania	$39,462	$30,000	12,805,537	7
22	Oregon	$36,908	$28,000	4,142,776	499
23	Michigan	$37,331	$28,000	9,962,311	4
24	New Hampshire	$35,671	$28,000	1,342,795	234
25	Oklahoma	$36,108	$27,000	3,930,864	299
26	New Jersey	$40,114	$30,000	9,005,644	0
27	Connecticut	$36,217	$28,000	3,588,184	380
28	Arizona	$37,004	$28,000	7,016,270	1
29	Alabama	$34,393	$26,000	4,874,747	486
30	Maine	$36,903	$30,000	1,335,907	0
31	Minnesota	$35,971	$28,000	5,576,606	6
32	Delaware	$36,104	$27,000	961,939	104
33	Rhode Island	$36,045	$28,000	1,059,639	0
34	Georgia	$34,262	$26,000	10,429,379	1,210
35	Nevada	$36,157	$27,000	2,998,039	0
36	Tennessee	$32,678	$25,000	6,715,984	693
37	Wyoming	$33,751	$26,000	579,315	62
38	District of Columbia	$35,683	$27,000	693,972	96
39	Kentucky	$34,377	$26,000	4,454,189	1
40	Virginia	$34,997	$26,000	8,470,020	930
41	North Carolina	$32,087	$24,000	10,273,419	1,161
42	Nebraska	$30,633	$23,000	1,920,076	302
43	Massachusetts	$35,847	$28,000	6,859,819	1
44	Vermont	$35,502	$28,000	623,657	0
45	Maryland	$35,857	$27,000	6,052,177	3
46	Texas	$32,893	$25,000	28,304,596	2,049
47	New Mexico	$31,427	$23,000	2,088,070	232
48	Missouri	$29,817	$22,000	6,113,532	787
49	Florida	$28,662	$21,000	20,984,400	2,016
50	Colorado	$30,335	$23,000	5,607,154	632
51	Arkansas	$30,335	$23,000	3,004,279	2

Highest paying states for steel workers

Rank	State	Avg. Steel Worker Salary
1	West Virginia	$41,921
2	South Dakota	$42,048
3	Utah	$42,112
4	Iowa	$44,238
5	Wisconsin	$43,440
6	California	$44,837
7	New York	$51,513
8	North Dakota	$45,261
9	Alaska	$49,247
10	Illinois	$44,857
11	Louisiana	$37,794
12	Kansas	$41,727
13	Indiana	$41,616
14	Washington	$39,369
15	Ohio	$40,773
16	Montana	$42,853
17	Hawaii	$47,997
18	South Carolina	$38,088
19	Mississippi	$39,301
20	Idaho	$37,913
21	Pennsylvania	$39,462
22	Oregon	$36,908
23	Michigan	$37,331
24	New Hampshire	$35,671
25	Oklahoma	$36,108
26	New Jersey	$40,114
27	Connecticut	$36,217
28	Arizona	$37,004
29	Alabama	$34,393
30	Maine	$36,903
31	Minnesota	$35,971
32	Delaware	$36,104
33	Rhode Island	$36,045
34	Georgia	$34,262
35	Nevada	$36,157
36	Tennessee	$32,678
37	Wyoming	$33,751
38	District of Columbia	$35,683
39	Kentucky	$34,377
40	Virginia	$34,997
41	North Carolina	$32,087
42	Nebraska	$30,633
43	Massachusetts	$35,847
44	Vermont	$35,502
45	Maryland	$35,857
46	Texas	$32,893
47	New Mexico	$31,427
48	Missouri	$29,817
49	Florida	$28,662
50	Colorado	$30,335
51	Arkansas	$30,335

Steel worker best states FAQs

What is the best state for steel workers?

What is the highest paying state for steel workers?

What is the worst state for steel workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.

Search for steel worker jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs

Total steel worker jobs:	221
Average annual salary:	$41,921
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$31,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$55,000
Location Quotient:	2.24

Best states for a steel worker

10 best states for steel workers in 2025

1. West Virginia

2. South Dakota

3. Utah

4. Iowa

5. Wisconsin

6. California

7. New York

8. North Dakota

9. Alaska

10. Illinois