Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
U.S. Workers
64,720
Median Salary
$62,700
10-Year Growth
+4.4%
Annual Openings
5,500
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
20 of 20 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can parse digital specifications and blueprints to extract locations, quantities, and sizes and produce material lists and layouts, effectively automating this planning task.
Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
AI: Fully automatable - Laser levels, total stations, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and computer-vision workflows can fully verify vertical and horizontal alignment and integrate with BIM for automated verification in typical use cases by 2025.
Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
AI: Fully automatable - Metal part fabrication from blueprints is widely automated in industrial settings via CAD/CAM, CNC machining, robotic welding, and automated assembly lines, enabling full automation for many parts by 2025.
Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
AI: Partial - Robotic bolting tools and guided systems can assist and automate repetitive bolting in controlled conditions, but complex, variable construction sites and on-the-fly adjustments still require human supervisors and skilled workers by 2025.
Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
AI: Partial - Automated bolting and fastening equipment can perform aligned bolting in prefabrication or controlled setups, but field variability and joint-fit judgement mean only partial automation is realistic in 2025.
Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
AI: Partial - Mechanical rigging aids and remote tools can help attach slings and cables, but the nuanced judgment, safety checks, and unpredictable conditions of rigging keep this task only partially automatable by 2025.
Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
AI: Partial - Cranes with assisted controls and automation can hoist and position loads in controlled scenarios, but on-site signaling, coordination, and dynamic decision-making still rely on human operators and signalers in most real projects by 2025.
Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.
AI: Partial - Cutting, bending, and welding are highly automatable in controlled fabrication shops with CNC and robotic welders, but unpredictable on-site welding and ad-hoc modifications limit full automation across the job by 2025.
Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
AI: Partial - Automated lifting equipment and planning software can assist erection of prefabricated components, but the complex choreography, variable conditions, and safety judgment needed for on-site erection keep it only partially automatable in 2025.
Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools.
AI: Partial - Hydraulic jacks and remote-actuated tools can perform many forcing and adjustment actions, but the tactile feedback and improvisation required for final positioning mean human involvement remains necessary in most cases by 2025.
Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place.
AI: Partial - Machinery and automated assist systems can move members into approximate positions, but variability and fine judgment in aligning pieces for bolting keep this task only partially automated as of 2025.
Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting as needed.
AI: Partial - Unloading and staging prefabricated units can be automated in controlled yards and with guided equipment, yet site variability, safety assessments, and real-time coordination mean primarily partial automation on construction sites by 2025.
Drive drift pins through rivet holes to align rivet holes in structural steel members with corresponding holes in previously placed members.
AI: Partial - Robotic manipulators and vision systems can assist or perform precise alignment in controlled or prefabrication environments, but fully autonomous, reliable on-site alignment in complex, variable construction conditions is not broadly proven by 2025.
Assemble hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
AI: Partial - Remote-controlled and semi-automated rigging equipment exists and can assist humans, but fully autonomous assembly and judgement-based rigging across diverse jobsite contexts remains only partially automated.
Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them or use rope to guide them into position.
AI: Partial - Robots and drones can assist positioning and guiding components, but the complex, dexterous, and safety-critical act of riding and manually guiding girders in dynamic sites remains only partially automatable.
Dismantle structures or equipment.
AI: Partial - Demolition and dismantling have robotic and remote-controlled solutions for hazardous tasks, but full autonomous dismantling requiring real-time judgment and adaptability across varied structures is still partial.
Hold rivets while riveters use air hammers to form heads on rivets.
AI: Partial - Holding rivets can be automated with fixtures or robotic end-effectors in controlled production, but on-site, rugged coordination with riveters and air tools is only partially automated.
Insert sealing strips, wiring, insulating material, ladders, flanges, gauges, or valves, depending on types of structures being assembled.
AI: Partial - Insertion of varied items like wiring and sealing strips can be automated in prefabrication or with specialized robots, yet the wide variety of tasks and on-site variability mean automation is partial in practice.
Place blocks under reinforcing bars used to reinforce floors.
AI: Partial - Placing spacer blocks for rebar is a simple repetitive task that can be mechanized in controlled settings, but fully replacing human labor across diverse construction sites is only partially achieved by 2025.
Catch hot rivets in buckets and insert rivets in holes, using tongs.
AI: Partial - Handling and inserting hot rivets can be mechanized in factory environments and with specialized tooling, but on-site, heat-and-safety-sensitive coordination with riveters remains only partially automated.