Carpenters vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Carpenters and Structural Iron and Steel Workers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Carpenters | Structural Iron and Steel Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $59,310 | $62,700 |
| Employment | 697,740 | 64,720 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+4.5%) | About average (+4.4%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 74,100 | 5,500 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 13th pct | Low · 5th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 11th pct · 13% of tasks | 5th pct · 11% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Problem Sensitivity, Visualization, Manual Dexterity, Finger Dexterity, Near Vision, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Trunk Strength, Public Safety and Security, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Multilimb Coordination, Static Strength, Far Vision, Mechanical, Coordination, Speaking, Selective Attention, Control Precision, Reaction Time, Mathematics.
Specific to Carpenters
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Monitoring
- Inductive Reasoning
- Education and Training
- Reading Comprehension
- Quality Control Analysis
- Category Flexibility
Specific to Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Extent Flexibility
- Gross Body Equilibrium
- Depth Perception
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Dynamic Strength
- Rate Control
- Stamina
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Accounting software , Project management software .
Specific to Carpenters
Specific to Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Carpenters or Structural Iron and Steel Workers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Carpenters vs Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Carpenters vs Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Carpenters vs Sheet Metal Workers
- Carpenters vs Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Carpenters vs Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
- Carpenters vs Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
- Carpenters vs Helpers--Carpenters
- Carpenters vs Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Carpenters vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/carpenters-vs-structural-iron-and-steel-workers
Singulariki. (2026). Carpenters vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/carpenters-vs-structural-iron-and-steel-workers
@misc{singulariki-carpenters-vs-structural-iron-and-steel-workers,
title = {Carpenters vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/carpenters-vs-structural-iron-and-steel-workers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.