Industrial construction tradesperson job description
An industrial construction tradesperson helps erect structural steel and place structural concrete for plants, warehouses and process facilities. They work from drawings under a foreman, follow the plant owner's permits and site rules, and often work beside running equipment or inside a planned shutdown.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial and industrial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $46,340, middle half $51,480 to $78,220, 90th percentile $110,670. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Field Supervisor
Department
Operations
Schedule
7 to 4 weekdays, shutdown overtime · The template sets 7 to 4 on weekdays. Plant shutdowns bring long shifts, nights and weekends until the unit restarts
Also called
Industrial craftworker · Structural ironworker · Steel and concrete hand · Plant construction worker
Industrial construction tradesperson job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Execute specialized construction tasks including steel erection and structural concrete under direction to support high-quality industrial construction projects. Ensure adherence to safety protocols and industry best practices while delivering efficient, on-time project outcomes.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist in the erection of steel frameworks and installation of structural concrete elements.
Follow detailed instructions and blueprints to complete specialized construction tasks.
Adhere to stringent safety guidelines and quality control measures on all projects.
Collaborate with team members and supervisors to ensure project efficiency and problem-solving.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Interpret blueprints and construction plans to accurately execute specialized tasks.
Perform routine inspections of work areas to maintain a safe and organized environment.
Communicate progress updates and any issues to supervisors and project managers.
Utilize hand and power tools effectively while adhering to maintenance protocols.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project completion rate: ≥95% of tasks completed on schedule.
Safety incident rate: <2% incident occurrence per quarter.
Rework reduction: ≤3% of total project tasks.
Quality assurance rating: ≥4.8 out of 5 based on client feedback.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; relevant technical certifications preferred.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in industrial construction or a related field.
Proficient in reading blueprints, schematics, and technical drawings.
Strong attention to detail with adherence to safety protocols and quality standards.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in steel erection and structural concrete work in industrial construction.
Familiarity with current industry tools, methods, and safety regulations.
Previous work on large-scale construction projects within the industrial sector.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively within a team-oriented environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs frequently.
Comfortable working in varying environmental conditions, including outdoor settings.
Capable of performing physical labor in confined spaces and at heights.
Endurance to work extended hours on demanding construction sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Occasional required overtime to meet project deadlines.
Exposure to outdoor construction sites and variable weather conditions.
Minimal travel may be required between project locations.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $25 - $35 per hour, commensurate with experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match; additional fringe benefits may apply.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a culture of collaboration, reliability, and continuous improvement.
Our team is dedicated to professional growth and supporting one another’s success.
We value safety, efficiency, and clear communication across all levels.
Join us to be part of a company committed to excellence in every project we undertake.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Industrial crews build pipe racks, equipment foundations and plant buildings, often next to units that are still running. The plant owner's rules apply from the gate in.
Plant orientation comes before the first shift
At plants covered by OSHA's rule for highly hazardous chemicals, known as PSM, a contractor doing maintenance, repair, turnaround or renovation work near a covered process must train each worker in safe work practices for the job. Workers also learn the job's fire, explosion and toxic release hazards and their part of the plant's emergency plan. They follow the plant's own safety rules, including its lockout, confined space and entry steps. Expect a site orientation, and sometimes a test, before any tools come out. Source: OSHA: Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (29 CFR 1910.119).
No arc until the hot work permit is signed
On or near a process PSM covers, the plant operator must issue a permit for hot work such as welding, torch cutting and other flame or spark work. The permit shows the fire precautions are in place, the dates the work is allowed and the object being worked on. It stays on file until the hot work is done. A good hand checks the permit, and the area around it, before striking an arc or lighting a torch. Source: OSHA: Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (29 CFR 1910.119).
Tie-off rules for steel erection
In steel erection, OSHA requires fall protection once a worker is more than 15 feet above a lower level at an unprotected edge. Connectors, who place and bolt up members as the crane sets them, are protected above two stories or 30 feet, whichever is less. Over 15 and up to 30 feet, they have a fall arrest, positioning or restraint system and wear the gear to tie off, or get other fall protection. Connectors and controlled decking zone crews also need special training from a qualified person. Source: OSHA: Steel erection fall protection (29 CFR 1926.760).
Anchor bolts are the engineer's call
Equipment and column foundations come with anchor bolts cast into the concrete. When a bolt is out of place, bent or too short, OSHA says no one may repair, replace or modify it in the field without approval from the project's structural engineer of record. A good hand reports the problem instead of heating and bending the bolt to fit. Source: OSHA: Column anchorage and anchor bolts (29 CFR 1926.755).
Units keep running next door
Much industrial work happens beside hot lines, moving conveyors, forklift traffic and alarms the crew has to know by sound. On day one, teach each new hand the plant's alarms and muster point, and issue a gas monitor where the owner calls for one. Hire people who ask before they touch a valve, step over a line or open anything.
How much industrial construction tradespeople make
The closest BLS group for industrial construction tradespeople is structural iron and steel workers. Structural iron and steel workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $29.78 an hour ($61,930 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $62,780 median for structural iron and steel workers in all industries. About 12,960 of the 68,380 structural iron and steel workers in that survey work for commercial and industrial building contractors.
Hourly with overtime, plus the performance bonus the template mentions. BLS sorts workers by their main trade, and this chart is for structural iron and steel workers. A hand who mostly builds forms belongs with carpenters, and one who mostly finishes concrete with cement masons.
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$61,930$61,930 median Middle half $51,480–$78,220 10th–90th $46,340–$110,670
All industries
$62,780$62,780 median Middle half $49,880–$82,660 10th–90th $44,580–$108,260
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$46,340
$51,480
$61,930
$78,220
$110,670
All industries
$44,580
$49,880
$62,780
$82,660
$108,260
BLS reports industrial and commercial building contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has set and bolted structural steel, or formed and placed structural concrete, on industrial jobs
Reads erection drawings, foundation plans and embed details
Works at height in a harness and from aerial lifts
Follows permits and stops work when conditions change
Checks levels, plumb and bolt patterns before a member is released
Teach these on the job
Each plant's orientation, permits and alarm signals
Rigging, and signal person qualification by a qualified evaluator
Torque and bolt-up steps for your connections
Grouting base plates and shimming equipment
Your daily task cards and time coding
Expect ironworker hand tools such as spud wrenches, a sleever bar, a tape and a harness with a lanyard, plus floats, vibrators and screeds for concrete. The company supplies impact guns, torque tools, welders, cranes and lifts. Make clear in the posting if the work leans more to steel or to concrete.
Industrial construction tradesperson interview questions
Two of the 7 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Rigging inspection
During a lift, you notice one of the slings is frayed. What do you do?
A strong answer: Signals a stop, has the load landed safely, removes the sling from service and tags it.
Behavioral · Owning rework
Tell me about a time a connection, weld or fit-up you did failed inspection or had to be redone. What caused it?
A strong answer: Owns it, names the specific cause such as poor fit-up or a misread drawing, and the check they now do before calling for inspection.
Count shutdown work apart from new construction, since the pace and the hazards differ. Then hold each target up against what your steel and concrete crews did on recent plant jobs.
Project completion rate
Tasks on the foreman's plan or the shutdown schedule done on time. Log permit holds and waits for operators to release equipment on their own line, since the crew can't control those.
Safety incident rate
First aid cases, recordables, and tie-off or permit findings against this worker each quarter, taken from your logs and the plant's audit reports.
Rework reduction
Rework this worker caused, such as an embed set off its mark or bolts left short of torque, and the crew hours it took to fix.
Quality assurance rating
Scores from the owner's inspectors and your own checks on the worker's steel and concrete, recorded after each inspection or test.
Career path
Laborer / helperSorts steel by piece mark, hands up bolts and learns to rig.
Industrial construction tradespersonErects steel and places concrete under a foreman.
Field supervisorLeads a steel or concrete crew and pulls its permits each day.
Is an ironworker the same as an industrial tradesperson?
Close, but the template asks for more. Ironworkers erect structural steel, and this role also covers structural concrete. Most candidates are strong in one and know the other. Decide which matters more on your jobs, test for that one in the interview, and teach the other on the job.
How much does an industrial construction tradesperson make?
Structural iron and steel workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $29.78 an hour ($61,930 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $51,480 and $78,220 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does an industrial tradesperson need a TWIC card?
Only for work at maritime facilities, vessels and offshore sites covered by the Coast Guard's security rules, such as port terminals and some plants with their own docks. There, workers who need to enter secure areas without an escort must hold a TWIC first. A plant outside those rules doesn't fall under the TWIC requirement, though the owner may set its own badge steps. Check each site before you assign a crew.
What does a shutdown shift look like?
Long, often many days in a row, and it starts with a permit meeting and a safety talk. Crews wait for operators to hand over each piece of equipment, then move fast once it's released. Ask candidates how many turnarounds they have worked and what they did on each one.
Can a commercial ironworker move into plant work?
Yes, the steel work carries over. What's new is the plant: permits, alarms, gas monitors, tight tolerances on equipment supports, and owners who stop work over small rule breaks. Plan a longer first week and pair the new hire with someone who knows the site.
The template asks for endurance. What should the ad say?
Swap the trait for the work. List what a shutdown asks for: long shifts many days in a row, climbing columns and ladders in a harness, carrying bolt bags and tools, and working in heat, cold and rain. Under EEOC guidance, asking applicants to show real steel and concrete work isn't a medical exam. Give every applicant the same test, and be ready to show it is tied to the job.
