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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Structural Iron and Steel Workers?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Structural Iron and Steel Workers is among the least exposed roles in Construction & Trades. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 13 out of 100 it sits close to the Construction & Trades average of 13. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 40, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, most central first, showing 12 of 19.

  • 01Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
  • 02Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
  • 03Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
  • 04Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
  • 05Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
  • 06Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
  • 07Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.
  • 08Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
  • 09Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools.
  • 10Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place.
  • 11Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting, as needed.
  • 12Drive drift pins through rivet holes to align rivet holes in structural steel members with corresponding holes in previously placed members.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 5 research sources that scored Structural Iron and Steel Workers for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Structural Iron and Steel Workers?
Published research puts Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 13 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 5 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Structural Iron and Steel Workers?
Only partly. Individual estimates for Structural Iron and Steel Workers run from 5 to 40 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, so the single number smooths over real disagreement. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in it.
Which construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published construction & trades roles to Structural Iron and Steel Workers by score are Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (13/100), Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians (13/100), and Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (13/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Assembler · Awnings Mechanic · Billboard Erector · Billboard Installer · Billboard Mechanic · Bolter · Bridge Ironworker · Bridge Maintainer and related titles

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.