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Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers

Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers cut, shape, join and repair metal components of iron and steel structures, boilers, pressure vessels and pipes, ships and other vessels.

Trades & constructionLicensed workANZSCO 3223
$1,688/wkMedian full-time pay
79kPeople employed
+7% ▲Growth to 2035
96%Work full time
39Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3223.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job requirementsselecting, cleaning and preparing metal stockcutting marked-out metal sections and shapes using hand tools, flame cutting torches and metal cutting machinesshaping and bending metal sections and pipes using hand and machine tools, and by heating and hammeringaligning parts to be joined using hand tools and measuring instrumentsjoining metal sections using various welding techniques, bolting and riveting
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 3223 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 5,800 more people in structural steel and welding trades workers by 2035 ▲

The field grew 1.5% in the year to February 2026, adding about 1,100 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and QLD, with WA third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3223.More about our sources: How we check our facts
77.2k2025
79.4k2030 PROJ.
83k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

Most structural steel and welding trades workers came through a certificate or diploma. 69% did.

A university degree is rare here: 3% hold one. The trade qualification is the standard way in. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 3223. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

CPC31120Certificate III

Certificate III in Steelfixing

Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package · licensed work.

See 9 providers

Licensed work: several of these courses lead to work that also needs a state or territory licence. Training is the first step; licensing rules are set by each state.

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

79k Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3223.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW17.8k
QLD17.8k
WA17.3k
VIC14.4k
SA6.8k
TAS2.3k
NT0.7k
ACT0.3k

Occupations near this one

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