Structural Steel Erector
Skilled Trades
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.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- 2Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
- 3Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- 4Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
- 5Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- 6Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
- 7Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.
- 8Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- 9Force 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.
- 13Assemble hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- 14Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
- 15Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them, or use rope to guide them into position.
- 16Dismantle structures or equipment.
- 17Hold rivets while riveters use air hammers to form heads on rivets.
- 18Insert sealing strips, wiring, insulating material, ladders, flanges, gauges, or valves, depending on types of structures being assembled.
- 19Place blocks under reinforcing bars used to reinforce floors.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Bolter
- Fitter
- Erector
- Assembler
- Bridgeman
- Housesmith
- Ironworker
- Metalsmith
- Tower Hand
- Iron Setter
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
Typical entry
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Building and Construction92%
Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)
- Mechanical73%
Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)
- Mathematics70%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Public Safety and Security66%
- Administration and Management60%
BusinessEconomics
- English Language58%
English
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsRarely
- Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
- Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
- Noisy environmentEvery day
- Time spent sittingA little
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org