One chart, every common alloy, same form factor. Use this to gut-check a supplier quote or get a feel for where prices sit across material families before you pick up the phone.
1" round bar, estimated market price at 1,000+ lb orders. Prices in $/lb
Prices as of Mar 30, 2026
Click any bar to see full pricing tiers for that alloy.
The Economist created the original Big Mac Index to compare purchasing power across countries using one standardized product. We apply the same idea to metal: take one standard stock item and compare it across every common alloy.
The benchmark product is 1" round bar, priced in $/lb at estimated market rates. Same form, same size, same methodology. That keeps everything apples to apples.
If you got a quote and the number feels high, pull up this page and compare. Say you are quoted $3.80/lb on 304 stainless round bar. If the benchmark shows a lower number, that tells you either the supplier is marking up aggressively, the form factor differs, or the market has moved since the last update. Either way, you now have a data point to work with.
This also helps when you are estimating jobs across material families. If a customer asks for a quote in both 4140 steel and 303 stainless, you can see the cost step between them in seconds instead of calling two suppliers.
These are estimated market prices based on the best published volume pricing from Ryerson, one of the largest steel and metals service centers in the country, adjusted for typical negotiated shop discounts. We update regularly.
Treat these numbers as a market center, not a quote. Your actual buy price will depend on your account terms, cut charges, freight, region, and order size.
A smaller order with saw cuts and short lengths could run above these numbers. The point of the index is to give you a reference line so you can tell if a quote is in the neighborhood or way off.
The spread between the cheapest and most expensive alloys on this chart is roughly 7-8x. That range comes down to raw material inputs, production complexity, and market volume.
A36 hot-rolled steel sits at the bottom because it is the highest-volume, simplest-to-produce carbon steel in the market. Mills run it around the clock, distributors stock it everywhere, and competition keeps margins thin.
Alloy steels like 4140 cost more because they need tighter chemistry control, specific heat treatment, and smaller production runs. The nickel, chromium, and molybdenum content that gives these alloys their mechanical properties also makes them more expensive to melt and process.
Stainless pricing is driven mostly by nickel and chromium. 304 (the most common grade) contains about 8% nickel and 18% chromium, both of which fluctuate on commodity markets. 316 adds molybdenum for better corrosion resistance, which pushes it above 304. Mill surcharges on stainless can swing prices 15-25% over the course of a year, so this is a category where checking current benchmarks matters more than most.
Aluminum sits in an interesting spot. 6061 is more expensive per pound than carbon steel and even some stainless grades, but aluminum is about a third the density of steel. For weight-sensitive applications, the per-cubic-inch cost can actually work out cheaper. Aluminum pricing follows the LME (London Metal Exchange) base price plus a regional premium (the Midwest Premium in the US), plus fabrication and distribution markups.
Brass, copper, and bronze are at the top of the chart. Their pricing tracks the COMEX copper price plus alloying element costs. C360 free-machining brass is popular in screw machine work because it cuts fast and clean, but at these price levels, even small movements in the copper market can meaningfully affect your job margins. If you are quoting brass or copper parts, it is worth checking the benchmark right before you submit.
We filter to 1.000" round bar products from Ryerson, take the best published volume tier (highest quantity, lowest $/lb), and apply a mid-range relationship discount based on how commoditized the alloy is. Alloy variants like 304/304L are grouped under one label. We use the most recent data point within a 14-day freshness window.
For a deeper look at how we collect, normalize, and validate pricing data, see our pricing methodology.
This page gives you the overview. To dig into specific SKUs, size options, and volume tier breakdowns, head to the full material prices directory. Every alloy bar in the chart above also links directly to its product page.
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