Construction and extraction
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
Position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms in order to reinforce concrete. Use a variety of fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, and hand tools. Includes rod busters.
Median pay
$58,970
Growth to 2035
−5%
declining
Openings a year
1,000
Time to qualify*
4 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers: 0% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Position and secure steel bars, rods, cables, or mesh in concrete forms, using fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, or hand tools.
- Determine quantities, sizes, shapes, and locations of reinforcing rods from blueprints, sketches, or oral instructions.
- Space and fasten together rods in forms according to blueprints, using wire and pliers.
- Use forklifts or cranes to move construction material, such as rebar.
- Cut rods to required lengths, using metal shears, hacksaws, bar cutters, or acetylene torches.
- Unload rebar from trucks.
- Place blocks under rebar to hold the bars off the deck when reinforcing floors.
- Cut and fit wire mesh or fabric, using hooked rods, and position fabric or mesh in concrete to reinforce concrete.
Also called: Field Ironworker · Iron Installer · Iron Worker · Ironworker · Ironworker Journeyman · Ironworker Laborer · Reinforced Ironworker · Rod Buster
Outlook and AI
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers held 16,600 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 15,700 by 2035 (−5%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Sourcing change, productivity change - share decreases as the use of prefabrication and precast concrete products shifts reinforcement to offsite facilities.
Compare with
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- Reinforcing iron and rebar workers vs. Construction laborer
- Reinforcing iron and rebar workers vs. Fence erector