What Does it Take to Be a Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker?
Job Description & Duties 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.
Life As a Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker
- Place blocks under rebar to hold the bars off the deck when reinforcing floors.
- Bend steel rods with hand tools or rodbending machines and weld them with arc-welding equipment.
- 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.
- Cut rods to required lengths, using metal shears, hacksaws, bar cutters, or acetylene torches.
- Cut and fit wire mesh or fabric, using hooked rods, and position fabric or mesh in concrete to reinforce concrete.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker?
These are the skills Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers say are the most useful in their careers:
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Types of Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker
- Reinforced Ironworker
- Iron Worker Foreman
- Ironworker Foreman
- Concrete Worker
- Steel Tier
Job Outlook for Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
There were about 20,100 jobs for Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,400 new jobs for Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,400 positions for Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker per year.

The states with the most job growth for Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker are Colorado, Oregon, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in North Dakota, South Dakota, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker
The average yearly salary of a Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker ranges between $32,590 and $91,400.

Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers who work in Illinois, New Jersey, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $39,520 |
Arizona | $52,290 |
Arkansas | $44,330 |
California | $44,890 |
Colorado | $46,800 |
Connecticut | $65,390 |
Florida | $41,940 |
Georgia | $43,740 |
Hawaii | $73,200 |
Illinois | $92,510 |
Indiana | $66,290 |
Iowa | $43,590 |
Kansas | $63,940 |
Kentucky | $63,060 |
Louisiana | $58,320 |
Maryland | $45,530 |
Massachusetts | $60,980 |
Minnesota | $70,080 |
Mississippi | $49,790 |
Missouri | $70,660 |
Nebraska | $55,460 |
Nevada | $58,580 |
New Jersey | $82,930 |
New York | $74,600 |
North Carolina | $44,590 |
Ohio | $52,210 |
Oklahoma | $38,770 |
Oregon | $84,280 |
Pennsylvania | $67,910 |
South Carolina | $42,170 |
South Dakota | $33,930 |
Tennessee | $41,850 |
Texas | $49,360 |
Utah | $53,200 |
Virginia | $50,370 |
Washington | $73,370 |
West Virginia | $39,080 |
Wisconsin | $58,500 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers:
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
Becoming a Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Worker
What education or degrees do I need to become a Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where do Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Work?

The table below shows the approximate number of Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers employed by various industries.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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