Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Career, Salary and Skills
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $58,970 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 13,800. Wage data is published for 66 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
47-2171.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$58,970
Hourly median
$28.35
Employment
13,800
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Operation and Control | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Time Management | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Active Listening | 2.62 | 2.38 |
Typical 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.
Technology
- Application Software SHEAR
- Applied Systems Associates aSa Rebar
- OTP ArmaCAD
- RebarWin
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in TXMedian $50,650 · Employment 3,640
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in CAMedian $63,110 · Employment 2,390
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in Houston, TXMedian $51,860 · Employment 1,500
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in FLMedian $50,500 · Employment 1,150
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in NYMedian $98,040 · Employment 1,110
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in New York, NYMedian $101,890 · Employment 960
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $50,910 · Employment 760
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $62,990 · Employment 640
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in Riverside, CAMedian $59,820 · Employment 520
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in TNMedian $57,920 · Employment 500
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in NVMedian $102,130 · Employment 460
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Salary in GUMedian $36,830 · Employment 400
Related careers
- BoilermakersNational median $76,410
- MillwrightsNational median $65,700
- Terrazzo Workers and FinishersNational median $76,170
- Insulation Workers, MechanicalNational median $58,340
- Foundry Mold and CoremakersNational median $48,110
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingNational median $43,380
- PipelayersNational median $49,000
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and WallNational median $49,120
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.