Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Construction and Extraction
From blueprints, sketches, or spoken instructions, figures how many reinforcing rods are needed, what size and shape they should be, and where they sit in the forms. Bars are cut with shears, saws, or torches, bent with hand tools or machines, then spaced and wired together; mesh is cut and fitted the same way. Blocks go under floor rebar to hold it off the deck, and some joints are welded. The work happens on construction sites around open concrete forms, often with a crew. Suits people who like following drawings closely and tying or welding steel into forms before the concrete is poured.
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$58'970
Median Wage Market Position
$58'970
What you might do
- Place and fasten steel bars in concrete forms
- Space and wire rods together from blueprints
- Cut rods to the required lengths
- Bend steel rods with tools or machines
- Set wire mesh in place to reinforce concrete
- Prop floor rebar off the deck with blocks
Skills that matter
- Wiring rods together inside the forms
- Spacing bars to the specified layout
- Cutting and bending rods to required shapes
- Holding bars off the deck with blocks
- Coordinating bar placement with the crew
- Comparing bar sizes to the drawing
AI & the future of this role
Tying and placing rebar in forms is heavy, site-specific work shaped by weather, access, and structural detail. Prefab or layout tools might shift some preparation, yet securing steel on active job sites still tends to require experienced crews.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details