Construction & Extraction
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Also called: Field Ironworker, Iron Installer, Iron Worker, Ironworker
US median pay
$58,970
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-5.3%
declining
Openings a year (US)
1,000
16,600 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Bend steel rods with hand tools or rod-bending machines and weld them with arc-welding equipment.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Coordination3.1/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Operations Monitoring2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.5/5
Knowledge
- Building and Construction4.7/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Design3.5/5
- Public Safety and Security3.4/5
- Engineering and Technology3.4/5
- Production and Processing3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.