Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers

Overview

Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers has a national median salary of $58,970 per year, with -5.3% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this 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.

Work Values

• Support
• Relationships
• Working Conditions

Work Styles

Responsibilities

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.

Work Activities

• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Getting Information
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Detailed Work Activities

• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished an associate's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Associate's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers:

Video Resources