Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
What Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Self-employed
- 27.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 4.6/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Designimportance 3.3/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.0/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.7/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.6/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.6/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5
- Contact With Others4.4/5
- Time Pressure4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers95% skill match
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers95% skill match
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers94% skill match
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers93% skill match
- Fence Erectors93% skill match
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers92% skill match
- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers92% skill match
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.8/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.6/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Application Software SHEAR
- Applied Systems Associates aSa Rebar
- OTP ArmaCAD
- RebarWin
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where reinforcing iron and rebar workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX13.85× national avg
- 2Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX5.13× national avg
- 3Albuquerque, NM4.18× national avg
- 4Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA3.40× national avg
- 5Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL3.14× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Structural Iron and Steel WorkersLateral Move
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersLateral Move
- Cement Masons and Concrete FinishersLateral Move
- Fence ErectorsLateral Move
See the full career path from Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers →