What do they 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.

Also known as:

Field Ironworker, Iron Installer, Iron Worker, Ironworker, Reinforced Ironworker, Rodbuster, Rodman, Steel Tier

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 10%

    Change

    Ranks #25 in job growth rate
    20

    Job Openings

    Ranks #32 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)
  • Master's degree  (<1%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (3%)
  • Associate's degree  (3%)
  • Some college, no degree  (14%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (45%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (34%)

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
  • Install fencing or other barriers.
  • Position structural components.
  • Install metal structural components.
  • Cut metal components for installation.
  • Position safety or support equipment.
  • Weld metal components.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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