What is the salary and career path for a reinforcing ironworker?
Reinforcing ironworkers map exactly onto Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers, SOC 47-2171, with an OEWS May 2025 median of $58,970 a year ($28.35 an hour) and a spread from $43,310 at the 10th percentile to $104,540 at the 90th — an unusually wide range for a trade, driven almost entirely by union scale and heavy-civil work. BLS projects 4.6% employment growth over 2024–2034 with about 1,500 openings a year, so it is a small occupation where entry depends on getting an apprenticeship slot rather than on general demand. The route in is a three- to four-year registered apprenticeship with the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers or an open-shop rebar contractor; there is no individual state licence, and the technical rules come from the ACI 318 code, the CRSI placing manual and the fabricator's placing drawings.
- Reinforcing Ironworkers earn a national median $58,970/yr ($28.35/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2171); the top 10% clear $104,540.
- The entry route is a three- to four-year registered ironworker apprenticeship, paid from the first day; there is no individual state licence for the trade.
- BLS projects 4.6% growth 2024–34 but only about 1,500 openings a year — a small occupation where apprenticeship slots, not demand, are the bottleneck.
- Pay climbs through union heavy-civil work, post-tensioning certification, and finally foreman and superintendent roles.
Career Path
How do you become a reinforcing ironworker?
Rebar apprentice
Hauling and distributing bundles, tying flatwork and learning bar marks off the placing drawings; first-period apprentices sit near the SOC 47-2171 10th percentile of $43,310.
Journeyman reinforcing ironworker
Setting columns, walls, decks and mats to spacing, lap and cover requirements, around the $58,970 national median for the code.
Lead rodbuster / post-tensioning hand
Post-tensioning tendon installation, stressing crews and heavy bridge work pay toward the 75th percentile of $77,320.
Rebar foreman or superintendent
Running placement crews, reading shop drawings against the structural set and coordinating pours reaches the 90th percentile at $104,540.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays reinforcing ironworkers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2171. National median: $58,970. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does reinforcing ironworker pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles reinforcing ironworkers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: reinforcing ironworkers rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +4.6% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly reinforcing ironworkers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2171 (reinforcing ironworkers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do reinforcing ironworkers need?
A U.S. Department of Labor registered three- to four-year apprenticeship through an Iron Workers local or a rebar contractor, ending in journeyman status; there is no state licence for the trade. See all state licences →
Standard site-access training; OSHA 1926 subpart Q governs concrete and masonry construction, including the impalement-protection rules for exposed rebar.
Rebar bundles are craned into place, so employer-qualified rigger and signalperson status under OSHA 1926 subpart CC is routine on larger jobs.
PTI certification for unbonded and bonded tendon installers is specified on many post-tensioned slab and bridge projects and is a recognised pay step.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do reinforcing ironworkers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2171
Salary Levers
How do reinforcing ironworkers earn above the $58,970 BLS median?
Union scale and heavy-civil work
Iron Workers agreements on bridge and transit jobs are the main reason the range runs from $43,310 at the bottom to $104,540 at the top
Post-tensioning capability
PTI-certified tendon installation and stressing move earnings past the $77,320 seventy-fifth percentile
Overtime and travel on pour-driven schedules
Deck pours and shutdown work run long days, and hours are what separate median from top-decile earnings
Foreman and layout responsibility
Running placement crews off shop drawings is the step that reaches the $104,540 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a reinforcing ironworker worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2171. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Reinforcing Ironworker Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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