Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
SOC Code: 47-2171
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers carries a 26% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $59,280 and +4.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 19,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 26% AI exposure, Reinforcing iron and rebar workers sits 11 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 18% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
68/100
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C- $59,280
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B +4.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A- 26% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Reinforcing iron and rebar workers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Reinforcing iron and rebar workers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Reinforcing iron and rebar workers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
26% Among the lowest lower than 82% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2171) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Reinforcing iron and rebar workers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Reinforcing iron and rebar workers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Determine quantities, sizes, shapes, and locations of reinforcing rods from blueprints, sketches, or oral instructions.
- 2. Space and fasten together rods in forms according to blueprints, using wire and pliers.
- 3. Position and secure steel bars, rods, cables, or mesh in concrete forms, using fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, or hand tools.
- 4. Cut rods to required lengths, using metal shears, hacksaws, bar cutters, or acetylene torches.
- 5. Place blocks under rebar to hold the bars off the deck when reinforcing floors.
- 6. Cut and fit wire mesh or fabric, using hooked rods, and position fabric or mesh in concrete to reinforce concrete.
- 7. Bend steel rods with hand tools or rod-bending machines and weld them with arc-welding equipment.
Key Skills Required
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operations Monitoring
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Design
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers has an AI exposure score of 26%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Reinforcing iron and rebar workers is projected to grow by 4.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 19,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
Key skills for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers include Coordination, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Reinforcing iron and rebar workers earn?
The median annual wage for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers is $59,280, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
The typical entry-level education for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Apprenticeship. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 7 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Reinforcing iron and rebar workers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (26% here).
- Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians · AI exposure 26%
- Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary · AI exposure 26%
- Forest and conservation technicians · AI exposure 26%
- Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers · AI exposure 26%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.6% here).
- Accountants and auditors · growth +4.6%
- Administrative services managers · growth +4.6%
- Community and social service specialists, all other · growth +4.6%
- Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers · growth +4.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Reinforcing iron and rebar workers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Reinforcing iron and rebar workers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).