Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Machines can already do 23% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 61%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 23% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 61% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 13,800 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $58,970 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 69% for contact with people.
- Also called: Field Ironworker, Iron Installer, Iron Worker, Ironworker.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position and secure steel bars, rods, cables, or mesh in concrete forms, using fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, or hand tools | 29% | 20% to 60% | |
| Space and fasten together rods in forms according to blueprints, using wire and pliers | 25% | 20% to 60% | |
| Use forklifts or cranes to move construction material, such as rebar | 12% | 32% to 70% | |
| Unload rebar from trucks | 9% | 10% to 40% | |
| Determine quantities, sizes, shapes, and locations of reinforcing rods from blueprints, sketches, or oral instructions | 6% | 55% to 85% | |
| Cut rods to required lengths, using metal shears, hacksaws, bar cutters, or acetylene torches | 6% | 20% to 60% | |
| Place blocks under rebar to hold the bars off the deck when reinforcing floors | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Cut and fit wire mesh or fabric, using hooked rods, and position fabric or mesh in concrete to reinforce concrete | 4% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills reinforcing iron and rebar workers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Electricians50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,190
- Carpenters56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,580
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $53,140
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,800
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of reinforcing iron and rebar workers?
Machines can do 23% of the tasks of reinforcing iron and rebar workers today and 61% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-2171.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/reinforcing-iron-and-rebar-workers/