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.
U.S. Workers
14,140
Median Salary
$59,280
10-Year Growth
+4.6%
Annual Openings
1,500
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
7 of 7 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Determine quantities, sizes, shapes, and locations of reinforcing rods from blueprints, sketches, or oral instructions.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and software tools in 2025 can reliably parse digital blueprints/BIM and spoken instructions to produce reinforcement schedules, sizes, quantities, and placement data for bar-bending/production.
Bend steel rods with hand tools or rodbending machines and weld them with arc-welding equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - CNC rod-bending machines and robotic/automated welding systems driven by AI can bend and weld steel to specification in production and many construction workflows, enabling full automation where equipment is used.
Space and fasten together rods in forms according to blueprints, using wire and pliers.
AI: Partial - Specialized rebar-tying machines and robots exist and can tie in controlled settings, but widespread, fully autonomous on-site tying in varied conditions remains limited and often needs human oversight.
Position and secure steel bars, rods, cables, or mesh in concrete forms, using fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, or hand tools.
AI: Partial - Robotic and prefabrication systems can position and secure reinforcement in controlled environments, but on-site variability, access constraints, and complex assemblies prevent full automation universally.
Cut rods to required lengths, using metal shears, hacksaws, bar cutters, or acetylene torches.
AI: Partial - Automated cutting equipment and CNC bar cutters can cut rods to length in shops, but on-site, varied conditions and handheld tool use mean AI cannot yet fully replace humans for all contexts.
Place blocks under rebar to hold the bars off the deck when reinforcing floors.
AI: Partial - Placing chairs/blocks under rebar can be mechanized in prefabrication and with specialized equipment, but routine on-site placement is still largely manual and not fully automated.
Cut and fit wire mesh or fabric, using hooked rods, and position fabric or mesh in concrete to reinforce concrete.
AI: Partial - Mesh-cutting and layout machines automate many cutting/fitting tasks in factories, but on-site cutting, shaping, and accurate placement in irregular conditions remains only partially automatable.