How To Become A Reinforced Ironworker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a reinforced ironworker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a reinforced ironworker. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.43 an hour? That's $48,739 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 3,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreReinforced IronworkerUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,739

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 1.75%

Black or African American 7.36%

Hispanic or Latino 25.69%

Unknown 4.11%

White 60.35%

Gender

female 3.70%

male 96.30%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a reinforced ironworker

Explore reinforced ironworker education requirements

Most common reinforced ironworker degrees

High School Diploma

50.0 %

Bachelor's

25.0 %

Diploma

12.5 %

Start to develop specific reinforced ironworker skills

Skills	Percentages
Ironworker	42.57%
BARS	23.74%
Metal Shears	19.21%
OSHA	9.17%
Torches	3.53%

Complete relevant reinforced ironworker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New reinforced ironworkers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a reinforced ironworker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real reinforced ironworker resumes.

Research reinforced ironworker duties and responsibilities

Lead ironworkers and coordinate with project managers, superintendents, and other tradespeople to complete projects on-time and within budget.
Practice safe work duties and wear personal protective gear according to OSHA standards
Determine quantities, sizes, shapes and locations of reinforcing bars from drawings, drafts and oral instructions.
Bolt up/impact/ operate aerial lifts/ signal cranes/lay grating

Prepare your reinforced ironworker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your reinforced ironworker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a reinforced ironworker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable reinforced ironworker resume templates

Build a professional reinforced ironworker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your reinforced ironworker resume.