Statewide pay Government data
Rebar workers in New York earn a statewide median of $98,040 a year, 72% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #6 of 32 states. About 1,110 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near New York
See all states on the rebar worker overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes rebar worker pay for 1 New York metro: New York.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $101,890 | $90,518 | 960 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year. Typical training: apprenticeship.
Nationally, rebar workers have 34 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 60% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often rebar workers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most rebar workers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Serious injuries & deaths reported to OSHA Government data
From 2015 to 2024, steel and rebar contractors in New York filed 47 severe injury reports (a hospital stay, amputation or loss of an eye), 7 of them involving an amputation. The most common cause was contact with objects and equipment (47% of reports). These cover everyone at those employers, not only rebar workers. OSHA also opened 10 fatality investigations at steel and rebar contractors in New York over the same years (federal and state programs).
OSHA Severe Injury Reports, January 2015–December 2024 (states under federal OSHA only).
Fatality investigations: OSHA Fatality Inspection Data, events 2015–2024, all states.
Licensing in New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for rebar workers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 21.3% of wage and salary workers in New York were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#2 of 51 states and D.C.), and 22.5% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only rebar workers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in New York
All trades in New York.