How much do rebar workers make in Louisiana in 2026?

The median rebar worker in Louisiana earns $70,700 a year, which works out to about $33.99 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That sits in the middle of the field — half of rebar workers in the state earn more, half earn less. Knowing where you fall in the range is the most practical starting point for any pay conversation with a foreman or contractor.

The 25th percentile comes in at $62,460 a year, or roughly $30.03 an hour. Workers at this level are typically in their first few years on the job, still building speed and consistency on the iron. They can place and tie rebar competently but may not yet be trusted with complex layouts, post-tension systems, or leading a crew. The gap between $30.03 and $33.99 an hour is real money — about $8,000 a year — and it's the kind of jump that often happens when a worker demonstrates they can read structural drawings without help and keep production moving without supervision.

The 75th percentile lands at $89,550 annually, or about $43.05 an hour. Workers at this level have typically logged years on large commercial or infrastructure pours — bridge decks, elevated highways, industrial slabs, and high-rise cores. Louisiana's industrial construction base, particularly the chemical and petrochemical plants concentrated along the Mississippi River corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, generates steady demand for experienced rod busters who can work in tight, congested environments and meet tight tolerances. If you are working those major industrial projects and your pay is still hovering near the median, it is worth asking why.

Geography inside Louisiana matters. The Greater New Orleans metro and the Baton Rouge industrial corridor see the heaviest construction volume, and contractors on large capital projects there tend to pay toward the upper end of the range to keep crews intact. Workers in smaller markets — say, Shreveport or Lake Charles — may find fewer large projects competing for their labor, though the ongoing industrial rebuilding work following recent storm damage has kept demand elevated across parts of southwest Louisiana.

Overtime is a significant factor in rebar work. Commercial and civil projects frequently run extended shifts to hit concrete pour schedules — you don't stop tying iron just because the clock hits 40 hours. A worker earning $33.99 straight time can push total annual earnings well above the reported median by consistently working 50- or 55-hour weeks. BLS OEWS figures capture base wages and do not account for overtime premiums, per diem, or travel pay, so the numbers here represent a conservative floor for workers on active, large-scale projects.

Certifications can help move pay. Completing an OSHA 30-hour construction course signals reliability to general contractors and opens doors to sites with stricter safety requirements. Some workers add post-tension or reinforcing ironworker certifications through trade training programs, which makes them more valuable on specialized pours. Neither is required in Louisiana, but both can justify a higher rate conversation.

Some rebar workers in Louisiana may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

All figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. BLS collects data from employer payroll records across the state, making it a reliable baseline, though it does not capture every form of compensation workers actually take home on a given project.