How much do rebar workers make in South Carolina in 2026?

The median rebar worker in South Carolina earns $41,020 per year, which works out to roughly $19.72 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the middle of the range — half of rebar workers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working on smaller commercial jobs, you're more likely to land near the 25th percentile at $38,370 a year ($18.45/hr). Workers in the upper quarter of earners — those with years of field experience, foreman responsibilities, or placement on large infrastructure and industrial projects — reach $64,950 per year, equal to about $31.23 per hour.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is significant: roughly $26,580 per year. That spread reflects how much experience, project type, and employer can move the needle in this trade. A rebar worker pulling in $38,000 and one pulling in $65,000 may both be doing ironwork, but the higher earner is almost certainly doing heavier structural work — bridge decks, stadium foundations, industrial slabs — rather than residential flatwork or light commercial pours.

South Carolina's construction activity is concentrated in a few metro areas. Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville-Spartanburg are the main employment centers, and wages in those markets tend to run higher than in rural counties where job volume is lower and competition for skilled hands is thinner. Workers willing to drive or travel to where the big pours are happening — port expansions, highway interchanges, data center builds — will find more consistent work and better pay than those limiting themselves to one county.

Overtime is a real wage driver in this trade. Rebar work is deadline-driven; concrete pours wait for no one, and ironworkers often put in 50- to 60-hour weeks during peak project phases. At the median hourly rate of $19.72, a single 10-hour overtime day adds about $29.58 in premium pay compared to a straight-time day. Workers on large projects with tight pour schedules can meaningfully increase their annual take-home through overtime alone.

The physical demands of rebar work are high — bending, tying, and placing steel rod in heat, on grade, or above decks. Workers who move into layout, reading structural drawings, or lead hand roles typically see the fastest wage progression. Learning to use rebar detailing software or manage a small crew puts you in line for foreman pay, which often pushes past the 75th percentile.

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

Apprenticeship is the most direct path to the upper end of the pay scale. Formal programs combine on-the-job hours with classroom instruction in blueprint reading, safety, and structural code. Completing an apprenticeship generally puts a worker ahead of peers who picked up the trade informally, both in wage rates and in access to larger commercial contractors who require documented training.

The figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. BLS collects employer-reported data across a broad sample, so the numbers reflect base wages — they typically do not include overtime premiums, per diem, or tool allowances. Your actual annual earnings will depend on how many hours you work, whether you receive benefits with cash value, and what type of projects your employer wins.