How much do rebar workers make in Texas in 2026?

Rebar workers in Texas earn a median annual wage of $50,650, which works out to about $24.35 an hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of rebar workers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're newer to the trade or working in a slower regional market, expect to be closer to the 25th percentile at $45,830 a year, or roughly $22.03 an hour. Workers with more experience, specialized skills, or positions on larger commercial and infrastructure jobs tend to land at the 75th percentile: $58,970 annually, or about $28.35 an hour.

The spread between the bottom quarter and the top quarter is $13,140 a year. That's a meaningful gap, and it reflects real differences in the work. A rebar worker bending and placing steel on a highway overpass or a high-rise foundation in Houston or Dallas is doing more complex, higher-stakes work than someone placing simple slabs on smaller residential pours. Employers pay accordingly.

Texas is one of the busiest construction states in the country. Population growth, ongoing highway and bridge projects, and a steady pipeline of commercial and industrial development keep demand for ironworkers and rebar placers consistent. Cities like Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin generate the bulk of the work, but large infrastructure corridors and energy-sector construction push rebar work into smaller markets too. Rural and small-town pay often tracks toward the lower end of the scale, while major metro sites — especially those requiring union-affiliated contractors on public projects — can push pay higher.

No specific union scale data is available for rebar workers in Texas through BLS OEWS. In practice, whether you're working open shop or through an ironworkers local, your actual pay can vary based on the contractor, the project owner's labor requirements, and your classification. Apprentices in formal programs typically start below the 25th percentile and work up as they log hours and pass assessments.

Hours matter as much as rate in this trade. Rebar work is physical and deadline-driven, and overtime is common on big pours or when a project is behind schedule. A worker earning $24.35 an hour who regularly pulls 50-hour weeks takes home significantly more than the straight annual figure suggests — roughly an extra $6,000 to $9,000 a year at standard overtime rates, depending on how many overtime weeks they log.

Benefits vary widely across Texas rebar employers. Some contractors provide health insurance, paid holidays, and retirement contributions; others pay a higher straight wage with no benefits. When you're comparing offers, factor in what health coverage would cost you out of pocket if it's not included. A job paying $26 an hour with no benefits may net you less than one at $24.35 with solid coverage.

All figures on this page come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. These are employer-reported, survey-based wage data for Texas — not self-reported or crowd-sourced. TradesPays displays the data as published without adjustment.