Steel Fixer

A steel fixer positions, bends, and secures steel reinforcement bars and mesh within concrete formwork on construction sites. Working to engineering drawings and specifications, they prepare and install reinforcing steel to ensure structural integrity of concrete elements including slabs, beams, columns, and foundations.

Interpret engineering drawings and specifications to determine steel reinforcement placement, spacing, and lap lengths. Cut and bend steel reinforcement bars (rebar) to required lengths and angles using portable cutting and bending equipment. Position reinforcement steel within formwork using spacers, chairs, and supports to maintain concrete cover requirements. Tie reinforcement bars together using steel wire and hand tools (tie guns, pliers) to secure intersections and prevent movement. Install steel mesh and welded wire fabric across designated areas, overlapping sheets according to structural design. Check reinforcement placement against drawings using measurement tools (tape measure, spirit level) to verify compliance with specifications. Communicate with concreters and formwork teams regarding steel placement sequencing and readiness for concrete pour operations. Comply with Safe Work Australia standards for working at heights, handling heavy materials, and using hand and power tools on construction sites.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Your body takes a real beating. You're bending heavy rebar by hand, working on your knees tying thousands of wire connections, and often at heights or in cramped formwork. Repetitive strain injuries in wrists, shoulders and back are common. The work is seasonal and site-dependent, so steady income isn't guaranteed. You also need to read complex engineering drawings accurately: mistakes cost money and delay pours.

Work follows construction cycles: apartment booms, motorway upgrades, and mining expansion drive demand in different regions at different times. Most fixers travel between sites or relocate temporarily. Remote work isn't an option. Regional areas get work during mining projects or major infrastructure builds, but it's inconsistent.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8217, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Check compatibility of materialscore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Active Listening
• Carpentry
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Inventory Tracking
• Process Improvement Identification
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Steel Fixer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026