Riggers
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
Also called: Gantry Rigger · Hand Rigger · Heavy Lift Rigger · Machinery Erector · Machinery Mover · Marine Rigger
Median pay (national)
$62,060
$38,930–$100,480 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
24,190
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.2%
~2,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for riggers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $100,480 versus $38,930 at the bottom 10% — 2.6x. The median of $62,060 leaves roughly 62% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.2% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 2,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 45 states with released data, New York pays the most for this role (median $103,230, +66% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $31,990 — a 223% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability.
- Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials.
- Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment.
- Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules.
- Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
- Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.
- Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.
- Align, level, and anchor machinery.
- Load machines onto trucks to prepare for transportation.
- Attach pulleys and blocks to fixed overhead structures, such as beams, ceilings, and gin pole booms, using bolts and clamps.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk Maya
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Design
- English Language
- Education and Training