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Role hub · Riggers

Rigger: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of riggers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$62,640
Hourly
$30.12
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Riggers set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry. The median pay is $62,640 a year ($30.12 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (63% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$62,640
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
22,530
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
63% of workers
Key facts

Riggers at a glance

  • Riggers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $62,640 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for riggers in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of riggers in the United States to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,700 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 22,530 people were employed as riggers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Riggers

How to becomeRigger how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeRigger resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

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The work

What riggers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability.
  2. Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials.
  3. Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment.
  4. Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
  5. Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules.
  6. Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
  7. Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.
  8. Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all rigger jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Specialty trade contractors27.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $65,820
  2. Transportation equipment manufacturing11.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $58,400
  3. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals8.5% of all jobs in this occupation · -4.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $79,260
  4. Administrative and support services6.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.1% projected change here 2025–35
  5. Motion picture and sound recording industries6.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +7.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $96,670
  6. Support activities for mining5.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $50,340

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Operation and ControlcoreCoordinationcoreOperations MonitoringcoreReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Design.

Tools and technology

Software riggers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk MayaGraphics or photo imaging software
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology

Also called: Gantry Rigger, Hand Rigger, Heavy Lift Rigger, Machinery Erector, Machinery Mover, Marine Rigger.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.