Riggers Career, Salary and Skills
Riggers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $62,640 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 22,530. Wage data is published for 115 locations.
Occupation description
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
O*NET code
49-9096.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$62,640
Hourly median
$30.12
Employment
22,530
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Coordination | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.12 | 2.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
- 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.
Technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk Maya
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Riggers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Riggers Salary in TXMedian $51,980 · Employment 3,770
- Riggers Salary in CAMedian $85,730 · Employment 2,260
- Riggers Salary in VAMedian $63,620 · Employment 1,920
- Riggers Salary in LAMedian $43,660 · Employment 1,840
- Riggers Salary in Virginia Beach, VAMedian $64,440 · Employment 1,350
- Riggers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $96,880 · Employment 1,250
- Riggers Salary in Houston, TXMedian $64,430 · Employment 1,140
- Riggers Salary in WAMedian $77,100 · Employment 910
- Riggers Salary in FLMedian $52,390 · Employment 910
- Riggers Salary in NVMedian $81,720 · Employment 860
- Riggers Salary in Las Vegas, NVMedian $82,130 · Employment 770
- Riggers Salary in GAMedian $67,200 · Employment 700
Related careers
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- Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersNational median $95,320
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service TechniciansNational median $57,550
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair WorkersNational median $39,630
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingNational median $43,380
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median $64,520
- Helpers--ElectriciansNational median $42,670
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface MiningNational median $57,430
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.