SOC 49-9096.00

    Riggers

    Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.

    Median pay
    $62,640
    Growth
    +3.9%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    1,700
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $40,680
    Median
    $62,640
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $97,850
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    22,530 people work in this occupation.

    What riggers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    23 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    7 / 100
    Social (S)
    0 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    16 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    44 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    81
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    79
    Handling and Moving Objects
    78
    Performing General Physical Activities
    76
    Getting Information
    76
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    69
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    69
    Documenting/Recording Information
    67
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    67
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    64
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Active Listening
    • Coordination
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Speaking

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Production and Processing
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • Design
    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Building and Construction
    • Engineering and Technology

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Control Precision
    • Depth Perception
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Near Vision
    • Far Vision
    • Information Ordering
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Trunk Strength
    • Extent Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Self-Confidence
    • Cooperation
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    Acrobatic Rigger · Boat Rigger · Certified Rigger · Crane Rigger · Fly Rail Operator · Gantry Rigger · Gear Repairer · Grip · Hand Rigger · Heavy Lift Rigger

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What riggers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.