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Rigger: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$62,640median pay per year, or $30.12 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $40,680lowest 10% earn less
  2. $48,21025th percentile
  3. $62,640median
  4. $80,18075th percentile
  5. $97,850top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

The median rigger earned $62,640 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS expects jobs to rise 3.9% by 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+3.9%[2]
Openings per year
1,700[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do riggers make?

The median pay for riggers was $62,640 a year, or $30.12 an hour[1]. Half of riggers made more than that and half made less. The average was $66,810 a year, or $32.12 an hour[7]. For all occupations, the median was $50,980 a year[4].

Pay varies a lot across the range. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40,680 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $97,850[3]. A percentile is a boundary line, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[8].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $40,680 $19.56
25th percentile[3][9] $48,210 $23.18
Median[1] $62,640 $30.12
75th percentile[3][9] $80,180 $38.55
90th percentile[3][9] $97,850 $47.04

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses outside regular production pay or the cost of benefits[10]. About 22,530 people held rigger jobs under this count[11].

Pay by state and city

Among the 43 states with published data, New York had the highest median at $105,600, followed by Oregon at $94,470 and Utah at $93,640[12]. New Mexico had the lowest at $37,440[12].

By metro area, New York-Newark-Jersey City had the highest median at $103,030[13]. Salt Lake City-Murray came next at $97,850[13], then Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim at $96,880[13].

The most rigger jobs were in Texas (3,770), California (2,260) and Virginia (1,920)[14]. Among metro areas, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk had the most jobs at 1,350, then Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim at 1,250 and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands at 1,140[15].

Show median pay in 43 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
New York[12]$105,600650
Oregon$94,470290
Utah$93,640490
Maryland$91,420230
Minnesota$87,120190
California$85,7302,260
Hawaii$84,410170
New Jersey$82,130200
Illinois$81,860120
Nevada$81,720860
North Dakota$77,890140
Washington$77,100910
Colorado$73,720310
Idaho$72,85060
Connecticut$67,560350
Georgia$67,200700
Maine$64,910330
Rhode Island$64,260160
Virginia$63,6201,920
Mississippi$63,390320
Iowa$62,400200
Nebraska$61,080100
Pennsylvania$60,140360
Arkansas$59,680120
Michigan$58,490380
Ohio$58,380290
Alaska$58,01040
Alabama$57,980460
North Carolina$56,640440
Missouri$54,190190
Massachusetts$53,500240
Florida$52,390910
Arizona$52,370250
Texas$51,9803,770
South Carolina$51,020470
Kentucky$50,270n/a
Wisconsin$49,640170
Oklahoma$48,490300
Tennessee$47,180310
Indiana$46,090330
Louisiana$43,6601,840
Kansas$41,06040
New Mexico$37,440230

How to become a rigger

BLS lists this path into the job[6]:

In an O*NET survey of 25 workers, 63% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required[16]. Another 21% said less than a diploma, and 16% said a post-secondary certificate[16]. A small survey like this shows a range of answers, not a rule.

O*NET places the job in a group where some jobs need little experience and others need several months to a year[17].

What riggers do

Riggers set up or repair rigging for construction sites, factories, logging yards, ships and shipyards, and the entertainment industry[18]. Tasks include:

O*NET lists sample titles such as heavy lift rigger, marine rigger and machinery mover[19][20].

Job outlook

BLS expects rigger jobs to rise 3.9% between 2025 and 2035[2]. That means about 900 more jobs, taking the total from roughly 22,500 to 23,400[2]. Across all occupations, projected growth is 3.5%[21]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[2].

About 1,700 openings a year are projected[5]. They include jobs that open when people leave the field, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 2.3% of riggers are projected to leave the labor force and 4.9% to move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show pay above the all-occupations median of $50,980[1][4]. Entry needs a high school diploma or equivalent and no related experience, with moderate-term on-the-job training[6]. Growth is close to the all-occupations rate[2][21]. Pay depends heavily on location, with state medians from $37,440 to $105,600[12]. The work involves heavy loads and safety checks[20].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a rigger make an hour?
The median was $30.12 an hour in May 2025[1]. The average was $32.12[7].
What education do you need to be a rigger?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, no related experience, and moderate-term on-the-job training[6].
What is the highest paying state for riggers?
New York, with a median of $105,600 a year[12].
Is rigging in demand?
BLS expects employment to rise 3.9% between 2025 and 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations[2][21]. About 1,700 openings are projected each year[5].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Riggers in the US was $62,640 per year and $30.12 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Riggers is projected to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 22,500 to 23,400 jobs (a change of +900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Riggers: 10th percentile $40,680, 25th percentile $48,210, 75th percentile $80,180, 90th percentile $97,850. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,700 openings for Riggers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Riggers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Riggers was $66,810 per year and $32.12 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Riggers: 10th percentile $19.56, 25th percentile $23.18, 75th percentile $38.55, 90th percentile $47.04. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 22,530 people were employed as Riggers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Riggers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Riggers (areas with at least 100 jobs): New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $103,030; Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $97,850; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $96,880; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $91,430; Urban Honolulu, HI $87,570; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $87,120; Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA $85,300; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $82,370. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Riggers jobs: Texas 3,770; California 2,260; Virginia 1,920; Louisiana 1,840; Florida 910. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Riggers jobs: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 1,350 (median $64,440); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,250 (median $96,880); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1,140 (median $64,430); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 770 (median $82,130); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 660 (median $50,840); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 620 (median $103,030). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 49-9096.00 survey of workers (25 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 63%, Less than a High School Diploma 21%, Post-Secondary Certificate 16% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 49-9096.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Riggers. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 49-9096.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Gantry Rigger, Hand Rigger, Heavy Lift Rigger, Machinery Erector, Machinery Mover, Marine Rigger, Motor Rigger, Rigger. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET task list for Riggers. O*NET OnLine
  21. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Riggers: 2.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.9% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.