Riggers
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 49-9096.00United States
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
- Median annual earnings
- $62,650
- Projected change
- +6.7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 24.32K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
84% of the workforce
Growing to 25.95K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What riggers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the 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.
- Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
- Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
- Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.
- Align, level, and anchor machinery.
- Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.
- 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.
- Fabricate, set up, and repair rigging, supporting structures, hoists, and pulling gear, using hand and power tools.
- Clean and dress machine surfaces and component parts.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $40,685
- 25th percentile
- $48,214
- 50th percentile
- $62,650
- 75th percentile
- $80,184
- 90th percentile
- $97,843
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $62,650 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.7%faster than average
202524,315 jobs
2035 projected25,953 jobs
1,638 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 84%
- Certificate
- 16%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Riggers1,390 postings
- 02Lead Riggers184 postings
- 03Crane Riggers149 postings
- 04Wire Harness Engineers148 postings
- 05Boat Riggers116 postings
- 06Rigging Managers104 postings
- 07Wire Harness Assemblers102 postings
- 08Rigging Supervisors99 postings
- 09Laborer Journeymen96 postings
- 10Ironworker Riggers62 postings
- 11Rigging Foremen59 postings
- 12Wire Cutters50 postings
- 13Riggers/Crane Operators41 postings
- 14Delivery and Assembly Technicians38 postings
- 15Pipe Fabricators37 postings
- 16Offshore Managers29 postings
- 17Audio Visual Managers28 postings
- 18CDL-A Truck Drivers25 postings
- 19Certified Journeyman Electricians24 postings
- 20Parachute Riggers23 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek138 postings
- 02Mei Rigging & Crating113 postings
- 03Bechtel96 postings
- 04Bass Pro Shops86 postings
- 05EMCOR Group63 postings
- 06Southern Industrial Constructors50 postings
- 07TIC44 postings
- 08Encore Global42 postings
- 09Huntington Ingalls Industries40 postings
- 10TIC - The Industrial Company40 postings
- 11Trillium Staffing34 postings
- 12Barnhart33 postings
- 13Brown & Root Industrial Services33 postings
- 14Brown & Root28 postings
- 15Jacobs Solutions28 postings
- 16Sonepar USA28 postings
- 17Austin Industrial27 postings
- 18Certex USA27 postings
- 19Encore26 postings
- 20Tnt Crane & Rigging25 postings
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