Riggers Salary
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations · 23K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$62,640
Median hourly
$30
Average annual
$66,810
Typical range
$40,680–$97,850
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Riggers is $62,640 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $30 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry..
Most earn between $40,680 and $97,850 a year. There are roughly 23K people employed as riggers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Riggers.
- Hourly
- $30.12
- Daily
- $241
- Weekly
- $1,205
- Bi-weekly
- $2,409
- Monthly
- $5,220
- Annual
- $62,640
$62,640 a year is around the 50th percentile for Riggerss. The median is $62,640.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New York$105,600
- 2Oregon$94,470
- 3Utah$93,640
- 4Maryland$91,420
- 5Minnesota$87,120
- 6California$85,730
- 7Hawaii$84,410
- 8New Jersey$82,130
- 9Illinois$81,860
- 10Nevada$81,720
- 11North Dakota$77,890
- 12Washington$77,100
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Fargo, ND-MN$169,480
- 2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$103,030
- 3Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$97,850
- 4Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$96,880
- 5Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$91,430
- 6Urban Honolulu, HI$87,570
- 7Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$87,120
- 8Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$85,300
- 9San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$82,370
- 10Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$82,130
- 11Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$81,860
- 12St. Louis, MO-IL$81,350
Related job titles
Employers advertise Riggers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- Millwrights$65,700
- Crane and Tower Operators$68,080
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery$60,850
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
What a Riggers does
- 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.
- 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.
- Align, level, and anchor machinery.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Riggers make?
- The median annual wage for Riggers is $62,640 ($30 per hour). Pay ranges from about $40,680 at the 10th percentile to $97,850 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Riggers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $66,810, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Riggerss the most?
- New York has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $105,600.
- Is Riggers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 23K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Riggers do?
- 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..