Riggers

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

What you'd actually 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.
• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of riggers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Related careers

• Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
• Millwrights
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
• Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Quick questions

How much does a rigger make?

The median pay is $30.12 per hour — roughly $62,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.56/hr (10th percentile) to $47.04/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a rigger?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a rigger actually do all day?

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.