Riggers

Career Overview

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

Also Known As

• Machinery Erector
• Machinery Mover
• Motor Rigger
• Rigger

Alternate Job Titles

• Acrobatic Rigger
• Boat Rigger
• Certified Rigger
• Crane Rigger
• Fly Rail Operator
• Gantry Rigger
• Gear Repairer
• Grip
• Hand Rigger
• Heavy Lift Rigger
• High Rigger
• Hook Tender
• Laborer Journeyman
• Loft Rigger
• Machinery Erector

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.
• Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Mechanical
• Public Safety and Security
• Production and Processing
• Customer and Personal Service

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

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

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Cautiousness
• Attention to Detail
• Stress Tolerance
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Working Conditions
• Independence
• Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: 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.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Adjustable hand wrenches
• Allen wrench sets
• Beam type torque wrenches
• Chain hoists
• Channellock pliers
• Dial caliper gauges
• Electric winches
• Electronic levels
• Flat cold chisels
• Floor drill presses
• Gear pullers
• Gin poles
• Grease dispensers
• Hacksaws
• Hole cutters

Work Environment

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
• Time Pressure
• Contact With Others

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$38,930
Median	$62,060
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$100,480

Workers Employed Nationally: 24,190

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.