How to become a scaffolder, stager or rigger
Official title: Scaffolders, stagers and riggers
Also called: Rigger, Stager, Scaffolder, Stage rigger, Ship's rigger, Factory rigger, Salvage rigger, Offshore rigger, Scaffolder foreman, Scaffolding rigger, Scaffolder-foreman, Advanced scaffolder
Scaffolders, stagers and riggers erect and dismantle scaffolding and working platforms, set up lifting equipment and ships’ rigging, maintain and repair steeples, industrial chimneys and other tall structures and install, maintain and repair ropes, wires and cables.
Main tasks
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
- Examines scaffold tubing and couplings for defects and selects, fits and bolts scaffold tubes until scaffolding reaches required height
- Lays and secures wooden planking to form working platforms and fixes guard rails, ladders, cradles and awnings as required
- Erects jib, derrick and similar hoisting equipment and installs ropes, pulleys and other lifting tackle
- Forms rope slings, ladders, netting and other rigging and measures, cuts and repairs wire or fibre rope
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is initially received on-the-job. Skilled workers must obtain Construction Skills recognised scaffolders record scheme cards through the completion of approved courses and further work experience. NVQs/SVQs in Scaffolding are available at levels 2 and 3.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Scaffolder (level 2). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0359.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £41,548 a year
- About 28,900 people work in this job now, and about 28,400 are projected by 2035. (-1.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a scaffolder, stager or rigger?
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is initially received on-the-job. Skilled workers must obtain Construction Skills recognised scaffolders record scheme cards through the completion of approved courses and further work experience. NVQs/SVQs in Scaffolding are available at levels 2 and 3.
How much does a scaffolder, stager or rigger earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £41,548 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a scaffolder, stager or rigger a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 28,900 people now and 28,400 later (Department for Education).
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03