How to become a Rigger

Official title: Riggers

Also called: Gantry Rigger, Hand Rigger, Heavy Lift Rigger, Machinery Erector, Machinery Mover, Marine Rigger, Motor Rigger, Rigger, Rigging Fabricator, Ship Rigger

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

Main tasks

• 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.
• Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Rigger.
• Apprenticeship: Rigger (Ship & Boat Bldg).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $62,640 a year The middle half earn $48,210 to $80,180.
• About 22,500 people work in this job now, and about 23,400 are projected by 2035. (+3.9%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers
• Commercial Divers
• Locksmiths and Safe Repairers
• Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers
• Signal and Track Switch Repairers
• Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Rigger?

Ways in include: Rigger.

How much does a Rigger earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $62,640 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $48,210 to $80,180.

Is a Rigger a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 22,500 to about 23,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Rigger?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Rigger.

Will AI change the work of a Rigger?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.