49 Series · SOC 49-9096
Riggers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $62,640
- Median / year
- $97,850
- Top 10% earn
- +3.2%
- Growth '23–'33
- 22,530
- US workers
Riggers earn a median of $62,640 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $62,640, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $40,680 (10th percentile) to $97,850 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 22,530 US workers. New York pays the most ($105,600), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Riggers earn a median of $62,640, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 52% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks #21 of 51 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.2% by 2033.
- $62,640
- Median annual wage
- Top 48%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #21 of 51
- in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- 2.4×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New York at $105,600. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Riggers (SOC 49-9096) pays a national median of $62,640 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $40,680 at the 10th percentile to $97,850 at the 90th, with a mean of $66,810 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 22,530 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 87 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.2% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,500 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 8.1 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New York pays the highest state median at $105,600, which is +69% above the national figure. The top metro is Fargo, ND-MN at $169,480 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$62,640
per year
Median Hourly
$30.12/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$66,810
average
Employment
22,530
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Riggers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$62,640 Top 48% higher than 52% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 49-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Riggers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 49-series occupations with growth data, Riggers sits on the slower-growing side at +3.2% growth and $62,640 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3.2%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
2,500
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
8.1/100K
Injury Rate
3/100
Danger Index
16/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Riggers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Align, level, and anchor machinery.
- ▸ Install ground rigging for yarding lines, attaching chokers to logs and to the lines.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$40,680
25th Percentile
$48,210
Median
$62,640
75th Percentile
$80,180
90th Percentile
$97,850
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $105,600 | +69% above national |
| 2 | Oregon | $94,470 | +51% above national |
| 3 | Utah | $93,640 | +49% above national |
| 4 | Maryland | $91,420 | +46% above national |
| 5 | Minnesota | $87,120 | +39% above national |
| 6 | California | $85,730 | +37% above national |
| 7 | Hawaii | $84,410 | +35% above national |
| 8 | New Jersey | $82,130 | +31% above national |
| 9 | Illinois | $81,860 | +31% above national |
| 10 | Nevada | $81,720 | +30% above national |
| 11 | North Dakota | $77,890 | +24% above national |
| 12 | Washington | $77,100 | +23% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $73,720 | +18% above national |
| 14 | Idaho | $72,850 | +16% above national |
| 15 | Connecticut | $67,560 | +8% above national |
| 16 | Georgia | $67,200 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Maine | $64,910 | +4% above national |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $64,260 | +3% above national |
| 19 | Virginia | $63,620 | +2% above national |
| 20 | Mississippi | $63,390 | +1% above national |
| 21 | Iowa | $62,400 | same as national |
| 22 | Nebraska | $61,080 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $60,140 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Arkansas | $59,680 | 5% below national |
| 25 | Michigan | $58,490 | 7% below national |
| 26 | Ohio | $58,380 | 7% below national |
| 27 | Alaska | $58,010 | 7% below national |
| 28 | Alabama | $57,980 | 7% below national |
| 29 | North Carolina | $56,640 | 10% below national |
| 30 | Missouri | $54,190 | 13% below national |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $53,500 | 15% below national |
| 32 | Florida | $52,390 | 16% below national |
| 33 | Arizona | $52,370 | 16% below national |
| 34 | Texas | $51,980 | 17% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $51,020 | 19% below national |
| 36 | Kentucky | $50,270 | 20% below national |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $49,640 | 21% below national |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $48,490 | 23% below national |
| 39 | Tennessee | $47,180 | 25% below national |
| 40 | Indiana | $46,090 | 26% below national |
| 41 | Louisiana | $43,660 | 30% below national |
| 42 | Kansas | $41,060 | 34% below national |
| 43 | New Mexico | $37,440 | 40% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 87 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo, ND-MN | $169,480 | +171% above national |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,030 | +64% above national |
| 3 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $97,850 | +56% above national |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $96,880 | +55% above national |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $91,430 | +46% above national |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $87,570 | +40% above national |
| 7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $87,120 | +39% above national |
| 8 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $85,300 | +36% above national |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,370 | +31% above national |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $82,130 | +31% above national |
| 11 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $81,860 | +31% above national |
| 12 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $81,350 | +30% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $79,810 | +27% above national |
| 14 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $78,840 | +26% above national |
| 15 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77,940 | +24% above national |
| 16 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $75,960 | +21% above national |
| 17 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $75,860 | +21% above national |
| 18 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $75,670 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $75,640 | +21% above national |
| 20 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $75,130 | +20% above national |
| 21 | West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $74,830 | +19% above national |
| 22 | Jackson, MS | $74,380 | +19% above national |
| 23 | Boise City, ID | $72,850 | +16% above national |
| 24 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $72,660 | +16% above national |
| 25 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $72,240 | +15% above national |
| 26 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $72,030 | +15% above national |
| 27 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $69,030 | +10% above national |
| 28 | Reno, NV | $67,350 | +8% above national |
| 29 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,820 | +5% above national |
| 30 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $64,910 | +4% above national |
| 31 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $64,440 | +3% above national |
| 32 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $64,430 | +3% above national |
| 33 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $64,260 | +3% above national |
| 34 | Lincoln, NE | $64,110 | +2% above national |
| 35 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $63,950 | +2% above national |
| 36 | Omaha, NE-IA | $62,740 | same as national |
| 37 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $62,440 | same as national |
| 38 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $61,020 | 3% below national |
| 39 | Richmond, VA | $60,790 | 3% below national |
| 40 | Mobile, AL | $60,670 | 3% below national |
| 41 | Corpus Christi, TX | $60,240 | 4% below national |
| 42 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $60,230 | 4% below national |
| 43 | Lynchburg, VA | $60,040 | 4% below national |
| 44 | Baton Rouge, LA | $58,840 | 6% below national |
| 45 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $58,760 | 6% below national |
| 46 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $58,710 | 6% below national |
| 47 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $58,010 | 7% below national |
| 48 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $57,000 | 9% below national |
| 49 | Cleveland, OH | $56,950 | 9% below national |
| 50 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $56,770 | 9% below national |
| 51 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $56,520 | 10% below national |
| 52 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $56,470 | 10% below national |
| 53 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $55,550 | 11% below national |
| 54 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $55,360 | 12% below national |
| 55 | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,180 | 12% below national |
| 56 | Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $53,820 | 14% below national |
| 57 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $53,610 | 14% below national |
| 58 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $53,110 | 15% below national |
| 59 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $52,790 | 16% below national |
| 60 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $52,150 | 17% below national |
| 61 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $51,860 | 17% below national |
| 62 | Jacksonville, FL | $51,730 | 17% below national |
| 63 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $51,020 | 19% below national |
| 64 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $50,840 | 19% below national |
| 65 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $50,480 | 19% below national |
| 66 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $50,420 | 20% below national |
| 67 | Midland, TX | $49,830 | 20% below national |
| 68 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $48,960 | 22% below national |
| 69 | Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $48,490 | 23% below national |
| 70 | Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $48,490 | 23% below national |
| 71 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $48,340 | 23% below national |
| 72 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $47,730 | 24% below national |
| 73 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $47,180 | 25% below national |
| 74 | Birmingham, AL | $46,800 | 25% below national |
| 75 | Odessa, TX | $46,120 | 26% below national |
| 76 | Longview, TX | $45,300 | 28% below national |
| 77 | Lake Charles, LA | $44,770 | 29% below national |
| 78 | Tulsa, OK | $44,770 | 29% below national |
| 79 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $42,020 | 33% below national |
| 80 | Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $42,020 | 33% below national |
| 81 | Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $41,690 | 33% below national |
| 82 | Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $41,530 | 34% below national |
| 83 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $40,760 | 35% below national |
| 84 | Knoxville, TN | $38,490 | 39% below national |
| 85 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $37,440 | 40% below national |
| 86 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $37,360 | 40% below national |
| 87 | Lafayette, LA | $36,880 | 41% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 49 (installation maintenance and repair) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Riggers make? ▼
What state pays Riggers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Riggers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Riggers? ▼
Is Riggers a good career? ▼
How does Riggers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Riggers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Riggers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $80,180/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New York leads at $105,600/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.