Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Riggers
Also called: Gantry Rigger, Hand Rigger, Heavy Lift Rigger, Machinery Erector
US median pay
$62,640
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.9%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,700
22,500 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
What they do day to 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.
- 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.
- Load machines onto trucks to prepare for transportation.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operation and Control3.2/5
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.9/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.7/5
- Public Safety and Security3.6/5
- Production and Processing3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.5/5
- Administration and Management3.4/5
- Design3.3/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma63%
- Less than high school21%
- Post-secondary certificate16%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.