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The national median salary for Riggers is $62,650 per year ($30.12/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,214 and $80,184 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $97,843 per year. There are approximately 22,530 riggers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
25K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
4K
$60,070
Ship and Boat Building
NAICS 336600
3K
$60,630
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
2K
$61,220
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
2K
$76,460
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
2K
$101,540
Wage range across top 5 industries: $60,070 to $101,540 (69% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$19.56
$40,685
P25
$23.18
$48,214
P50MEDIAN
$30.12
$62,650
P75
$38.55
$80,184
P90
$47.04
$97,843
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average riggers salary?
The national median salary for Riggers is $62,650 per year ($30.12/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,214 and $80,184 annually.
How much do top-earning riggers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Riggers is $97,843 per year ($47.04/hr). The 75th percentile is $80,184 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for riggers?
Entry-level Riggers (10th percentile) earn approximately $40,685 per year ($19.56/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,214 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.