Riggers

What the job really is

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

At a glance

• Sector: Installation, Maintenance & Repair
• O*NET-SOC code: 49-9096
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Attach pulleys and blocks to fixed overhead structures, such as beams, ceilings, and gin pole booms, using bolts and clamps.
• Fabricate, set up, and repair rigging, supporting structures, hoists, and pulling gear, using hand and power tools.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Adjustable hand wrenches, Allen wrench sets, Autodesk Maya, Beam type torque wrenches, Chain hoists, Channellock pliers, Dial caliper gauges, Electric winches

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Hoist and Winch Operators
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
• Millwrights
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Riggers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.