Riggers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for riggerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$103,440
- North Dakota$101,560
- Oregon$94,300
- Utah$89,230
- California$87,230
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Kansas$40,000
- New Mexico$45,470
- Louisiana$47,980
- Tennessee$48,810
- Oklahoma$51,950
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $103,440 | $105,600 | $50 | +54.8% | 650 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $101,560 | $77,890 | $49 | +52% | 140 |
| 3 | Oregon | $94,300 | $94,470 | $45 | +41.1% | 290 |
| 4 | Utah | $89,230 | $93,640 | $43 | +33.6% | 490 |
| 5 | California | $87,230 | $85,730 | $42 | +30.6% | 2,260 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $82,690 | $87,120 | $40 | +23.8% | 190 |
| 7 | Washington | $82,620 | $77,100 | $40 | +23.7% | 910 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $81,960 | $82,130 | $39 | +22.7% | 200 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $81,230 | $84,410 | $39 | +21.6% | 170 |
| 10 | Nevada | $78,880 | $81,720 | $38 | +18.1% | 860 |
| 11 | Maryland | $78,480 | $91,420 | $38 | +17.5% | 230 |
| 12 | Idaho | $77,470 | $72,850 | $37 | +16% | 60 |
| 13 | Colorado | $75,830 | $73,720 | $36 | +13.5% | 310 |
| 14 | Illinois | $75,020 | $81,860 | $36 | +12.3% | 120 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $73,340 | $59,680 | $35 | +9.8% | 120 |
| 16 | Georgia | $73,270 | $67,200 | $35 | +9.7% | 700 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $68,420 | $67,560 | $33 | +2.4% | 350 |
| 18 | Maine | $67,380 | $64,910 | $32 | +0.9% | 330 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $66,290 | $64,260 | $32 | -0.8% | 160 |
| 20 | Alaska | $64,730 | $58,010 | $31 | -3.1% | 40 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $63,710 | $61,080 | $31 | -4.6% | 100 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $62,960 | $60,140 | $30 | -5.8% | 360 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $62,260 | $63,390 | $30 | -6.8% | 320 |
| 24 | Virginia | $61,830 | $63,620 | $30 | -7.5% | 1,920 |
| 25 | Ohio | $61,820 | $58,380 | $30 | -7.5% | 290 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $60,780 | $53,500 | $29 | -9% | 240 |
| 27 | Iowa | $59,260 | $62,400 | $28 | -11.3% | 200 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $58,940 | $49,640 | $28 | -11.8% | 170 |
| 29 | Texas | $58,460 | $51,980 | $28 | -12.5% | 3,770 |
| 30 | Arizona | $58,290 | $52,370 | $28 | -12.8% | 250 |
| 31 | Missouri | $58,270 | $54,190 | $28 | -12.8% | 190 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $57,930 | $56,640 | $28 | -13.3% | 440 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $57,010 | $51,020 | $27 | -14.7% | 470 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $56,400 | $50,270 | $27 | -15.6% | — |
| 35 | Florida | $56,080 | $52,390 | $27 | -16.1% | 910 |
| 36 | Alabama | $54,640 | $57,980 | $26 | -18.2% | 460 |
| 37 | Michigan | $54,550 | $58,490 | $26 | -18.4% | 380 |
| 38 | Indiana | $52,030 | $46,090 | $25 | -22.1% | 330 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $51,950 | $48,490 | $25 | -22.2% | 300 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $48,810 | $47,180 | $23 | -26.9% | 310 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $47,980 | $43,660 | $23 | -28.2% | 1,840 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $45,470 | $37,440 | $22 | -31.9% | 230 |
| 43 | Kansas | $40,000 | $41,060 | $19 | -40.1% | 40 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 87 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo, ND-MN | $169,480 | $145,720 | 50 |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,030 | $101,710 | 620 |
| 3 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $97,850 | $89,980 | 270 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $96,880 | $94,170 | 1,250 |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $91,430 | $83,030 | 110 |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $87,570 | $82,350 | 170 |
| 7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $87,120 | $83,870 | 140 |
| 8 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $85,300 | $80,450 | 570 |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,370 | $88,020 | 140 |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $82,130 | $79,370 | 770 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing riggerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $101,540 | $96,670 | 1,530 |
| 2 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $101,540 | $96,670 | 1,530 |
| 3 | Sector 51 - Information | $101,540 | $96,670 | 1,530 |
| 4 | Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $91,750 | $79,760 | 550 |
| 5 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $83,290 | $87,760 | 60 |
| 6 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $83,290 | $87,760 | 60 |
| 7 | Other Support Services | $82,750 | $82,880 | — |
| 8 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $82,050 | $105,170 | 130 |
| 9 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $81,160 | $72,410 | — |
| 10 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $80,730 | $80,130 | 1,510 |
| 11 | Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | $78,550 | $69,050 | 260 |
| 12 | Employment Services | $77,930 | $78,970 | 1,050 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do riggers make in the U.S.?
The median riggers salary in the United States is $62,640 per year (mean $66,810), and about 80% earn between $40,680 and $97,850.
How much do riggers make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,810 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays riggers the most?
New York has the highest average pay for riggers at $103,440 per year (median $105,600).
What is the job outlook for riggers?
Employment is projected to change +3.2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 2,500 openings per year.