Statewide pay Government data
Riggers in California earn a statewide median of $85,730 a year, 42% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #6 of 43 states. About 2,260 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near California
See all states on the rigger overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes rigger pay for 5 California metros: Los Angeles, Oxnard, Riverside, San Diego and San Francisco.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $96,880 | $85,307 | 1,250 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $82,370 | $71,246 | 140 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,860 | $68,630 | 50 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,130 | $70,583 | 130 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $72,030 | $64,377 | 340 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,700 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, riggers have 79 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, about the same as all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
What the work is like Government data
How often riggers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for riggers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for riggers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 14.9% of wage and salary workers in California were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#8 of 51 states and D.C.), and 16.7% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only riggers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in California
All trades in California.