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Map of New York showing 13 metro areas with skilled trade pay data
New York: 13 metros with trade pay data

Rigger pay in New York

Statewide and by city · BLS, May 2025

$105,600statewide median a year
$50.77median an hour
#1of 43 states
650riggers employed statewide

Statewide pay Government data

Riggers in New York earn a statewide median of $105,600 a year, 75% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #1 of 43 states. About 650 people work in the trade statewide.

Statewide pay range

$47,610Entry · 10th$76,44025th$105,600Median$123,21075th$129,780Top · 90th

States ranked near New York

New York$105,600
Oregon$94,470
Utah$93,640
Maryland$91,420

See all states on the riggers nationwide.

Pay by city Government data

BLS publishes rigger pay for 1 New York metro: New York.

MetroMedian payReal payJobs
New YorkNEW YORK · NY$103,030$91,531620

Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate

The job (national)

Blueprint-style drawing of a steel frame with a fillet weld in progress, illustrating rigger work in New York
Rigger pay in New York: $105,600 statewide median, BLS May 2025.

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.

Outdoors, in all kinds of weatherVery often
Indoors with heating and air conditioningOccasionally
Very hot or cold conditionsVery often
Working at heightsSometimes
Climbing ladders, scaffolds or polesSometimes
Cramped spaces and awkward positionsOften
Loud noiseVery often
Hazardous conditionsSometimes
Standing, bending, kneeling and walkingOften
SittingRarely

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 New York Official source

New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.

Requirements for riggers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.

Union membership

In 2025, 21.3% of wage and salary workers in New York were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#2 of 51 states and D.C.), and 22.5% 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 New York

New YorkNEW YORK · NY+0.6%population since 2020 · 4.8% unemployment

All trades in New York.

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