Statewide pay Government data
Riggers in Pennsylvania earn a statewide median of $60,140 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #23 of 43 states. About 360 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Pennsylvania
See all states on the rigger overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes rigger pay for 2 Pennsylvania metros: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $72,660 | $70,850 | 140 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $55,180 | $58,286 | 70 |
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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for riggers.
Official Pennsylvania licensing site ↗
Requirements for riggers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 10.9% of wage and salary workers in Pennsylvania were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#20 of 51 states and D.C.), and 11.7% 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 Pennsylvania
All trades in Pennsylvania.