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Map of South Carolina showing 8 metro areas with skilled trade pay data
South Carolina: 8 metros with trade pay data

Rigger pay in South Carolina

Statewide and by city · BLS, May 2025

$51,020statewide median a year
$24.53median an hour
#35of 43 states
470riggers employed statewide

Statewide pay Government data

Riggers in South Carolina earn a statewide median of $51,020 a year, 16% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #35 of 43 states. About 470 people work in the trade statewide.

Statewide pay range

$40,750Entry · 10th$45,39025th$51,020Median$61,43075th$87,160Top · 90th

States ranked near South Carolina

Florida$52,390
Arizona$52,370
Texas$51,980
South Carolina$51,020
Kentucky$50,270
Wisconsin$49,640
Oklahoma$48,490

See all states on the riggers nationwide.

Pay by city Government data

BLS publishes rigger pay for 2 South Carolina metros: Greenville and Charleston.

GreenvilleSOUTH CAROLINA · SC$56,520
CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC$51,020
MetroMedian payReal payJobs
GreenvilleSOUTH CAROLINA · SC$56,520$60,60540
CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC$51,020$50,534210

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 South Carolina
Rigger pay in South Carolina: $51,020 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 South Carolina Official source

The main state licensing office in South Carolina is the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for riggers.

Official South Carolina licensing site ↗

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

Union membership

In 2025, 2.7% of wage and salary workers in South Carolina were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#49 of 51 states and D.C.), and 4.1% 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 South Carolina

GreenvilleSOUTH CAROLINA · SC+9.0%population since 2020 · 4.1% unemployment
CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC+10.7%population since 2020 · 3.8% unemployment

All trades in South Carolina.

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