Looking for Rigging Job

As of September 2009, there were 63,012 jobs in the oil and gas well drilling industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the Gulf Coast is most concentrated in several Louisiana parishes and Texas counties. In these areas, rigging job or jobs account for a bigger portion of employment in these localities than the whole nation. Almost one-fourth of those employed in this field in the U.S. are in Harris County, Texas, which is in the Houston area. That totals about 14,881 jobs and equals about .9% of private sector employment in that specific county. Lafayette Parish in Louisiana had about 3.2% of the nation’s employment in the oil rigging industry.

In 2009, Baker Hughes reported that it had 1,281 active rigs, with 55 of them being offshore. The specific position of rigger in the oil and gas industry is held by 21,000 workers. Riggers have a mean hourly wage of $24.17, which totals about $50,270 per year. Riggers tend to make anywhere from $13.91 per hour to as much as $36.22 per hour. There are several industry subdivisions in the oil and gas industry that require riggers. Here is a breakdown:

Ship and boat building employs 2,270 riggers, support activities for mining employs 1,900 riggers, and the federal executive branch (OES designation) employs 1,590. Other industries with high concentrations of employment in the role of rigger include inland water transportation, ship and boat building, other support activities for transportation, and building equipment, and contractors.

Location Effects Salary

If you are employed as a rigger, your location can affect your salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 45 of the 50 states have riggers employed in some form or fashion. Washington State has 900 people employed in rigger positions with an average annual wage of $55,470 while Minnesota has only 230 riggers with an annual average salary of $55,860. In New York, the average rigger salary is $75,910 while in Michigan, the average salary for a rigger is $65,490 per year.

What is a Rigger? What is a Rigging job?

A rigger is a person who specializes in the moving and lifting of extremely heavy or large objects. Often, they do the moving or lifting with the help of a crane, chain hoist, or derrick. To become a rigger, an individual must undergo extensive training both in and out of the classroom. ATS offers OSHA-compliant rigger and signalperson training and certification. The program includes written and practical training and testing. To learn more about the program, call ATS at (800) 383-7364.