Rigger Salary in California

$41/hr

California rigger employee wages help you weigh construction offers by lifting duties, scheduled hours, travel costs and employer benefits before accepting a position.

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What Riggers Earn in California

California employee wages for riggers span $25.57–$61.45/hr, or $53,190–$127,810 a year. These figures cover riggers across industries, so compare each offer with its actual lifting responsibilities. Base wages exclude premium pay and benefits. Ask how the employer records gear preparation, site transfers and overtime. The experience bands below organize wage comparisons without setting apprenticeship steps or proving readiness for independent lifts. Discuss progression with the hiring employer.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$25.57–$32.30/hr
▲ 2.9% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$32.30–$49.06/hr
▲ 2.9% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$49.06–$61.45/hr
▲ 2.9% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Rigger
California · Day Shift
Base rate$40.68
+ IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$6.62
+ SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.83
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.73
Effective hourly$52.86
Straight · 40 hrs$2,114
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$634
Weekly gross$2,749
Annualised · 50 weeks
$137,436
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

Utility installation, structural work and specialty contracting involve different lifting assignments. These national rigger wages provide context for comparing California construction job offers and responsibilities.

01 / 03$36.15/hr

Utility System Construction

Water and utility projects bring riggers into pipe and equipment placement. Discuss access near excavations, daily travel and coordination with installation crews. Compare the paid hours available across successive projects and shutdowns.

+ Infrastructure projects
+ Equipment variety
– Changing locations
– Excavation interfaces
02 / 03$25.02/hr

Structural and Exterior Contractors

Structural components need controlled placement and secure support before release. Ask which loads you will handle and how crews coordinate elevated connections. Include required ground preparation and landing duties in the pay discussion.

+ Structural experience
+ Crew coordination
– Height exposure
– Delivery changes
03 / 03$29.43/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Crane hire with operators and site preparation fall within this group. Discuss lifting equipment, work locations and experience requirements before accepting. Ask how dispatch, required gear preparation and moves between jobs are recorded.

+ Varied assignments
+ Crane experience
– Uneven workloads
– Travel demands

Which states pay riggers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$41.22/hr
  2. 02Virginia$30.59/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$6.62$13,770$00 weeks
SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.83$10,046$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$2.18$4,534$1592 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.73$1,518$593 weeks
NCCCO Rigger Level I+$1.16$2,413$2005 weeks
NCCCO Signalperson+$0.58$1,206$2009 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $41.22/hr.

40 hr week
$1,649
No OT
50 hr week
$2,267
+$30,915/yr
60 hr week
$2,885
+$61,830/yr
70 hr week
$3,504
+$92,745/yr

Questions workers ask

When does DIR issue new rigger prevailing wage rates?▾
Twice a year, on February 22 and August 22. DIR's Director issues general prevailing wage determinations on those dates. Ask whether your project's determination includes predetermined increases.
How should I compare a public works offer?▾
Ask for the applicable DIR wage determination and classification for the work assigned. Public works requirements concern the project and duties. Compare the stated base wage, required benefits and overtime treatment with the offer, keeping each part separate.
When does construction overtime usually start?▾
IWC Wage Order 16, enforced by DIR's Labor Commissioner, requires overtime after eight daily or 40 weekly hours. Alternative schedules and qualifying collective agreements have special provisions. Record required rigging preparation and cleanup along with lifting hours so the time record reflects the whole shift.

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Current BLS California employee wages for Riggers, SOC 49-9096; May 2025 cross-industry estimates exclude premium pay and benefits, and are not contractor rates.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.