Riggers build operation and control, operations monitoring and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Hoist and Winch Operators (88%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 88% | $56,450 | −10% | None |
| 2 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 84% | $57,430 | −8% | None |
| 3 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 84% | $62,780 | 0% | None |
| 4 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 83% | $65,380 | +4% | None |
| 5 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 83% | $59,850 | −4% | None |
| 6 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 83% | $51,330 | −18% | None |
| 7 | Pile Driver Operators | 82% | $73,300 | +17% | None |
| 8 | Crane and Tower Operators | 81% | $68,080 | +9% | Certificate or associate |
| 9 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 81% | $65,510 | +5% | Certificate or associate |
| 10 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | 80% | $63,870 | +2% | None |
Compared with Riggers, median $62,640. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as riggers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
88% skill match · $56,450 · −10% pay
Instructing · Operations Monitoring · Persuasion
84% skill match · $57,430 · −8% pay
Operation and Control · Persuasion · Operations Monitoring
84% skill match · $62,780 · 0% pay
Management of Material Resources · Instructing · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Hoist and Winch Operators (88% skill match, median $56,450), Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (84% skill match, median $57,430) and Structural Iron and Steel Workers (84% skill match, median $62,780), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 10 pay more than riggers at the median. The biggest increases: Roof Bolters, Mining (+25%, $78,540), Boilermakers (+22%, $76,410) and Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (+22%, $76,170).
23 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.