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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 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Salary Guides / California
California rigger employee wages help you weigh construction offers by lifting duties, scheduled hours, travel costs and employer benefits before accepting a position.
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.
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
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$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$6.62 | $13,770 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$4.83 | $10,046 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$2.18 | $4,534 | $159 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.73 | $1,518 | $59 | 3 weeks |
| NCCCO Rigger Level I | +$1.16 | $2,413 | $200 | 5 weeks |
| NCCCO Signalperson | +$0.58 | $1,206 | $200 | 9 weeks |
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $41.22/hr.
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
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