AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9096.00
Will AI replace Riggers?
Riggers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 14 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Riggers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install ground rigging for yarding lines, attaching chokers to logs and to the lines. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Fabricate, set up, and repair rigging, supporting structures, hoists, and pulling gear, using hand and power tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Align, level, and anchor machinery. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load machines onto trucks to prepare for transportation. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach pulleys and blocks to fixed overhead structures, such as beams, ceilings, and gin pole booms, using bolts and clamps. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and dress machine surfaces and component parts. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 14% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 14% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 87% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 22,530
- Median annual wage
- $62,640
- Middle half of earners
- $48,210 to $80,180
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Hoist and Winch Operators 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure20
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure15
- Crane and Tower Operators 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure19
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers 57% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure24
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers 57% skill overlap, about 16 months to move Exposure18
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Riggers and AI
Will AI replace Riggers?
Not on current evidence. None of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Riggers?
16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Riggers tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Install ground rigging for yarding lines, attaching chokers to logs and to the lines, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 14% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 87% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Riggers, and what do they earn?
22,530 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $62,640 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Riggers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/riggers
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