Master Rigger / Lift Planner: metro pay ranking

At Skilled Trades Headhunters, this is what we do all day: recruit skilled trades professionals.

Skilled Trades Headhunters compares published medians for SOC 49-9096 Riggers, not estimated offers for this particular title.

Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?

This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Riggers. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.

Highest and lowest published metro medians
Metro	Median	Employment	Location quotient	Trade median / all-occupations median
Fargo, ND-MN	$169,480	50	2.29	3.32
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$103,030	620	0.45	1.68
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$97,850	270	2.24	1.77
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$96,880	1,250	1.37	1.73
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$91,430	110	0.56	1.55
Urban Honolulu, HI	$87,570	170	2.55	1.53
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$87,120	140	0.51	1.47
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$85,300	570	41.82	1.35
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$82,370	140	0.4	1.11
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$82,130	770	4.67	1.76
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$81,860	100	0.15	1.50
St. Louis, MO-IL	$81,350	80	0.4	1.63
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$79,810	160	0.91	1.32
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$78,840	160	0.53	1.09
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$77,940	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	1.30
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$75,960	210	0.9	1.22
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$75,860	50	1.07	1.44
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$75,670	400	0.95	1.48
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$75,640	80	0.94	1.26
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$75,130	130	0.53	1.55
Jackson, MS	$74,380	30	0.84	1.74
Boise City, ID	$72,850	40	0.77	1.48
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$72,660	140	0.34	1.34
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$72,030	340	1.52	1.23
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$69,030	280	0.61	0.97
Reno, NV	$67,350	50	1.2	1.36
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$65,820	50	0.43	1.29
Portland-South Portland, ME	$64,910	280	6.65	1.14
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$64,440	1,350	12.22	1.30
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$64,430	1,140	2.39	1.30
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$64,260	150	1.45	1.20
Lincoln, NE	$64,110	40	1.4	1.29
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$63,950	210	8.94	1.32
Omaha, NE-IA	$62,740	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	1.26
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$61,020	40	0.41	1.28
Richmond, VA	$60,790	100	1.02	1.18
Mobile, AL	$60,670	210	8.31	1.29
Corpus Christi, TX	$60,240	220	7.86	1.33
commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$60,230	220	0.81	1.16
Lynchburg, VA	$60,040	50	3.87	1.30
Baton Rouge, LA	$58,840	410	6.85	1.21
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$58,760	180	0.94	1.18
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$58,710	160	0.76	1.26
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$57,000	50	0.49	1.10
Cleveland, OH	$56,950	60	0.43	1.14
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$56,770	60	1.83	1.16
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$56,520	40	0.58	1.21
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$56,470	210	0.61	1.10
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$55,550	160	0.39	1.14
Pittsburgh, PA	$55,180	70	0.43	1.11
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$53,610	40	0.27	1.09
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$53,110	160	0.4	0.80
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$52,790	80	0.4	1.08
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$52,150	130	0.7	0.92
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$51,860	70	1.44	1.09
Jacksonville, FL	$51,730	80	0.72	1.06
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$51,020	210	3.73	1.04
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$50,840	660	1.12	0.99
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$50,480	340	2.09	1.07
Midland, TX	$49,830	190	10.76	0.91
Port St. Lucie, FL	$48,960	50	2.12	1.05
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	$48,340	50	1.06	1.03
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$47,730	270	4.16	1.01
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$47,180	60	0.36	0.94
Birmingham, AL	$46,800	80	1.09	0.98
Odessa, TX	$46,120	70	6.01	0.95
Longview, TX	$45,300	50	3.09	1.00
Lake Charles, LA	$44,770	60	3.94	0.98
Tulsa, OK	$44,770	70	1.06	0.96
Knoxville, TN	$38,490	70	1.06	0.82
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	$37,360	420	34.33	0.82
Lafayette, LA	$36,880	270	10.56	0.88

The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.

Where does this trade pay most relative to local wages?

Occupation median divided by the same area's all-occupations median
Area	Wage ratio	Median	Location quotient
Fargo, ND-MN	3.32	$169,480	2.29
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	1.77	$97,850	2.24
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	1.76	$82,130	4.67
Jackson, MS	1.74	$74,380	0.84
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	1.73	$96,880	1.37
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1.68	$103,030	0.45
St. Louis, MO-IL	1.63	$81,350	0.4
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	1.55	$75,130	0.53
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	1.55	$91,430	0.56
Urban Honolulu, HI	1.53	$87,570	2.55
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	1.50	$81,860	0.15
Boise City, ID	1.48	$72,850	0.77
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1.48	$75,670	0.95
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	1.47	$87,120	0.51
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	1.44	$75,860	1.07
Reno, NV	1.36	$67,350	1.2
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	1.35	$85,300	41.82
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1.34	$72,660	0.34
Corpus Christi, TX	1.33	$60,240	7.86
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	1.32	$79,810	0.91
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	1.32	$63,950	8.94
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1.30	$77,940	Not published by BLS
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1.30	$64,430	2.39
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	1.30	$64,440	12.22
Lynchburg, VA	1.30	$60,040	3.87
Mobile, AL	1.29	$60,670	8.31
Lincoln, NE	1.29	$64,110	1.4
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	1.29	$65,820	0.43
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	1.28	$61,020	0.41
Omaha, NE-IA	1.26	$62,740	Not published by BLS
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	1.26	$75,640	0.94
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	1.26	$58,710	0.76
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	1.23	$72,030	1.52
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	1.22	$75,960	0.9
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	1.21	$56,520	0.58
Baton Rouge, LA	1.21	$58,840	6.85
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	1.20	$64,260	1.45
Richmond, VA	1.18	$60,790	1.02
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	1.18	$58,760	0.94
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	1.16	$56,770	1.83
commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI	1.16	$60,230	0.81
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1.14	$55,550	0.39
Portland-South Portland, ME	1.14	$64,910	6.65
Cleveland, OH	1.14	$56,950	0.43
Pittsburgh, PA	1.11	$55,180	0.43
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1.11	$82,370	0.4
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1.10	$56,470	0.61
Raleigh-Cary, NC	1.10	$57,000	0.49
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	1.09	$51,860	1.44
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	1.09	$53,610	0.27
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	1.09	$78,840	0.53
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	1.08	$52,790	0.4
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	1.07	$50,480	2.09
Jacksonville, FL	1.06	$51,730	0.72
Port St. Lucie, FL	1.05	$48,960	2.12
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	1.04	$51,020	3.73
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	1.03	$48,340	1.06
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	1.01	$47,730	4.16
Longview, TX	1.00	$45,300	3.09
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	0.99	$50,840	1.12
Birmingham, AL	0.98	$46,800	1.09
Lake Charles, LA	0.98	$44,770	3.94
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	0.97	$69,030	0.61
Tulsa, OK	0.96	$44,770	1.06
Odessa, TX	0.95	$46,120	6.01
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	0.94	$47,180	0.36
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	0.92	$52,150	0.7
Midland, TX	0.91	$49,830	10.76
Lafayette, LA	0.88	$36,880	10.56
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	0.82	$37,360	34.33
Knoxville, TN	0.82	$38,490	1.06
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	0.80	$53,110	0.4

Broader occupation Our title "Master Rigger / Lift Planner" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-9096 Riggers. BLS groups Master Rigger / Lift Planner within Riggers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.

National percentile table Methodology