Rigger salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a rigger is $93,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the level of high risk work licence you hold, so advanced rigging and crane-related licences earn more than basic rigging.
- Mining, oil and gas and remote construction projects pay above metropolitan building work, though they usually mean long swings away from home.
- Overtime and enterprise agreements matter as well, because rigging crews are often pushing a project toward a deadline.
The median salary rose by $19,700 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than rigger
The largest typical pay rise is $83,800 a year, moving into Crane Operator.
- Crane Operator+$83,800/yr
- Miner+$57,600/yr
- Earthmoving Plant Operator+$9,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher rigger salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time rigger salary is $93,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Riggers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Plant and equipment operation and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general rigger experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Crane Operator pays a typical $83,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Rigger salary questions
How much do riggers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a rigger is $93,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is rigger pay rising or falling?
The median rigger salary is up $19,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than rigger?
Crane Operator pays a typical $83,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to rigger.
Related salaries
- Crane Operator salary
- Scaffolder salary
- Miner salary
- Earthmoving Plant Operator salary
- Dogger salary
- Builder's Labourer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.