Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 49-9096
Riggers AI displacement risk
Riggers select gear, attach loads, and direct crane movements for construction, shipyards, and events. Lift-planning software calculates loads and clearances, but the rigger's call — sling angles, load balance, hand signals in the moment — decides whether a lift is safe.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
Every lifted load is a one-off: weight distribution, wind, and site conditions change the physics. Lift software assists the plan; certified riggers own the execution and the stop-work call.
Distribution
Where Riggers sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 12 — higher than 2% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
14 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 49-9096. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $62,640 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 49-9096.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Riggers
SOC 49-9096 places this role in the paper's all-other occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 12/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+1.1% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
+5.9% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
+33.6% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Riggers
The current evidence import matched 14 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks14
SOC49-9096
- Core task / ID 13893
Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability.
- Core task / ID 13892
Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials.
- Core task / ID 13896
Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment.
- Core task / ID 13897
Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
- Core task / ID 13895
Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules.
- Core task / ID 13902
Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Select gear according to load weights and sizes
Exposure 30, automation 12%, augmentation 50%.
O*NET evidence: Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes,... (ID 13895)
Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability
Exposure 24, automation 10%, augmentation 46%.
O*NET evidence: Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability. (ID 13893)
Signal or direct workers hoisting and moving loads
Exposure 20, automation 8%, augmentation 42%.
O*NET evidence: Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety... (ID 13892)
Control heavy equipment through narrow openings
Exposure 16, automation 6%, augmentation 36%.
O*NET evidence: Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using c... (ID 13896)
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Select gear according to load weights and sizes3012%50%
Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability2410%46%
Signal or direct workers hoisting and moving loads208%42%
Control heavy equipment through narrow openings166%36%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
credentialed transition
LowLift Director
Training horizon: 12-24 months. Skill overlap 62. Wage preservation signal 126.
- Earn advanced rigging credentials
- Own critical-lift plans
- Lead lift crews
role redesign
LowEntertainment Rigger
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 60. Wage preservation signal 112.
- Learn arena and theater systems
- Serve touring productions
- Master fall-protection standards
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
12-24 months
Riggers to Lift Director
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Riggers into Lift Director.
6-12 months
Riggers to Entertainment Rigger
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Riggers into Entertainment Rigger.
What the AI risk score means for Riggers
The displacement pressure score for Riggers is 12. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Select gear according to load weights and sizes carries 12% automation pressure, while Select gear according to load weights and sizes carries 50% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $62,640 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Load-movement judgment with physics on the hook. Typical education: High school plus rigging apprenticeship or certification.
Wage vulnerability is 36, while transition feasibility is 58. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Low displacement pressure
- Software plans lifts, riggers own them
- Every load is a one-off
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Riggers, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Rigging technique
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Lift planning
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Crane signaling
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Load safety
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Lift Director, such as earn advanced rigging credentials.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Lift Director or Entertainment Rigger and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Riggers
Will AI replace Riggers?
Riggers select gear, attach loads, and direct crane movements for construction, shipyards, and events. Lift-planning software calculates loads and clearances, but the rigger's call — sling angles, load balance, hand signals in the moment — decides whether a lift is safe. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Riggers work are most exposed to AI?
Select gear according to load weights and sizes and Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Select gear according to load weights and sizes and Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Riggers learn next?
Start with Rigging technique, Lift planning, Crane signaling. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Lift Director and Entertainment Rigger.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
OECD / 11 July 2023OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour MarketO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics