How To Become A Boat Rigger: What It Is and Career Path

What is a boat rigger and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a boat rigger. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.72 an hour? That's $45,175 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 4,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreBoat RiggerUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,175

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.03%

Black or African American 16.79%

Hispanic or Latino 14.84%

Unknown 7.45%

White 57.15%

Gender

female 4.17%

male 95.83%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.3

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a boat rigger

Explore boat rigger education requirements

Most common boat rigger degrees

High School Diploma

33.3 %

Diploma

25.0 %

Bachelor's

20.8 %

Start to develop specific boat rigger skills

Skills	Percentages
Rig	41.49%
Electrical Systems	26.95%
Boats	20.56%
Hand Tools	4.75%
Cranes	4.35%

Complete relevant boat rigger training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New boat riggers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a boat rigger based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real boat rigger resumes.

Research boat rigger duties and responsibilities

Install electrical components onto center console/ tiller model boats.
Operate and transport rig crew and supplies safely to assign locations in a timely manner.
Cut and install gauges, switches, steering systems, windshield, and remote control boxes on center console.
Install hydraulic steering systems, GPS units, depth finders, radios, trolley motors and a variety of other components.

Prepare your boat rigger resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your boat rigger resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a boat rigger resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable boat rigger resume templates

Build a professional boat rigger resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your boat rigger resume.