How to hire a crane rigger

How to hire a crane rigger, step by step

Here's a step-by-step crane rigger hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a crane rigger job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new crane rigger
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a crane rigger job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your crane rigger job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a crane rigger for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect crane rigger also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents crane rigger salaries for various positions.

   Type of Crane Rigger	Description	Hourly rate
   Crane Rigger		$11-34
   Crane Operator	A crane operator's work involves the control of draglines or cranes to lift, move, position or place machinery, equipment, and other large objects at industrial or construction sites, ports, surface mines, railway yards, and other similar locations. Their tasks and duties include conducting crane maintenance such as lubricating and cleaning, inspecting cranes, and assembling tower cranes... Show more	$16-39
   Rigger	A rigger is a worker whose task is to set up, maintain or repair rigging in construction projects in industrial or manufacturing plants. Riggers install machinery and make sure that it is in place... Show more	$13-28

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cranes
   • CDL
   • Pulleys
   • Slings
   • Hand Signals
   • Hoisting
   • Hoists
   • Safety Procedures
   • Support Materials
   • Booms
   • Load Weights
   • Fall Protection
   • Pole Truck
   • Control Movement

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Wire rope slings, chain slings, eye-bolts, etc.
   • Inspect all ppe and rigging equipment.
   • Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
   • Operate telescoping boom industrial forklifts in process of loading and unloading structural steel and heavy, large piping and pipe spools.
   • Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your crane rigger job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A crane rigger salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, crane riggers' average salary in louisiana is 47% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level crane riggers earn 67% less than senior-level crane riggers.
   • Certifications. A crane rigger with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a crane rigger's salary.

   Average crane rigger salary

   $42,387yearly

   $20.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level crane rigger salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

4. Writing a crane rigger job description

   A job description for a crane rigger role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a crane rigger job description:

   Crane rigger job description example

   Barnard Construction Company, Inc., based in Bozeman, Montana, is looking for professionals to join our Chimney Hollow Reservoir project in Loveland, Colorado. We are a heavy-civil construction company with projects underway across North America. Barnard is ranked by Engineering News-Record, a leading construction industry periodical, as one of the nation's Top 400 civil contractors. We specialize in dam construction and rehabilitation, power transmission and distribution, tunneling, inland marine, oil, gas, utility, and sewer and water pipeline projects. We offer competitive wages, 401(k)s, a generous health plan, and challenging career opportunities with a financially solid company. Barnard's people are the reason for the success of the company. Our reputation attracts the highest quality personnel, people who are committed to producing projects that set a standard for excellence. At Barnard, we build the riskiest, most difficult, complex jobs we can find and we hire people who thrive on tough work and demanding opportunities.
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   Must possess competence in the following areas in order to perform his/her role in a safe, productive and effective manner:
   
   + Must possess a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing or have extensive knowledge.
   
   + Have extensive experience and training.
   
   + Successfully demonstrate the ability to solve problems related to rigging loads.
   
   + The qualified rigger must have the ability to properly rig the load for a particular job.
   
   + Does not mean the rigger must be qualified to do every type of rigging job.
   
   Position Requirements:
   
   + Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screen
   
   + Ability to exert heavy physical effort, handling average weight objects up to 25 pounds
   
   + Ability to kneel, stoop, crouch, balance, climb or crawl
   
   + Ability to correctly rig and hoist material
   
   + Ability to tolerate heights without fear
   
   + Ability to maintain balance
   
   + Ability to stand or walk for long periods of time, reach for, handle, and manipulate items and to work in extreme weather conditions (cold and wet)
   
   + Confined Space, OSHA certifications (preferred)
   
   + Able to work long, irregular and varied hours, 50 to 70 hours per week
   
   + Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
   
   + Ability to safely and effectively perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal , state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer Veterans/Disabled, E-Verify Employer
   
   ID: 2022-1236
   
   External Company URL: www.barnard-inc.com

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find crane riggers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any crane riggers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level crane riggers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your crane rigger job on Zippia to find and recruit crane rigger candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting crane riggers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new crane rigger

   Once you've decided on a perfect crane rigger candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a crane rigger?