Will AI replace Riggers?

What this score means

Riggers is among the least exposed roles in Construction & Trades. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 11 out of 100 it scores 3 points below the Construction & Trades average of 14. Across the 3 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 20, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Riggers, most central first, showing 12 of 14.

• 01Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability.
• 02Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials.
• 03Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment.
• 04Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
• 05Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules.
• 06Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
• 07Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.
• 08Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.
• 09Align, level, and anchor machinery.
• 10Load machines onto trucks to prepare for transportation.
• 11Attach pulleys and blocks to fixed overhead structures, such as beams, ceilings, and gin pole booms, using bolts and clamps.
• 12Fabricate, set up, and repair rigging, supporting structures, hoists, and pulling gear, using hand and power tools.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 3 research sources that scored Riggers for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

• 01Anthropic Economic Index 2026 - AI Task Exposure · 2026
• 02GPTs are GPTs: Labor Market Impact Potential of LLMs · 2024
• 03AI Occupational Exposure to Language Modeling · 2023

Also covers

Acrobatic Rigger · Boat Rigger · Certified Rigger · Crane Rigger · Fly Rail Operator · Gantry Rigger · Gear Repairer · Grip and related titles

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