The Complete Guide to Becoming A Rigger
What you'll really do, what you'll really earn, and whether you have what it takes to work the load
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Real pay, real days, real tools — a no-sugar-coat guide to deciding if rigging is your career.
About this book
Are you thinking about becoming a rigger? Maybe you've seen crews working on a construction site or a theater fly system and wondered what they actually do. Or maybe you're looking for a trade that pays well without a four-year degree. This guide is for you.
It skips the hype and gets down to brass tacks: what a rigger does hour by hour, what you can expect to earn at every level, and exactly how to get your first job. You'll find honest self-assessments, real training options with real costs, and stories of what a good day and a bad day actually look like on the job.
If you're serious about weighing this career, this book gives you everything you need to make a smart, informed decision — without the fluff.
Reader Reviews
William Rodriguez
★★★★★I'm a college sophomore trying to figure out what to do with my life, and this guide was way more honest than anything I found online. Chapter 1 finally explained what a rigger really does — like, the actual tools and daily grind, not just 'it's a physical job.' The pay numbers in Chapter 4 were what I needed to see. It's not a glamorous read, but it's a real one. I'm still on the fence, but now I feel like I could actually decide.
Sharon Adams
★★★★★As someone looking to leave an office job for the trades, I was drowning in vague career advice. This book is the opposite. The day-in-the-life chapter felt like standing on a job site, and the self-assessment checklist in Chapter 2 was brutally honest — it made me realize I'd hate the weather but love the problem-solving. The salary breakdown was realistic, not inflated. I've already started looking into apprenticeships based on the training table in Chapter 3. Highly recommend.
Deborah Smith
★★★★★It's decent, but it's not for everyone. I wanted more info on the entertainment side of rigging, like concerts and theaters, and I felt that got kind of glossed over compared to construction. The chapter on getting your first job had good tips, but a lot of it seemed like common sense if you've done any job hunt in the trades. Still, the chapter on what riggers actually do day-to-day was useful, and the salary info was sobering. A solid starting point, just not the end-all-be-all.
Mark Jones
★★★★★I was a stagehand for a few years and was thinking about making rigging a full-time career. This book confirmed a lot of what I suspected: the physical toll is real, but so is the demand for people who are meticulous. Chapter 1's breakdown of the tools and safety protocols was spot on, and I appreciated that it didn't shy away from the long days and the weather. The networking tips in Chapter 5 were worth the price alone. Good, grounded read.