Riggers Salary
Riggers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH make a median of $53,110 a year, or about $25.53 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $49,053 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 84.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $53K actually covers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About riggers
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Pay for riggers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 83.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for riggers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for riggers in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $103K | $92K |
| Providence-Warwick | $64K | $63K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $76K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level riggers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Riggers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Riggers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $106K | +69% | 650 |
| Oregon | $94K | +51% | 290 |
| Utah | $94K | +49% | 490 |
| Maryland | $91K | +46% | 230 |
| Minnesota | $87K | +39% | 190 |
| California | $86K | +37% | 2,260 |
| Hawaii | $84K | +35% | 170 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +31% | 200 |
| Illinois | $82K | +31% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +30% | 860 |
| North Dakota | $78K | +24% | 140 |
| Washington | $77K | +23% | 910 |
| Colorado | $74K | +18% | 310 |
| Idaho | $73K | +16% | 60 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +8% | 350 |
| Georgia | $67K | +7% | 700 |
| Maine | $65K | +4% | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +3% | 160 |
| Virginia | $64K | +2% | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | $63K | +1% | 320 |
| Iowa | $62K | -0% | 200 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -2% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -4% | 360 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -5% | 120 |
| Michigan | $58K | -7% | 380 |
| Ohio | $58K | -7% | 290 |
| Alaska | $58K | -7% | 40 |
| Alabama | $58K | -7% | 460 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -10% | 440 |
| Missouri | $54K | -13% | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | -15% | 240 |
| Florida | $52K | -16% | 910 |
| Arizona | $52K | -16% | 250 |
| Texas | $52K | -17% | 3,770 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -19% | 470 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -20% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $50K | -21% | 170 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -23% | 300 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -25% | 310 |
| Indiana | $46K | -26% | 330 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -30% | 1,840 |
| Kansas | $41K | -34% | 40 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -40% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track riggers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a rigger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 83.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for riggers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new riggers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,391/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 123% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rigger a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $53K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for riggers?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do riggers make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $53,110 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,370, and experienced riggers can clear $97,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,505/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 83.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a riggers salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median riggers salary is worth about $49,053 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do riggers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.