Riggers vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Riggers and Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Riggers | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $62,060 | $61,680 |
| Employment | 24,190 | 32,890 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+3.2%) | Declining (-14.5%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 2,500 | 2,800 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Moderate · 61st pct | Low · 12th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 10th pct · 13% of tasks | 49th pct · 27% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Problem Sensitivity, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Near Vision, Design, English Language, Education and Training, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Visualization, Manual Dexterity, Extent Flexibility, Speech Recognition, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning.
Specific to Riggers
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Depth Perception
- Operation and Control
- Trunk Strength
- Far Vision
- Building and Construction
- Coordination
Specific to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Finger Dexterity
- Quality Control Analysis
- Computers and Electronics
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Equipment Maintenance
- Inductive Reasoning
- Category Flexibility
- Perceptual Speed
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software .
Specific to Riggers
Specific to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Riggers or Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Riggers vs Hoist and Winch Operators
- Riggers vs Crane and Tower Operators
- Riggers vs Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Riggers vs Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Riggers vs Millwrights
- Riggers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Riggers vs Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Riggers vs Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Riggers vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/riggers-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers
Singulariki. (2026). Riggers vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/riggers-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers
@misc{singulariki-riggers-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers,
title = {Riggers vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/riggers-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.