Stand at the gate of any big Sydney site and you'll hear "rigger" and "dogman" used almost interchangeably. They're not the same job, they're not the same licence, and if you're planning a lifting career the difference matters — because one of them is the legal doorway to the other. Here's the clear breakdown.
Dogging: the foundation
A dogman (DG licence) does two things:
- Slings loads — selects and inspects lifting gear and attaches it to a load, wherever judgement about the slinging method is required
- Directs the crane operator — hand signals, whistle, radio — including when the load is out of the operator's view
That's the scope. If the task is "get this load safely from A to B on a crane hook," the dogman owns the connection and the communication.
Rigging: dogging plus the structural work
A rigger holds dogging competency and is licensed for work beyond it — moving, placing and securing loads as part of building structures and plant. Rigging is licensed in three ascending classes:
- RB — Basic rigging. Structural steel erection, hoists, placement of precast concrete, safety nets and static lines, perimeter safety screens, cantilevered crane loading platforms.
- RI — Intermediate rigging. Everything in RB plus rigging of cranes and conveyors, dual-crane lifts, tilt-up panel work, demolition rigging.
- RA — Advanced rigging. Everything in RI plus gin poles and shear legs, flying foxes and cableways, guyed derricks and structures, suspended scaffolds and fabricated hung scaffolds.
Each class is a prerequisite for the next: DG → RB → RI → RA. You can't skip steps.
The key legal point: dogging comes first
In NSW you must hold a DG licence before you can enrol in basic rigging. This isn't provider policy — it's how the high risk work licensing framework is structured, because rigging work assumes slinging and crane-direction competence as its base layer.
So the "rigging vs dogging — which first?" question answers itself: dogging first, always. The real decision is whether to stop at DG or keep climbing.
Same crew, different pay grades
On a Sydney lift crew the roles overlap day to day — a rigger slings loads and signals cranes constantly. The differences show up in scope and money:
| | Dogman (DG) | Rigger (RB/RI/RA) | |---|---|---| | Sling loads + direct cranes | Yes | Yes | | Erect structural steel | No | Yes (RB+) | | Precast panels, hoists | No | Yes (RB+) | | Dual-crane lifts, crane rigging | No | Yes (RI+) | | Typical Sydney rate | ~$38–$48/hr | ~$45–$60+/hr rising with class | | Prerequisite | none | DG (then each class in order) |
Advanced riggers on major Sydney infrastructure jobs are among the best-paid ticketed workers on site, and RI/RA holders are chronically scarce — which is exactly why the pathway rewards patience.
Which ticket should you get?
- You want on a crane crew fast: DG alone gets you working. Four to five days of training, no prerequisites, immediately employable.
- You want steel, precast or hoist work: DG then RB. This combo is the standard "rigger" package Sydney employers advertise for, and many RTOs run it as a discounted back-to-back program.
- You want a lifting career: DG → RB → RI (→ RA when experience justifies it), often with a crane class (CN or C6) added along the way. Crews led by people holding dogging, rigging and a crane ticket run the biggest lifts in the city.
The smart move is booking with the pathway in mind. Combo packages — dogging plus basic rigging is the classic — typically save hundreds versus booking separately, and sequence the training so the rigging course starts while the dogging content is still fresh. Training Combined at Regents Park in Western Sydney has delivered exactly this DG → rigging → crane pathway for over 25 years (5.0-star Google rating), with combo pricing across dogging, rigging, crane, forklift and EWP tickets. Wherever you train, confirm the RTO is registered, the assessor is SafeWork-accredited, and you're getting real hands-on hours.
FAQ
Can I do a rigging course without a dogging licence? No. A DG high risk work licence is a mandatory prerequisite for basic rigging (RB), and each rigging class is a prerequisite for the next (RB → RI → RA).
Is a rigger paid more than a dogman? Generally yes — rigging classes broaden what you can legally do, and rates rise with each class. Intermediate and advanced riggers on Sydney's major projects command a clear premium over DG-only rates.
How long does it take to go from nothing to basic rigger? Dogging (4–5 days) plus basic rigging (usually 5 days), plus SafeWork NSW licence processing. Done as a combo program, many people go from no ticket to DG + RB inside a month.