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Millwright: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$65,700median pay per year, or $31.59 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $46,290lowest 10% earn less
  2. $56,39025th percentile
  3. $65,700median
  4. $81,50075th percentile
  5. $93,600top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Millwrights had a median wage of $65,700 a year in May 2025, compared with $50,980 for all occupations[1][2]. BLS lists a high school diploma for entry, with apprenticeship as the typical training[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+0.9%[5]
Openings per year
3,200[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[3]

How much do millwrights make?

In May 2025 the median wage for millwrights was $65,700 a year, or $31.59 an hour[1]. That means about half of workers made more than this amount and half made less[1]. The average (mean) was $69,780 a year, or $33.55 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[2].

Here are the percentiles:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[4][8] $46,290 $22.25
25th[4][8] $56,390 $27.11
75th[4][8] $81,500 $39.18
90th[4][8] $93,600 $45.00

A percentile is a boundary. The lowest-paid 10% of millwrights earned less than $46,290[4]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

These figures come from OEWS, which covers wage and salary workers. It leaves out the self-employed, and its wages do not count bonuses that are not tied to production or the cost of benefits[10]. About 40,330 people held these wage and salary jobs in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among states with published data, New Jersey had the highest median at $107,540[12]. New Mexico followed at $90,230 and Michigan at $89,190[12]. Oklahoma had the lowest listed median, at $50,950[12].

Texas had the most millwright jobs, at 3,540[13]. Michigan (2,900), California (2,230), Illinois (2,160) and Ohio (1,930) came next[13].

In metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the highest medians were in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($113,490), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($99,250) and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ($93,070)[14]. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn each had 1,490 jobs, the most of any metro area[15]. Their medians were $74,730 and $91,850[15].

Show median pay in 48 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
New Jersey[12]$107,540340
New Mexico$90,23060
Michigan$89,1902,900
Wisconsin$82,6301,220
Colorado$81,440200
Kansas$79,690840
New York$79,5601,000
Minnesota$78,570480
California$77,9502,230
Indiana$77,1401,760
Alaska$76,940300
Connecticut$76,810110
Washington$76,4901,020
New Hampshire$76,19080
Ohio$73,2201,930
Oregon$70,700460
Kentucky$70,6101,220
Maine$68,220350
West Virginia$67,270330
Illinois$66,6402,160
Missouri$66,480830
Louisiana$66,0801,080
Massachusetts$65,220n/a
Idaho$64,710410
Pennsylvania$64,4101,700
Vermont$64,18060
Nevada$63,040150
Utah$63,040220
North Carolina$62,990700
Wyoming$62,780130
Georgia$62,7601,780
Texas$62,6303,540
Iowa$62,220690
Florida$62,000530
South Dakota$61,820240
Tennessee$61,8101,060
South Carolina$61,700950
Alabama$61,4101,400
North Dakota$60,750170
Nebraska$60,320590
Montana$60,05070
Maryland$59,220160
Delaware$58,77090
Mississippi$58,2801,280
Arizona$57,380450
Arkansas$56,3101,140
Virginia$51,430690
Oklahoma$50,950510

How to become a millwright

The training details here come from a BLS profile that covers millwrights together with other related occupations, so it describes a wider group[16]. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education. It lists no related work experience and names apprenticeship as the typical training[3].

At work, apprentices practice setting up, cleaning, lubricating, repairing and starting machinery. In classes they study welding, math, blueprint reading and machinery troubleshooting[20]. Some people in the wider group also finish a 2-year associate's degree in industrial maintenance[22].

In an O*NET survey of 22 millwrights, 45% said a high school diploma or equivalent was required and 36% said a post-secondary certificate[23]. Another 9% named some college courses[23]. That is a small survey, so treat it as a rough picture.

BLS highlights manual dexterity, mechanical skills and troubleshooting skills for the wider group[24][25][26].

What millwrights do

O*NET describes the job as installing, taking apart or moving machinery and heavy equipment, following layout plans, blueprints or other drawings[27]. Typical tasks include:

Workers report job titles such as Maintenance Millwright, Precision Millwright and Millwright Foreman[29].

Where they work

The workplace details below describe the wider group in the BLS profile[16]. Working with industrial machinery can be dangerous, so workers follow safety rules and wear protective gear such as hardhats, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, gloves and earplugs[30]. Most mechanics and maintenance workers in that group are full time during regular business hours. Some are on call or work night and weekend shifts, and overtime is common, especially for mechanics[31]. Manufacturing was the largest employer of the group in 2025, at 51%[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects millwright employment will rise 0.9% between 2025 and 2035, from about 40,700 jobs to 41,000, a gain of 400[5]. BLS projects all occupations together will grow 3.5% over the same period[33]. These counts include self-employed workers, so they differ from the wage-and-salary count above[5][11].

BLS still expects about 3,200 openings a year on average[6]. Openings count new jobs and also spots left by people who retire or move to other occupations[6]. Each year, 3% of millwrights leave the labor force and 4.6% move to a different occupation[34].

Is it a good fit?

The median wage is above the all-occupation median, and the entry bar is a high school diploma followed by an apprenticeship[1][2][3]. That apprenticeship runs 3 or 4 years for most millwrights, and it includes paid on-the-job hours[20]. Employment growth is projected to be slower than average, so openings come mostly from people who leave or switch jobs[5][33][6][34]. The work involves heavy machinery and safety precautions[27][30]. Pay also varies by place, from New Jersey at the top of the state list to Oklahoma at the bottom[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[35].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a millwright make a year?
The median was $65,700 a year in May 2025, and the average was $69,780[1][7]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,290, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $93,600[4].
How much does a millwright make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $31.59 and the average was $33.55[1][7].
How long does it take to become a millwright?
Most millwrights learn the trade through an apprenticeship of 3 or 4 years, according to a BLS profile that covers a wider group of occupations[20][16].
What education do you need to be a millwright?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with apprenticeship as the typical training[3].
Which state pays millwrights the most?
New Jersey had the highest median at $107,540, ahead of New Mexico at $90,230 and Michigan at $89,190[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Millwrights in the US was $65,700 per year and $31.59 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Millwrights: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Apprenticeship. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Millwrights: 10th percentile $46,290, 25th percentile $56,390, 75th percentile $81,500, 90th percentile $93,600. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Millwrights is projected to grow 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 40,700 to 41,000 jobs (a change of +400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,200 openings for Millwrights are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Millwrights was $69,780 per year and $33.55 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Millwrights: 10th percentile $22.25, 25th percentile $27.11, 75th percentile $39.18, 90th percentile $45.00. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 40,330 people were employed as Millwrights in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Millwrights in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Millwrights jobs: Texas 3,540; Michigan 2,900; California 2,230; Illinois 2,160; Ohio 1,930. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Millwrights (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $113,490; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $99,250; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $93,070; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $91,850; Fort Wayne, IN $91,410; Kansas City, MO-KS $91,380; Saginaw, MI $91,010; Green Bay, WI $84,880. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Millwrights jobs: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,490 (median $74,730); Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,490 (median $91,850); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 820 (median $67,750); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 710 (median $99,250); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 640 (median $65,500); Kansas City, MO-KS 640 (median $91,380). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights" covers Millwrights together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET 49-9044.00 survey of workers (22 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 45%, Post-Secondary Certificate 36%, Some College Courses 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET description of Millwrights. O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET task list for Millwrights. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET 49-9044.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Millwright, Millwright, Millwright Business Representative (Millwright Business Rep), Millwright Foreman, Millwright General Foreman, Millwright Instructor, Precision Millwright. O*NET OnLine
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights in 2025: Manufacturing 51%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Millwrights: 3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  35. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.