How much millwrights make

Average pay $69,780 (all experience levels), median $65,700, entry-level / bottom 10% $46,290. Millwrights install, align, dismantle and move heavy industrial machinery such as turbines, conveyors, presses and production lines in factories, power plants and construction sites. Most learn through an apprenticeship of about 4 years that combines paid work with technical instruction.

  • $69,780Average across all experience levels (U.S.)
  • $46,290Entry-level / bottom 10%
  • $65,700Median pay (U.S.)
  • $93,600Top 10% earn over

40,330 jobs nationwide · 691 listed programs · Job outlook: +0.9% projected employment change 2025–35 (all occupations: +3.5%), about 3,200 openings a year

Pay by percentile

What millwrights earn

Millwrights in the United States earned an average of $69,780 a year, with a median of $65,700; the entry-level / bottom 10% figure (10th percentile) was $46,290 and the top 10% earned more than $93,600.

Annual wages for Millwrights (SOC 49-9044), by percentile.

Area10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctMeanEmployed
United States$46,290$56,390$65,700$81,500$93,600$69,78040,330
Hourly median $31.59.

Pay ladder

Millwright pay per hour and per year

Every step of the national pay distribution for millwrights, annual and hourly, from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The top 10% earn more than $93,600, $47,310 above the entry-level / bottom 10% figure of $46,290. BLS does not track years of experience, so these are spreads across all workers, not a guaranteed raise schedule.

Pay levelPer yearPer hourWhat it means
Entry-level / bottom 10% (10th percentile)$46,290$22.25Nine in ten workers earn more than this; the closest federal figure to starting pay.
25th percentile$56,390$27.11A quarter of workers earn less than this.
Median (50th percentile)$65,700$31.59Half earn more, half earn less. The typical worker.
75th percentile$81,500$39.18A quarter of workers earn more than this.
Top 10% (90th percentile)$93,600$45.00One in ten workers earns more than this.
Average (mean) across all experience levels$69,780$33.55Pulled up by high earners, so it sits above the median.
U.S., SOC 49-9044. BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. Hourly figures are BLS hourly estimates, not annual ÷ 2,080.

By state

Millwright pay by state, ranked

Highest state medians: New Jersey ($107,540), New Mexico ($90,230), Michigan ($89,190); lowest: Oklahoma ($50,950). Most concentrated (location quotient): Mississippi (4.23), Alaska (3.60), Arkansas (3.36). Most jobs: Texas (3,540), Michigan (2,900), California (2,230). A location quotient above 1.00 means millwrights make up a larger share of jobs in that state than nationally.

#StateMedianHourly medianAverageEntry-level / bottom 10%Top 10% earn overEmployedJobs per 1,000Location quotientTraining options
1New Jersey$107,540$51.70$101,150$61,830$145,3203400.080.302
2New Mexico$90,230$43.38$92,390$82,000$102,250600.070.278
3Michigan$89,190$42.88$82,820$58,680$97,4602,9000.662.5427
4Wisconsin$82,630$39.73$77,280$57,530$93,2801,2200.411.6035
5Colorado$81,440$39.15$74,690$51,000$94,4202000.070.267
6Kansas$79,690$38.31$73,180$44,880$97,3408400.582.246
7New York$79,560$38.25$78,510$58,750$97,2001,0000.100.405
8Minnesota$78,570$37.77$76,670$58,500$92,6404800.160.638
9California$77,950$37.48$84,220$49,340$127,8902,2300.120.4755
10Indiana$77,140$37.09$75,640$48,600$95,9601,7600.552.124
11Alaska$76,940$36.99$74,840$54,270$92,3503000.933.601
12Connecticut$76,810$36.93$71,160$39,120$95,9701100.060.240
13Washington$76,490$36.77$85,580$61,350$129,3701,0200.291.1124
14New Hampshire$76,190$36.63$77,970$62,320$87,430800.120.462
15Ohio$73,220$35.20$71,780$51,880$91,7601,9300.351.3420
16Oregon$70,700$33.99$74,390$45,470$110,4504600.230.8920
17Kentucky$70,610$33.95$68,730$48,210$86,6401,2200.612.3448
18Maine$68,220$32.80$68,990$51,030$87,1303500.542.080
19West Virginia$67,270$32.34$65,110$49,120$82,9103300.471.801
20Illinois$66,640$32.04$70,530$44,490$105,9402,1600.351.3744
21Missouri$66,480$31.96$71,140$48,880$93,9508300.281.0917
22Louisiana$66,080$31.77$67,450$48,300$82,4501,0800.562.1518
23Massachusetts$65,220$31.36$67,380$57,870$78,610———1
24Idaho$64,710$31.11$66,260$57,000$77,4604100.481.857
25Pennsylvania$64,410$30.96$70,990$48,740$101,7601,7000.281.0814
26Vermont$64,180$30.86$68,700$50,680$79,320600.180.700
27Nevada$63,040$30.31$70,100$58,910$92,4301500.100.374
28Utah$63,040$30.31$64,650$47,430$84,2102200.120.4810
29North Carolina$62,990$30.29$63,590$46,920$76,6907000.140.554
30Wyoming$62,780$30.18$66,070$45,320$84,2701300.471.825
31Georgia$62,760$30.17$63,300$46,450$78,9801,7800.361.4189
32Texas$62,630$30.11$63,840$38,510$92,4903,5400.250.9722
33Iowa$62,220$29.91$64,500$47,050$79,7106900.451.7123
34Florida$62,000$29.81$63,040$45,700$88,8205300.050.217
35South Dakota$61,820$29.72$61,230$50,790$74,6002400.532.051
36Tennessee$61,810$29.72$60,670$45,100$75,8801,0600.321.2549
37South Carolina$61,700$29.66$61,080$40,060$83,2609500.411.5911
38Alabama$61,410$29.52$61,940$45,300$76,0701,4000.662.5633
39North Dakota$60,750$29.21$64,840$50,810$82,5901700.391.502
40Nebraska$60,320$29.00$60,080$47,480$74,5105900.572.227
41Montana$60,050$28.87$59,740$52,120$73,890700.130.523
42Maryland$59,220$28.47$66,090$50,660$81,8901600.060.231
43Delaware$58,770$28.25$67,170$40,280$110,830900.180.691
44Mississippi$58,280$28.02$55,630$41,250$71,5601,2801.104.2312
45Arizona$57,380$27.59$63,360$39,560$108,0504500.140.539
46Arkansas$56,310$27.07$55,730$36,640$76,1401,1400.873.3618
47Virginia$51,430$24.73$56,020$42,730$82,0106900.170.651
48Oklahoma$50,950$24.50$55,960$50,790$72,1505100.301.154
48 states and territories with a BLS estimate, ranked by median annual wage. BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates state file. Training options = school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) plus DOL registered apprenticeship sponsors we matched in that state.

Metro areas

Highest-paying cities (metro areas) for millwrights

BLS publishes millwright pay for 134 metropolitan areas. The highest median is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $113,490; the largest job market is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN with 1,490 jobs.

Top 10 metros by median pay (200+ jobs)

Metro areaMedianHourly medianAverageEmployedJobs per 1,000
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$113,490$54.56$104,0303200.13
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$99,250$47.72$92,4707100.11
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$93,070$44.75$95,2504400.05
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$91,850$44.16$88,4001,4900.78
Kansas City, MO-KS$91,380$43.93$82,6306400.58
Green Bay, WI$84,880$40.81$79,4502001.12
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$84,850$40.79$82,0302100.26
Toledo, OH$83,280$40.04$77,2502800.97
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$82,840$39.83$81,2402900.54
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$82,470$39.65$89,8002800.13

Top 10 metros by number of jobs

Metro areaMedianHourly medianAverageEmployedJobs per 1,000
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$74,730$35.93$76,5301,4900.33
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$91,850$44.16$88,4001,4900.78
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$67,750$32.57$72,1408200.25
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$99,250$47.72$92,4707100.11
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$65,500$31.49$66,0806400.16
Kansas City, MO-KS$91,380$43.93$82,6306400.58
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$64,160$30.85$64,6205100.18
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$77,120$37.08$85,0705100.18
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$76,300$36.68$72,3504900.71
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$93,070$44.75$95,2504400.05

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates metropolitan-area file. Metro areas include their suburbs.

Who hires

Who hires millwrights: pay by employer type

Construction companies employ 17,640 millwrights (44% of the national total), at a median of $64,530 a year. The largest employer type is Building Equipment Contractors (9,930 jobs, 25%), most of them in other building equipment contractors (8,280). The highest-paying employer type with at least 1,000 millwrights is Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, at a median of $91,710. Local government pays a median of $77,910 versus $65,570 in private industry. BLS publishes pay by industry, not by company, so the rows below are employer types.

Largest employer types for millwrights

Employer typeJobsShare of all millwrightsMedianHourly medianAverageEntry-level / bottom 10%Top 10% earn over
Building Equipment Contractors (NAICS 2382)9,93024.6%$65,220$31.36$70,660$46,180$101,700
Nonresidential Building Construction (NAICS 2362)5,11012.7%$61,820$29.72$63,630$44,920$83,250
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (NAICS 8113)3,1407.8%$62,640$30.12$71,060$46,840$111,540
Sawmills and Wood Preservation (NAICS 3211)2,7206.7%$62,760$30.17$64,990$46,450$79,980
Employment Services (NAICS 5613)1,6104.0%$53,000$25.48$59,590$39,120$79,810
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (NAICS 3361)1,5503.8%$91,710$44.09$87,730$77,980$92,490
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (NAICS 3363)1,3403.3%$91,410$43.95$86,990$76,930$92,770
Other Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 2389)9902.5%$72,650$34.93$71,930$52,000$90,800

Millwright jobs at construction, infrastructure and utility employers

Employer typeJobsShare of all millwrightsMedianHourly medianAverageEntry-level / bottom 10%Top 10% earn over
Utility System Construction (NAICS 2371)7801.9%$72,500$34.85$77,600$49,510$114,640
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (NAICS 2373)1100.3%$77,320$37.17$78,970$61,810$99,340
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (NAICS 2379)1200.3%$71,910$34.57$71,940$57,780$83,260
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (NAICS 237)1,0102.5%$73,150$35.17$77,070$50,280$107,020
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (NAICS 2211)1900.5%$109,320$52.56$106,050$82,630$116,520
Natural Gas Distribution (NAICS 2212)300.1%$89,810$43.18$88,230$82,250$92,350
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 3241)1100.3%$70,730$34.00$73,820$64,830$81,080

Private industry vs government

Employer typeJobsShare of all millwrightsMedianHourly medianAverageEntry-level / bottom 10%Top 10% earn over
Private industry39,98099.1%$65,570$31.52$69,690$46,260$93,440
Local government3300.8%$77,910$37.46$81,010$61,260$108,050

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-specific estimates (national industry and ownership files). Share = jobs in that employer type ÷ all 40,330 millwrights in the national estimate. Industry estimates do not include the self-employed. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure.

How to become one

How to become a millwright

“Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights typically need a high school diploma. Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers also usually need a year or more of training after high school.”

  1. Education. “Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights generally need at least a high school diploma or equivalent.”
  2. Training. “Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers typically receive more than a year of on-the-job training.”

Quoted from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights: How to Become One (last modified 2026-08-27).

Training facts

Typical entry-level educationHigh school diploma or equivalent
Typical on-the-job trainingApprenticeship
Work experience in a related occupationNone
O*NET job zoneJob Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Registered apprenticeship sponsors we matched29 (DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file)
School programs we matched662 (NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions)

Education and training categories: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.

Training & tuition

What training costs

Tuition comes only from published College Scorecard figures. Apprenticeship sponsors do not publish tuition in federal files, so they show “Contact program.”

Program groupLowestMiddleHighestWhat the figure is
Schools with published tuition (659)$852$4,836$58,300College Scorecard annual tuition & fees (in-state low end; out-of-state high end where they differ)
Registered apprenticeship sponsors (29)Contact programNot published in the DOL file. Registered apprenticeships are usually paid jobs with related classroom instruction.
Ranges are computed only from rows with a sourced figure. We never estimate tuition.

Occupation profile

O*NET-SOC code49-9044.00
O*NET titleMillwrights
BLS SOC49-9044
Job zoneJob Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Sample job titlesMaintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Millwright, Millwright, Millwright Business Representative (Millwright Business Rep), Millwright Foreman, Millwright General Foreman

Typical tasks (O*NET)

  • Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts.
  • Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs.
  • Insert shims, adjust tension on nuts and bolts, or position parts, using hand tools and measuring instruments, to set specified clearances between moving and stationary parts.
  • Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline.
  • Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment.

Training

Schools and apprenticeships in the U.S.

We matched 691 millwright training options in the U.S.: 662 school programs in the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file (8,061 graduates that year) and 29 registered apprenticeship sponsors in the DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file. Published annual tuition and fees at 659 of the schools range from $852 to $58,300 (College Scorecard). This site covers pay and careers; the school and apprenticeship directory lives on our sister site.

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Job outlook

Millwright job outlook, 2025–35

National employment projections from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Openings include jobs from growth plus workers who retire or change occupations. Across all occupations, employment is projected to change +3.5%.

OccupationJobs 2025Projected 2035ChangeOpenings per yearTypical entry education
Millwrights (49-9044)40,70041,000+0.9%3,200High school diploma or equivalent
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.2. Figures are national; BLS does not publish these projections by state in this table.

FAQ

Millwright pay and training: quick answers

How much do millwrights make?

Millwrights in the United States earned an average of $69,780 a year, with a median of $65,700; the entry-level / bottom 10% figure (10th percentile) was $46,290 and the top 10% earned more than $93,600.

What is entry-level pay for millwrights?

BLS does not publish a starting wage. The closest federal figure is the 10th percentile, which we label entry-level / bottom 10%: $46,290 a year nationally in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median is $65,700.

Which states pay millwrights the most?

By BLS average annual wage, the top states are New Jersey ($101,150), New Mexico ($92,390), Washington ($85,580), in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.

How many millwright training programs are listed?

We list 691 in 46 states: 662 school programs from the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file (8,061 graduates that year) and 29 registered apprenticeship sponsors from the DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file. Listings are matched from public files and are not endorsements.

How much does millwright training cost?

For the 659 listed schools with published College Scorecard tuition and fees, the annual figure ranges from $852 to $58,300 (middle $4,836). Registered apprenticeships are usually paid jobs, and the DOL file does not list tuition.

Is millwright a growing field?

BLS projects employment of millwrights to change +0.9% from 2025 to 2035, versus +3.5% for all occupations, with about 3,200 openings a year from growth and replacement. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.

How much do millwrights make an hour?

The national median is $31.59 an hour; the bottom 10% earn under $22.25 and the top 10% over $45.00 (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates). The average across all experience levels is $33.55.

Who hires millwrights?

By BLS industry estimates, the largest employer types are Building Equipment Contractors (9,930 jobs, median $65,220); Nonresidential Building Construction (5,110 jobs, median $61,820); Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (3,140 jobs, median $62,640). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-specific estimates.

How much do millwrights make at construction companies?

Construction-industry employers pay millwrights a median of $64,530 and an average of $68,880, across 17,640 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-specific estimates). The all-industry median is $65,700.

Where are millwrights most in demand?

By location quotient (share of local jobs versus the national share), Mississippi (4.23), Alaska (3.60), Arkansas (3.36) have the highest concentration of millwrights (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates).

How do you become a millwright?

Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights typically need a high school diploma. Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers also usually need a year or more of training after high school. (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified 2026-08-27.)

Sources

Figures as of BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (released 2026-05-15) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (released 2026-08-27).

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-04.
  • Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 49-9044.00 Millwrights, retrieved 2026-11-04 (CC BY 4.0).
  • Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
  • Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
  • Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
  • Pay by employer type: BLS OEWS May 2025 industry-specific estimates, released 2026-05-15 (national industry-specific and ownership files).
  • Projections & training categories: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, released 2026-08-27 (Table 1.2).
  • How to become one: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights, last modified 2026-08-27, accessed 2026-11-04.

Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades Data Team; last refreshed 2026-11-04.