Millwright career
BLS occupation: Millwrights (49-9044). Updated September 27, 2026.
Pay
Millwrights in the U.S. earn a median of $65,700 a year, or $31.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data.
What millwrights do
- 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.
- Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
- Assemble machines, and bolt, weld, rivet, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools.
- Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks.
The most important tasks, as rated by workers in the occupation. 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.
Job outlook
BLS projects millwright jobs will grow 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% for all U.S. jobs, with about 3,200 openings a year as people join, retire, and change careers.
- Jobs in 2025
- 40,700
- Projected for 2035
- 41,000
- Openings a year
- 3,200
- Self-employed
- not published
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035. Job counts include self-employed workers.
Training
- Typical education to start
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience in a related job
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Source: BLS Employment Projections. Licensing rules vary by state; confirm with your state's licensing board.
Pay in your state
- New Jersey$107,540
- New Mexico$90,230
- Michigan$89,190
- Wisconsin$82,630
- Colorado$81,440
- Kansas$79,690
- New York$79,560
- Minnesota$78,570
- California$77,950
- Indiana$77,140
See all 50 states and DC
- Alaska$76,940
- Connecticut$76,810
- Washington$76,490
- New Hampshire$76,190
- Ohio$73,220
- Oregon$70,700
- Kentucky$70,610
- Maine$68,220
- West Virginia$67,270
- Illinois$66,640
- Missouri$66,480
- Louisiana$66,080
- Massachusetts$65,220
- Idaho$64,710
- Pennsylvania$64,410
- Vermont$64,180
- Nevada$63,040
- Utah$63,040
- North Carolina$62,990
- Wyoming$62,780
- Georgia$62,760
- Texas$62,630
- Iowa$62,220
- Florida$62,000
- South Dakota$61,820
- Tennessee$61,810
- South Carolina$61,700
- Alabama$61,410
- North Dakota$60,750
- Nebraska$60,320
- Montana$60,050
- Maryland$59,220
- Delaware$58,770
- Mississippi$58,280
- Arizona$57,380
- Arkansas$56,310
- Virginia$51,430
- Oklahoma$50,950
Top-paying metro areas
Other trades
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Excludes self-employed millwrights.