🗺️ NEW: Millwright Salary by State — full 50-state pay table
Precision & Strong Wages

Millwright Career Guide
Pay, Path & How to Get Started

$46K
Entry Level
$66K
Median Pay
$94K
Top 10%
National figures · BLS OEWS, May 2025
Overview

What Does a Millwright Do?

Millwrights install, align, and maintain the heavy machinery that runs factories, mills, and power plants. Known for precision — aligning shafts and equipment to thousandths of an inch — they're highly skilled, well-paid, and essential to keeping industrial operations running.

Why People Choose This Trade

  • Precision work with strong union wages
  • High skill means high job security
  • Variety: install, align, repair across industries
  • Combines mechanical, rigging, and welding skills
  • Travel and shutdown premium opportunities

A Typical Day

  • Installing and leveling heavy machinery
  • Precision-aligning shafts with laser tools
  • Rigging and moving large equipment
  • Rebuilding pumps, gearboxes, and conveyors
  • Performing maintenance during plant shutdowns

Quick Stats

DemandHigh
Job Growth (10yr)+6% (BLS)
Training PathApprenticeship (Union)
Time to Qualify4 Years
Student Debt$0 (Union)

Key Certifications

  • Millwright apprenticeship completion
  • Precision / laser alignment
  • Rigging & Signaling
  • Welding & OSHA-10
Career Path

How the Career Progresses

1

Apprentice (Year 1–2)

Union apprenticeship. Learning rigging, alignment, and machinery basics while earning.

2

Apprentice (Year 3–4)

Precision alignment and rebuild work. Wage scale rises with hours.

3

Journeyman Millwright

Full union scale. Strong hourly plus benefits and shutdown premiums.

4

Foreman / Superintendent

Leading crews on installs and industrial maintenance projects.

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See Full Salary Data

Our Salary Compare tool shows Millwright wages at every experience level — and compares them against other trades and a 4-year degree path.

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Ready to Explore Millwright?

Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one. The fastest route is straight to the training centers that run them — the United Brotherhood of Carpenters locals list local programs by state, with contact details and how to apply.

Find a local training center → DOL program directory

The DOL directory lists registered programs to contact — not job openings. Search Millwright and your state, then call and ask when they accept applications. You can also browse trade schools here.