How Do You Become a Millwright?
- BLS lists a high school diploma as typical; industrial maintenance programs include welding, math, hydraulics and pneumatics.
- Median pay: $65,700 a year for millwrights (BLS, May 2025); highest in New Jersey at $107,540.
- Typical entry education, per BLS: high school diploma or equivalent, plus apprenticeship.
- Outlook: +0.9% projected employment change over 2025–35, with about 3,200 openings a year.
What Does a Millwright Do?
Millwrights install, dismantle and move industrial machinery, and BLS notes many are required to weld. They work with equipment such as robotic welding arms, assembly conveyors and hydraulic lifts.
Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble and move machinery in factories, power plants and construction sites. BLS notes many are required to weld. A millwright's work typically includes:
- Reading technical manuals to understand equipment and controls
- Assembling and installing new machinery, a job that can take days or weeks
- Taking machines apart to clear floor space or move them
- Replacing worn or defective parts
- Running tests and first batches to confirm a machine works
- Welding, cutting and fitting as installation and repairs require
BLS says putting a machine together can take a few days or several weeks, and taking one apart is common when a plant needs room for new equipment. The machines range from assembly conveyors and hydraulic lifts to robotic welding arms.
Millwrights share the trade with industrial machinery mechanics, who diagnose and repair factory equipment, and machinery maintenance workers, who handle routine cleaning, lubrication and minor repairs. In 2025 there were about 40,700 millwrights among 547,300 workers in this BLS group.
Machinery maintenance workers follow machine specifications and maintenance schedules and generally leave major repairs to mechanics, BLS explains. Industrial machinery mechanics, sometimes called maintenance machinists, use lathes, grinders and drill presses as well as hand tools, and many are also required to weld. Millwrights are the ones called in when a machine has to be installed, moved or taken apart.
Where Millwrights Work and What the Job Is Like
Manufacturing employed 51% of the broader group in 2025. The work is physical and can be dangerous, so millwrights wear hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, gloves and earplugs.
Most work full time, and on-call, night and weekend work happens when a line goes down or an installation has a deadline.
| Largest employers (BLS OOH) | Share of jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 51% |
| Wholesale trade | 13% |
| Machinery repair and maintenance | 11% |
| Construction | 5% |
How to Become a Millwright: Step by Step
- 1Finish high school and build shop skills
BLS lists a high school diploma as typical; industrial maintenance programs include welding, math, hydraulics and pneumatics.
- 2Enter an apprenticeship
Most millwrights complete a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship with classroom instruction and paid on-the-job training.
- 3Keep welding current
Welding certificates and weld tests make you more versatile on installation and repair jobs.
How to Become a Millwright: Training and Education
Most millwrights learn through a millwright apprenticeship of about four years. BLS says each year includes at least 144 hours of technical instruction, covering welding, math, blueprint reading and machinery troubleshooting, and up to 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. Employers, local unions, contractor associations and state labor departments sponsor programs.
Basic entry requirements are being at least 18, holding a high school diploma or equivalent and being physically able to do the work. Some millwrights complete a two-year associate degree in industrial maintenance instead, which typically includes welding, math, hydraulics and pneumatics.
Welding training before you apply helps: it's part of the job and part of the apprenticeship curriculum.
Welding school is widely available: 892 U.S. colleges and schools conferred 50,572 welding certificates and degrees in 2022–23 (IPEDS). Find welding schools by state and city or compare verified programs.
Licenses and Credentials
BLS lists no general license for millwrights. Weld tests and welding certificates make you more versatile on installation and repair jobs.
Millwright Certification
Millwrights don't need an AWS credential, but welding is part of the trade and the apprenticeship curriculum. If you want to document your welding, the AWS Certified Welder program tests you on a specific procedure at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, with no prerequisite courses, and an AWS Certified Welding Inspector inspects the result.
Structural steel and sheet metal are among the program's test areas, and each certification you add is another process or position you can show an employer.
Skills That Matter in This Job
- Mechanical skill
- Using manuals and diagnostic equipment and reassembling large machines.
- Manual dexterity
- Handling small parts with a steady hand.
- Troubleshooting
- Observing, diagnosing and fixing machine problems.
Where the Career Leads
After an apprenticeship, millwrights are considered fully qualified and work with less supervision. Experience with automation, including robotic welding equipment, broadens the plants and projects you can take on.
Millwright Salary and Job Outlook
Half of millwrights earned more than $65,700 in May 2025, about $31.59 an hour. The middle half earned between $56,390 and $81,500, across 40,330 jobs in the wage survey. BLS projects employment to change +0.9% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected for all occupations, with about 3,200 openings a year as workers retire or change jobs.
| Employment, 2025 | 40,700 |
|---|---|
| Projected employment, 2035 | 41,000 |
| Projected change, 2025–35 | +0.9% (all occupations: +3.5%) |
| Openings per year | 3,200 |
National annual wages for millwrights (SOC 49-9044). Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Millwright Salary by State
New Jersey pays millwrights the most, a median of $107,540, and Oklahoma the least, $50,950. The top 10% earn the most in New Jersey (more than $145,320).
| State | Median pay | Top 10% earn more than | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $107,540 | $145,320 | 340 |
| New Mexico | $90,230 | $102,250 | 60 |
| Michigan | $89,190 | $97,460 | 2,900 |
| Wisconsin | $82,630 | $93,280 | 1,220 |
| Colorado | $81,440 | $94,420 | 200 |
| Kansas | $79,690 | $97,340 | 840 |
| New York | $79,560 | $97,200 | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $78,570 | $92,640 | 480 |
| California | $77,950 | $127,890 | 2,230 |
| Indiana | $77,140 | $95,960 | 1,760 |
| Alaska | $76,940 | $92,350 | 300 |
| Connecticut | $76,810 | $95,970 | 110 |
| Washington | $76,490 | $129,370 | 1,020 |
| New Hampshire | $76,190 | $87,430 | 80 |
| Ohio | $73,220 | $91,760 | 1,930 |
| Oregon | $70,700 | $110,450 | 460 |
| Kentucky | $70,610 | $86,640 | 1,220 |
| Maine | $68,220 | $87,130 | 350 |
| West Virginia | $67,270 | $82,910 | 330 |
| Illinois | $66,640 | $105,940 | 2,160 |
| Missouri | $66,480 | $93,950 | 830 |
| Louisiana | $66,080 | $82,450 | 1,080 |
| Massachusetts | $65,220 | $78,610 | |
| Idaho | $64,710 | $77,460 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,410 | $101,760 | 1,700 |
| Vermont | $64,180 | $79,320 | 60 |
| Nevada | $63,040 | $92,430 | 150 |
| Utah | $63,040 | $84,210 | 220 |
| North Carolina | $62,990 | $76,690 | 700 |
| Wyoming | $62,780 | $84,270 | 130 |
| Georgia | $62,760 | $78,980 | 1,780 |
| Texas | $62,630 | $92,490 | 3,540 |
| Iowa | $62,220 | $79,710 | 690 |
| Florida | $62,000 | $88,820 | 530 |
| South Dakota | $61,820 | $74,600 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $61,810 | $75,880 | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $61,700 | $83,260 | 950 |
| Alabama | $61,410 | $76,070 | 1,400 |
| North Dakota | $60,750 | $82,590 | 170 |
| Nebraska | $60,320 | $74,510 | 590 |
| Montana | $60,050 | $73,890 | 70 |
| Maryland | $59,220 | $81,890 | 160 |
| Delaware | $58,770 | $110,830 | 90 |
| Mississippi | $58,280 | $71,560 | 1,280 |
| Arizona | $57,380 | $108,050 | 450 |
| Arkansas | $56,310 | $76,140 | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $51,430 | $82,010 | 690 |
| Oklahoma | $50,950 | $72,150 | 510 |
Millwrights, SOC 49-9044, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates. States where BLS suppressed the median are omitted; blank cells were suppressed.
Best-Paying Metro Areas: San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont Leads
Among metro areas with at least 100 millwrights jobs, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont (CA) has the highest median pay, $113,490 a year.
| Metro area | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont (CA) | $113,490 | 320 |
| Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim (CA) | $99,250 | 710 |
| New York–Newark–Jersey City (NY–NJ) | $93,070 | 440 |
| Detroit–Warren–Dearborn (MI) | $91,850 | 1,490 |
| Fort Wayne (IN) | $91,410 | 110 |
| Kansas City (MO–KS) | $91,380 | 640 |
| Saginaw (MI) | $91,010 | 100 |
| Green Bay (WI) | $84,880 | 200 |
| Milwaukee–Waukesha (WI) | $84,850 | 210 |
| Appleton (WI) | $84,740 | 100 |
Millwrights, SOC 49-9044. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan area estimates, May 2025.
Is Millwright a Good Career?
What Works in Its Favor
- Median pay of $65,700, above the $53,750 median for welders.
- Paid apprenticeship of about four years, with up to 2,000 hours of on-the-job training a year.
- Welding is part of the job, so welders start with a useful skill.
What to Weigh First
- The apprenticeship takes about four years.
- Working with industrial machinery can be dangerous.
- On-call, night and weekend work is common when lines go down.
Millwright vs. Related Welding Careers
| Career | Median pay | Growth 2025–35 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| MillwrightApprenticeship | $65,700 | +0.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Robotic welding technicianTrain directly | $47,920 | -8.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| IronworkerApprenticeship | $62,780 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| WelderTrain directly | $53,750 | +2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
For comparison, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn a median $53,750.
Millwright FAQ
What Is the Average Millwright Salary?
BLS estimates a median of $65,700 a year (about $31.59 an hour) for millwrights (May 2025), with the lowest-paid 10% under $46,290 and the top 10% above $93,600.
Is Millwright a Growing Career?
BLS projects employment of millwrights to change +0.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, with about 3,200 openings a year from growth and replacement.
Can a Millwright Make $100,000 a Year?
Some do. In New Jersey, the top 10% of millwrights earn more than $145,320 (BLS, May 2025); nationally the 90th percentile is $93,600.
Which State Pays Millwrights the Most?
New Jersey, where the median for millwrights is $107,540 a year, against $50,950 in Oklahoma (BLS, May 2025).
How Many Millwrights Are There?
BLS counts about 40,700 jobs for millwrights in 2025; the largest employer group is manufacturing (51% of jobs, BLS OOH).
Do Millwrights Weld?
Yes. BLS notes many industrial machinery mechanics and millwrights are required to weld, and apprenticeships include welding instruction.
How Long Is a Millwright Apprenticeship?
BLS says about four years (3 to 4 in most programs), with at least 144 hours of technical instruction and up to 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year.
What's the Difference Between a Millwright and an Industrial Machinery Mechanic?
BLS describes industrial machinery mechanics as keeping factory machines running by finding and fixing problems, while millwrights install, dismantle, move and reassemble machinery. Both may weld, and they share an occupation group.
Do Millwrights Need a College Degree?
No. BLS lists a high school diploma as typical, and most millwrights train through an apprenticeship. Some mechanics and millwrights complete a two-year associate degree in industrial maintenance, which usually includes welding, math, hydraulics and pneumatics.
Is Millwright a Good Career for Welders?
Welding is part of the work and part of the apprenticeship, so welders have a head start. BLS projects industrial machinery mechanics, maintenance workers and millwrights combined to grow 14% over 2025–35.
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national and state estimates, SOC 49-9044.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers and millwrights.
- American Welding Society, AWS Certified Welder.
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions, 2022–23, CIP 48.0508.