Millwrights: Salary Overview
Millwrights install, dismantle or transport machinery and other heavy equipment in accordance with blueprints and other drawings.
A millwright’s job responsibilities include disassembling and reassembling the equipment, reviewing engineering specifications, supervising other workers, working with a variety of hand tools, visiting construction sites, and more.
Millwrights are paid a fixed salary or an hourly wage.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for millwrights was $57,050 as of May 2019 while the median wage (the “middle value” for the salary distribution) for this profession was $55,560.
The hourly wage for millwrights ranges between less than $16 and more than $39 per hour.
Salaries vary widely depending on the millwright’s level of experience, education, the region, and the industry of employment, among other factors.
The numbers published by BLS show that the lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,030 while the highest 10 percent made more than $81,080.
Millwright Salary by Industry
Most millwrights work in power plants, factories, and some of them also travel to construction sites.
The biggest employers for millwrights were building equipment contractors, an industry that hired 12,360 millwrights in 2019.
The average annual salary for millwrights who worked in this field was $56,890.
Millwrights who were employed in the field of nonresidential building construction earned, on average, $56,360 per year.
The mean annual wage was $53,700 for millwrights employed in the field of employment services and $54,170 for those who worked in the sector of commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance.
The highest average annual salary was reported by millwrights who worked in the field of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution.
This sector hired only 140 millwrights and paid them, on average, with $86,280 a year, a salary considerably higher than the average for this profession.
Approximately 130 millwrights worked in the field of scientific research and were paid, on average, $76,040.
Other fields where millwrights have better chances of being paid an annual salary higher to the average for this profession are the utility system sector, other heavy and civil engineering construction, and aerospace product and parts manufacturers.
The utility system construction sector hired approximately 1,050 millwrights in 2019 who were paid, on average, with $72,990 per year.
The average annual salary was $71,970 a year for millwrights who worked in the field of heavy and civil engineering construction and $70,800 for those who were employed by aerospace products and parts manufacturers.
Completing an accredited millwright certificate program or an apprenticeship program can help you find a better paying job in this field.
Apprenticeship periods typically last approximately four years and are completed in a workplace setting.
The apprenticeships are sponsored by industries and during this period trainees receive a salary.
After finishing your apprenticeship period your salary can increase depending on your skills and the industry of employment.
After gaining a few years of experience in the field, millwrights who have good communication and leadership skills can be promoted to a better-paid supervisory position.
Millwright Commissions and Other Benefits
In order to motivate workers, some employers offer commission, bonuses, and profit-sharing in addition to the salary.
According to payscale.com, millwrights earned approximately $12,800 a year in commissions, $2,027 in bonuses, and $3,070 in profit sharing but these amounts vary depending on the employee’s level of experience, skills, the size of the company and the millwright’s role within the company.
Job Prospects
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028.
This expected growth is explained, in part, by the fact that as manufacturing machinery becomes more sophisticated more machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights will be needed to keep these machines in working order.
* Based on information from the May 2025 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Millwrights. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.