Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Apprenticeship
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Millwrights work in a skilled trade that combines mechanical knowledge, precision, and physical stamina. Nationally, there are about 41,000 millwrights, with a median annual salary of $65,170. The role calls for strong mechanical skills, fine motor abilities, and careful attention to detail, supported by mathematics and science knowledge. Problem solving, decision making, and creativity are also important, along with leadership and project management capabilities. Employment growth is projected at 0.0%, yet there are about 4,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing hiring needs even without net growth. Opportunities vary by location, with certain states and metro areas showing higher salaries and opportunity scores than others. People considering millwright work may also look at related paths such as carpenters, service unit operators in oil and gas, explosives workers and blasters, lighting technicians, or electricians. Overall, this trade offers a hands-on, technically oriented career path for individuals who meet the skill and education expectations.
Millwrights earn a national median annual salary of $65,170, providing a solid earning level for this trade. Pay varies by state and metro area. Among the highlighted states, Colorado shows a median of $81,440 and New York $79,560, while Virginia’s median is $51,430. California and Washington fall in between at $77,950 and $76,490, respectively. At the metro level, salaries can be substantially higher. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area has a median of $113,490, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim offers $99,250. New York-Newark-Jersey City reports a median of $93,070, while Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue and Denver-Aurora-Centennial show medians of $82,470 and $83,600. These figures suggest that choosing certain metro areas can significantly influence earning potential. Individuals can compare these medians with their cost of living and personal priorities when targeting specific regions for millwright positions.
National employment for millwrights stands at about 41,000, with projected employment growth at 0.0%. Even with flat projected growth, there are an estimated 4,000 annual openings. This combination indicates that while the total number of positions is not expected to increase, there is regular turnover that creates job opportunities each year. The 0.0% growth projection appears consistently across the listed states and metro areas, so regional differences are more about salary and opportunity scores than growth rates. For someone entering or advancing in this field, the key considerations are likely to be where openings are concentrated and how local pay compares, rather than expecting strong expansion in overall employment. People assessing long-term prospects can use the stable employment projection and steady annual openings to plan their training, job search strategy, and potential moves between related occupations such as carpenters, electricians, or other similar trades.
Location has a noticeable impact on opportunity for millwrights. Among states, California and New York have the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, at 67.38 and 65.78, with median salaries of $77,950 and $79,560. Colorado, Washington, and Virginia also appear as strong options, though Virginia’s median salary of $51,430 is lower than the other listed states. Employment levels vary as well, from 2,230 millwrights in California to 200 in Colorado. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City stands out with an opportunity score of 77.27 and a median salary of $93,070. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont reports the highest listed metro salary at $113,490 and an opportunity score of 68.75. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, and Denver-Aurora-Centennial also combine relatively high salaries with solid opportunity scores. These differences allow job seekers to weigh salary, opportunity score, and employment size when choosing where to focus their search.
The typical education requirement for millwrights is a high school diploma or equivalent. Beyond that foundational level, the role relies heavily on a specific mix of technical and personal skills. Mechanical aptitude is central, supported by mathematics and science to understand and apply technical concepts. Detail orientation and fine motor skills help with precise work, while physical strength and stamina are important for the demands of the trade. Millwrights also benefit from strong problem solving and decision making abilities, as they may need to address issues and choose effective solutions on the job. Leadership and project management skills support work in team settings or when coordinating tasks. Creativity and innovation round out the profile, enabling millwrights to approach challenges in new ways. Together, this education level and skill set describe a career path that is accessible with secondary education but demands robust technical and interpersonal strengths.
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