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Manufacturing
Ford, Caterpillar, GE Aerospace
Millwrights
Millwrights install, align, repair, and maintain heavy machinery in factories, power plants, and other industrial sites. The work is unusually precise for a hands-on trade: one bad alignment can cause vibration, breakdowns, or safety problems, but the job also means working with heavy equipment, tight shutdown windows, and a lot of physical labor. The tradeoff is solid pay and steady demand without a degree, but little growth in the number of jobs.
Also known as Industrial MillwrightMaintenance MillwrightPlant MillwrightMillwright MechanicMillwright Technician
Median Salary
$65,170
Mean $68,640
U.S. Workforce
~41K
3.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+0%
41.3K to 41.3K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Millwrights sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~41K workers, with a median annual pay of $65,170 and roughly 3.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 41.3 K in 2024 to 41.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or GED plus apprenticeship, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Apprentice Millwright and can progress toward Maintenance Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Equipment Maintenance, Precision Installation & Alignment, and Troubleshooting, paired with soft skills such as Attention to Detail, Teamwork, and Communication.
Core Responsibilities
- Measure and line up large machines so the parts move smoothly and do not shake or wear out early.
- Install new equipment by bolting it down, welding supports, and building or repairing the base it sits on.
- Take apart worn or damaged machinery, replace broken parts, and put the equipment back together.
- Do routine upkeep like lubricating machines, checking for wear, and fixing small problems before they turn into shutdowns.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Measure and line up large machines so the parts move smoothly and do not shake or wear out early.
02 Install new equipment by bolting it down, welding supports, and building or repairing the base it sits on.
03 Take apart worn or damaged machinery, replace broken parts, and put the equipment back together.
04 Do routine upkeep like lubricating machines, checking for wear, and fixing small problems before they turn into shutdowns.
05 Test equipment after installation or repair to make sure it runs correctly and safely.
06 Work with supervisors and other maintenance staff to find the cause of mechanical problems and decide what needs to be fixed next.
Industries That Hire
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Food and Beverage Processing
Nestlé, Tyson Foods, PepsiCo
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Power and Utilities
Duke Energy, Exelon, Dominion Energy
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Mining and Metals
Rio Tinto, Nucor, Freeport-McMoRan
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Pulp, Paper, and Packaging
International Paper, Georgia-Pacific, WestRock
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is solid for a trade, with a mean annual wage of $68,640 and a median of $65,170.
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You can enter the field with a high school diploma and apprenticeship instead of a four-year degree.
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Annual openings are projected at about 3,600, so replacements and retirements still create jobs.
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The work is hands-on and concrete: you can see a machine go from broken or misaligned to running again.
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Skills such as alignment, troubleshooting, and preventive maintenance transfer across factories, plants, and utilities.
Challenges
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Employment is projected to stay flat at 41.3K from 2024 to 2034, so this is not a fast-growing field.
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The job is physically demanding, with heavy lifting, awkward positions, climbing, and long periods on your feet.
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There are real safety risks around moving parts, hoists, welding, and energized equipment.
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Work often depends on shutdowns, outages, or major repairs, so hours can be intense and schedules uneven.
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Earnings can plateau unless you move into supervision or specialized industrial maintenance, which limits the ceiling for many workers.
Career Progression
Apprentice Millwright
0-2 years
$38K-$50K
Learns the tools, safety rules, measuring methods, and basic repair work while helping experienced millwrights on the job.
Millwright
2-6 years
$58K-$72K
Handles routine installations, alignments, repairs, and preventive maintenance with less direct supervision.
Senior Millwright THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$73K-$90K
Takes on harder breakdowns, precision alignment jobs, and troubleshooting on critical production equipment.
Maintenance Supervisor
10+ years
$91K-$115K
Oversees maintenance crews, schedules shutdown work, and decides which repairs get done first.
Education Paths
High school diploma or GED plus apprenticeship
The most common classroom starting point, held by 45.45% of workers in this role, usually followed by apprenticeship or employer training.
Post-secondary certificate in industrial maintenance or machining
A common route, used by 36.36% of workers, especially through industrial maintenance, machining, or mechatronics programs.
Some college courses in a technical field
A smaller path, chosen by 9.09% of workers, often when someone picks up technical training without finishing a degree.
Apprenticeship or union training program
A practical alternative because BLS lists apprenticeship as the usual on-the-job training, even though it is not shown as a separate education percentage here.
Key Skills
Technical
Equipment Maintenance 75%
Precision Installation & Alignment 75%
Troubleshooting 75%
Critical Thinking 72%
Operations Monitoring 72%
Repairing 72%
Machine Operation & Control 68%
Quality Control Analysis 65%
Soft Skills
Attention to DetailTeamworkCommunicationProblem-SolvingSafety AwarenessPhysical Stamina Job Outlook and Trends
+0%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 41.3K to 41.3 K over the next decade, representing 0% growth. Around 3.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.