Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Millwrights

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $65,700 Median per year · $31.59/hr Most earn $46,290–$93,600

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Weld, repair, and fabricate equipment or machinery.
  • Weld, repair, and fabricate equipment or machinery.
  • Level bedplate and establish centerline, using straightedge, levels, and transit.
  • Bolt parts, such as side and deck plates, jaw plates, and journals, to basic assembly unit.
  • Troubleshoot equipment, electrical components, hydraulics, or other mechanical systems.
  • Operate engine lathe to grind, file, and turn machine parts to dimensional specifications.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 3,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Other building equipment contractors21.2%
  • Nonresidential building construction12.7%
  • Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance7.9%
  • Sawmills and wood preservation6.8%
  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing3.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Millwright is a hands-on job you can usually start with a high school diploma, though employers typically look for about 1 to 2 years of related work experience or training first. Many people get there by starting as a machine assembler or helper and learning on the job.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a solid base in math, shop, and physics, which you will use every day reading blueprints and measuring parts.

  2. Engine and Other Machine Assembler

    6 months to 1 year

    Assembling and fitting machine parts teaches you tools, measurements, and how machines fit together, which is the core of millwright work.

  3. Millwright

    1 to 2 years of prior experience, then on-the-job training

    Install, move, and maintain heavy machinery from layout plans and drawings, usually while learning more skills from experienced millwrights on the job.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Millwright

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take charge of a small crew, plan the work, and check that installations meet the drawings, which requires strong communication and problem-solving skills.

  2. Maintenance Supervisor

    5-10 years of experience first

    You oversee a maintenance team and schedules across a plant, so you need broader knowledge of equipment, safety rules, and budgets along with your hands-on skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, drafting, or technical classesHands-on shop and drafting classes teach you tools, safety, and how to read the drawings millwrights use every day.
  • Take math and physicsMeasurement, geometry, and basic physics like levers and forces help you understand how heavy machinery is lifted, aligned, and balanced.
  • Join a Career and Technical Education (CTE) club or programGroups like SkillsUSA let you practice hands-on skills and meet people in the trades.
  • Get a starter job or volunteer in a shop or on a work crewEven a part-time job helping with equipment, maintenance, or construction shows employers you can work safely and reliably.
  • Practice safe tool use at homeHelping with repairs, woodworking, or small engine work builds comfort with tools and a habit of careful, safe work.

In college

  • Take industrial maintenance or mechanical coursesCommunity college courses in industrial maintenance, hydraulics, or mechanical systems give you a strong foundation for millwright work.
  • Enroll in a certificate or apprenticeship programA certificate or apprenticeship in millwrighting or industrial maintenance gives you structured training and makes you a stronger candidate for hire.
  • Seek a summer or part-time job in manufacturing or maintenanceWorking in a plant or on a maintenance crew gives you real experience with machinery, which employers often ask about.
  • Learn welding or rigging basicsWelding and rigging (safely lifting and moving heavy loads) are useful skills that many millwright jobs call for.
  • Earn safety certificationsCertifications such as OSHA 10-Hour General Industry show employers you understand job-site safety, which matters a lot when moving heavy machinery.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a shop, manufacturing plant, or construction company whether they hire helpers or entry-level assemblers, and tell them you want to learn millwright or industrial maintenance work.
  • Get comfortable reading blueprints and layout drawings now, because this is a daily skill in the job and is easier to learn early.
  • Look into apprenticeship programs in millwrighting or industrial maintenance, since many millwrights learn through a paid apprenticeship with a union or employer.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers