Millwright Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of millwrights from 2025 to 2035 (+0.9%, about 400 more jobs), with about 3,200 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $65,700 a year ranks 352nd of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.9%
- Openings a year
- 3,200
- Median pay
- $65,700
- Pay rank
- 352nd of 825
Is employment of millwrights growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.9% employment change for millwrights from 2025 to 2035 (about 400 more jobs), slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +5.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 51 installation, maintenance, and repair occupations with a projection. That change ranks 557th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 40,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 41,000 |
| Projected change | +0.9% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 3,200 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 40,700 jobs here differ from the 40,330 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 3,200 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 464th most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 40 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for millwrights rank?
The median of $65,700 a year ranks 352nd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: apprenticeship.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | +4.2% | 148,700 | $49,590 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | +17.8% | 44,400 | $64,520 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | +6.7% | 15,000 | $65,510 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | +5.3% | 13,600 | $39,630 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | +4.4% | 1,400 | $56,210 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | -1.9% | 4,400 | $60,850 |
| Riggers | +3.9% | 1,700 | $62,640 |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | +5.4% | 500 | $84,890 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.