A millwright in New Jersey earns a median of $51.70 an hour. A millwright in Oklahoma earns a median of $24.50. That is a gap of $27.20 an hour, or $56,590 a year, for the same federal job classification. The New Jersey figure is 111% higher than the Oklahoma figure.
Those numbers come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 reference period, for Millwrights, SOC 49-9044. It is the newest release available. The national median is $31.59 an hour, or $65,700 a year.
This page carries the BLS median for 48 states. It is not a 50-state table. BLS did not publish a millwright median for Hawaii, Rhode Island or the District of Columbia, and I have not filled those gaps with estimates.
The National Picture: $31.59 an Hour at the Median
BLS counted 40,330 wage and salary millwright jobs nationally in May 2025. This is a small trade. The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes the work this way: millwrights "install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites."
The national wage distribution for SOC 49-9044:
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22.25 | $46,290 |
| 25th | $27.11 | $56,390 |
| 50th (median) | $31.59 | $65,700 |
| 75th | $39.18 | $81,500 |
| 90th | $45.00 | $93,600 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national estimates, SOC 49-9044.
Half of all millwrights earn less than $31.59 an hour and half earn more. A quarter earn less than $27.11. One in ten earns less than $22.25, and one in ten earns $45.00 or more. The 90th percentile is 2.0x the 10th percentile.
The mean wage is $33.55 an hour, or $69,780 a year. That is $1.96 above the median, which means a group of higher earners pulls the average up. The median is the better description of what a typical worker is paid.
Full State Table
The table ranks all 48 states with a published median, highest to lowest. The Employment column is the number of wage and salary millwright jobs BLS estimated in that state. Read it alongside the pay figure.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $51.70 | $107,540 | 340 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $43.38 | $90,230 | 60 |
| 3 | Michigan | $42.88 | $89,190 | 2,900 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $39.73 | $82,630 | 1,220 |
| 5 | Colorado | $39.15 | $81,440 | 200 |
| 6 | Kansas | $38.31 | $79,690 | 840 |
| 7 | New York | $38.25 | $79,560 | 1,000 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $37.77 | $78,570 | 480 |
| 9 | California | $37.48 | $77,950 | 2,230 |
| 10 | Indiana | $37.09 | $77,140 | 1,760 |
| 11 | Alaska | $36.99 | $76,940 | 300 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $36.93 | $76,810 | 110 |
| 13 | Washington | $36.77 | $76,490 | 1,020 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $36.63 | $76,190 | 80 |
| 15 | Ohio | $35.20 | $73,220 | 1,930 |
| 16 | Oregon | $33.99 | $70,700 | 460 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $33.95 | $70,610 | 1,220 |
| 18 | Maine | $32.80 | $68,220 | 350 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $32.34 | $67,270 | 330 |
| 20 | Illinois | $32.04 | $66,640 | 2,160 |
| 21 | Missouri | $31.96 | $66,480 | 830 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $31.77 | $66,080 | 1,080 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $31.36 | $65,220 | n/a |
| 24 | Idaho | $31.11 | $64,710 | 410 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $30.96 | $64,410 | 1,700 |
| 26 | Vermont | $30.86 | $64,180 | 60 |
| 27 | Nevada | $30.31 | $63,040 | 150 |
| 28 | Utah | $30.31 | $63,040 | 220 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $30.29 | $62,990 | 700 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $30.18 | $62,780 | 130 |
| 31 | Georgia | $30.17 | $62,760 | 1,780 |
| 32 | Texas | $30.11 | $62,630 | 3,540 |
| 33 | Iowa | $29.91 | $62,220 | 690 |
| 34 | Florida | $29.81 | $62,000 | 530 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $29.72 | $61,820 | 240 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $29.72 | $61,810 | 1,060 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $29.66 | $61,700 | 950 |
| 38 | Alabama | $29.52 | $61,410 | 1,400 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $29.21 | $60,750 | 170 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $29.00 | $60,320 | 590 |
| 41 | Montana | $28.87 | $60,050 | 70 |
| 42 | Maryland | $28.47 | $59,220 | 160 |
| 43 | Delaware | $28.25 | $58,770 | 90 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $28.02 | $58,280 | 1,280 |
| 45 | Arizona | $27.59 | $57,380 | 450 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $27.07 | $56,310 | 1,140 |
| 47 | Virginia | $24.73 | $51,430 | 690 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $24.50 | $50,950 | 510 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates, SOC 49-9044.
Massachusetts shows "n/a" under Employment because BLS published a median wage for the state but not a job count.
Of the 48 states, 22 sit above the national median of $31.59 and 26 sit below it.
The Highest and Lowest Paying States
The top 10 by median hourly pay are New Jersey ($51.70), New Mexico ($43.38), Michigan ($42.88), Wisconsin ($39.73), Colorado ($39.15), Kansas ($38.31), New York ($38.25), Minnesota ($37.77), California ($37.48) and Indiana ($37.09).
Read the top of that list with care. New Jersey's $51.70 median rests on an estimated 340 jobs. New Mexico's $43.38 rests on 60. Colorado, at $39.15, has 200. Further down, Alaska has 300, Connecticut has 110 and New Hampshire has 80. When a state has that few millwrights, a handful of employers or one large industrial site can set the median, and the figure can move a lot from one survey year to the next. New Jersey also stands $8.32 an hour above the second-ranked state, a gap that deserves the same caution.
The high-paying states with real depth behind the number are Michigan (2,900 jobs at $42.88), California (2,230 jobs at $37.48), Indiana (1,760 jobs at $37.09), Wisconsin (1,220 jobs at $39.73) and New York (1,000 jobs at $38.25).
The bottom 10 are North Dakota ($29.21), Nebraska ($29.00), Montana ($28.87), Maryland ($28.47), Delaware ($28.25), Mississippi ($28.02), Arizona ($27.59), Arkansas ($27.07), Virginia ($24.73) and Oklahoma ($24.50).
Virginia and Oklahoma stand apart from the rest. Arkansas, ranked 46th, is $2.34 an hour above Virginia.
OEWS does not explain why states differ, and I will not put numbers on the causes. The usual explanations are union density in industrial and construction work, the mix of industries that employ millwrights in a state, local cost of living, and how much heavy manufacturing, power generation and utility work is underway.
Where the Millwright Jobs Are
Pay rank and job count are two different lists in this trade.
Texas has the most millwright jobs, 3,540, at a median of $30.11, which is below the national median. Michigan is second with 2,900 jobs at $42.88. California follows with 2,230 jobs at $37.48, then Illinois with 2,160 at $32.04, Ohio with 1,930 at $35.20, Georgia with 1,780 at $30.17, Indiana with 1,760 at $37.09 and Pennsylvania with 1,700 at $30.96.
The top 5 states by employment hold 12,760 of the 40,330 national jobs, or 32%. Seventeen states have 1,000 or more millwright jobs. At the other end, New Mexico, Vermont, Montana, New Hampshire and Delaware each have fewer than 100.
Michigan is the standout. It is the only state that ranks in the top three for both pay and employment, and its median is $12.77 an hour above Texas, the one state with more jobs.
On the outlook, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects millwright employment to change by 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, from 40,700 jobs to 41,000. The Handbook says "Millwrights' employment is affected by the slower growth of the industries in which they are employed." The Handbook's 2025 job count differs from the OEWS count of 40,330 because the two programs measure employment differently.
For pay in neighboring heavy trades, see our tables for ironworker wages by state and heavy equipment operator wages by state. For how trades compare on one project type, see data center construction wages by trade.
How Workers and Contractors Should Use These Numbers
If you are a working millwright, find your state and compare your straight-time hourly rate to the median. Then check the national percentile table. A rate under $27.11 puts you in the bottom quarter of the trade nationally. A rate above $39.18 puts you in the top quarter. Treat that as a starting point, because the state median blends every experience level and every industry.
If you are considering relocating, weigh the Employment column as heavily as the wage column. A high median in a state with 60 or 80 jobs tells you little about your odds of landing one of them.
If you are an apprentice or thinking about the trade, know that these medians describe the whole occupation. The Handbook says "Most millwrights learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship." Ask any program for its written wage progression before you sign.
If you are a contractor, use the state median as a check on your base rates, not as a bid rate. OEWS wages exclude benefits, payroll taxes and overtime premiums, so the cost of a millwright hour to your company is higher than anything in the table. Run your actual base wage through the labor burden calculator to get a loaded cost. On public work, the wage determination for the project governs, not the OEWS median.
What the Data Does Not Show
OEWS is a survey of employers, and it has limits that matter for this trade.
- It covers wage and salary workers only. Self-employed millwrights are not counted.
- The wages are straight-time gross pay. Overtime premiums are excluded. Millwright work on shutdowns and outages often involves long hours, so actual annual earnings can differ from the annual figures here.
- Benefits are excluded. Health coverage, pension contributions and training-fund payments do not appear, and neither does per diem for travel work.
- The figures are medians across all employers, union and non-union together. They are not union scale. A local's negotiated rate may be well above or below its state median.
- The reference period is May 2025. Raises since then are not reflected. The next OEWS release, covering May 2026, is due in spring 2027.
- Three areas have no published median at all: Hawaii, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median millwright wage in the United States?
The BLS OEWS national median for millwrights is $31.59 an hour, or $65,700 a year, as of May 2025. The mean is higher, at $33.55 an hour or $69,780 a year. Both figures are straight-time pay for wage and salary workers and exclude overtime premiums and benefits.
Which state pays millwrights the most?
New Jersey has the highest published median at $51.70 an hour, or $107,540 a year, but that estimate is based on 340 jobs. Among states with at least 1,000 millwright jobs, Michigan is highest at $42.88 an hour, or $89,190 a year, followed by Wisconsin at $39.73.
Which state pays millwrights the least?
Oklahoma has the lowest published median at $24.50 an hour, or $50,950 a year. Virginia is next at $24.73 an hour, or $51,430 a year.
Why are Hawaii, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia missing?
BLS did not publish a median wage for millwrights in those three areas in the May 2025 data. BLS withholds estimates that do not meet its publication standards. This page leaves them out, which is why the table covers 48 states.
Do these figures include overtime and benefits?
No. OEWS reports straight-time gross pay. Overtime premiums, employer-paid benefits and per diem are all excluded, and self-employed workers are not surveyed.
Your Action Item for This Week
Find your state in the table and write down three things: the median hourly wage, the job count, and where your own straight-time rate falls against the national 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles.
If you employ millwrights, compare each journey-level worker's base rate to your state median. Where you are below it, price the loaded cost of closing the gap.
If you are looking at work in another state, check its Employment figure before its pay figure, then ask the employer or the local for a current written wage sheet.
Sources & Data Cited
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national and state estimates, Millwrights, SOC 49-9044: www.bls.gov/oes/
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights: www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/industrial-machinery-mechanics-and-maintenance-workers-and-millwrights.htm
