8 of the Best Types of Millwright Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Millwright jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Millwright Jobs

• Journeyman Millwright

  Salary range: $54,500 - $68,000

  Employers typically require candidates to have a high school diploma or G.E.D. certificate, but to stand out as a candidate, you can obtain an associate degree in industrial technology or industrial maintenance. Whether you acquire this degree or not, you must complete an apprenticeship program through an employer, the state labor office, or your local union. These comprehensive programs typically take four or five years to complete, during which you build your mechanical drawing and computer programming skills and improve your knowledge of industrial machinery. Journeyman millwrights often continue employment with the company where they earned their apprenticeship, but your local union can also help you find work if you didn’t take that route as an apprentice. Joining the United Brotherhood of Carpenters trade union can also help you secure continuous employment.

• Millwright Per Diem

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  A millwright works to install, assemble, and disassemble equipment and machinery in an industrial, manufacturing, or construction setting. As a millwright per diem, you perform your duties on a part-time or contract basis. You are paid per diem, which means your contract stipulates a set pay rate for the day. Your responsibilities include the installation and maintenance of machinery for fabrication or other manufacturing processes. You read blueprints and plans to determine the method for repair or assembly of the equipment. You also schedule maintenance and analyze newly assembled or repaired equipment to ensure proper functionality.

• Union Millwright

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  For those who work for unions, some of the specific jobs include researchers, organizers, administrators, lawyers, communications workers, and clerical staff. Your duties include entering workplaces to speak with workers and provide them encouragement and support if they are interested in joining a specific union, or to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, pay, or benefits for union members. There are numerous types of unions, including health care, public sector, construction, writing, and service workers unions, and they represent a variety of professions, such as nurses, journalists, manufacturers, construction workers, municipal workers, and hotel workers, to name only a few.

• Entry Level Millwright

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.

• Independent Contractor Millwright

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  You find Independent Contractors in many different industries, so the path to becoming one varies significantly. In general, you must have several years of experience in the field and have a track record of success in your industry. You also must pursue the kind of work that can be done on a consultant or contract basis. You may possess particular skills or expertise that a company needs temporarily, such as an IT Consultant, or provide a service that is required intermittently, like a Freelance Writer. Many Independent Contractors transition to becoming self-employed to have a more flexible schedule and the ability to choose their clients.

• Temporary Millwright

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  A Temporary job is an employment arrangement in which both parties, the employee and employer, agree in advance that the position will be filled for a set period. Temporary jobs often are based on employers’ seasonal or specific project needs. Occasionally, Temporary employees will be offered ongoing, full-time positions if their performance is excellent and a position is available. However, you should not assume this will be the case.

• Senior Millwright

  Salary range: $50,500 - $66,000

  Senior Millwright is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Senior Millwright jobs pay between $50,500 (25th percentile) and $66,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Senior Millwright job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Millwright Apprentice

  Salary range: $30,000 - $56,000

  To become a millwright apprentice, you need a strong interest in building and repairing mill machinery. Although no formal education is required, many millwrights earn an associate degree as part of their apprenticeship. Additional qualifications include physical stamina, the ability to use hand tools with precision, and excellent mathematical skills. The average millwright apprenticeship involves four years of on-the-job training and is suitable for aspiring candidates who are interested in being paid to learn a skilled trade.