Millwrights
Also called: Maintenance Millwright, Millwright, Millwright Foreman, Millwright InstructorInstall, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 23 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 0.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 44% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,410 | $52,040 to $70,050 | 1,400 |
| Alaska | $76,940 | $62,210 to $85,960 | 300 |
| Arizona | $57,380 | $49,130 to $78,090 | 450 |
| Arkansas | $56,310 | $43,750 to $62,450 | 1,140 |
| California | $77,950 | $61,310 to $109,190 | 2,230 |
| Colorado | $81,440 | $67,340 to $83,600 | 200 |
| Connecticut | $76,810 | $49,960 to $79,000 | 110 |
| Delaware | $58,770 | $50,590 to $77,120 | 90 |
| Florida | $62,000 | $52,220 to $68,270 | 530 |
| Georgia | $62,760 | $56,240 to $74,610 | 1,780 |
| Idaho | $64,710 | $61,320 to $74,570 | 410 |
| Illinois | $66,640 | $49,620 to $85,150 | 2,160 |
| Indiana | $77,140 | $60,510 to $91,410 | 1,760 |
| Iowa | $62,220 | $55,980 to $75,290 | 690 |
| Kansas | $79,690 | $49,970 to $91,380 | 840 |
| Kentucky | $70,610 | $58,390 to $81,170 | 1,220 |
| Louisiana | $66,080 | $58,200 to $76,780 | 1,080 |
| Maine | $68,220 | $61,620 to $77,650 | 350 |
| Maryland | $59,220 | $51,160 to $79,180 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $65,220 | $62,200 to $74,530 | not published |
| Michigan | $89,190 | $74,610 to $92,300 | 2,900 |
| Minnesota | $78,570 | $65,430 to $86,020 | 480 |
| Mississippi | $58,280 | $45,850 to $62,780 | 1,280 |
| Missouri | $66,480 | $53,010 to $91,780 | 830 |
| Montana | $60,050 | $52,120 to $62,120 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $60,320 | $49,530 to $67,330 | 590 |
| Nevada | $63,040 | $60,020 to $74,950 | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $76,190 | $67,840 to $87,420 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $107,540 | $73,840 to $126,320 | 340 |
| New Mexico | $90,230 | $87,360 to $101,650 | 60 |
| New York | $79,560 | $65,380 to $90,830 | 1,000 |
| North Carolina | $62,990 | $56,150 to $72,680 | 700 |
| North Dakota | $60,750 | $59,800 to $68,690 | 170 |
| Ohio | $73,220 | $59,860 to $83,280 | 1,930 |
| Oklahoma | $50,950 | $50,790 to $60,760 | 510 |
| Oregon | $70,700 | $61,350 to $88,660 | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,410 | $58,780 to $78,720 | 1,700 |
| South Carolina | $61,700 | $48,680 to $71,860 | 950 |
| South Dakota | $61,820 | $52,250 to $64,090 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $61,810 | $49,960 to $69,490 | 1,060 |
| Texas | $62,630 | $48,560 to $75,670 | 3,540 |
| Utah | $63,040 | $60,370 to $70,310 | 220 |
| Vermont | $64,180 | $62,800 to $74,900 | 60 |
| Virginia | $51,430 | $45,760 to $62,070 | 690 |
| Washington | $76,490 | $67,910 to $103,550 | 1,020 |
| West Virginia | $67,270 | $58,800 to $68,570 | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $82,630 | $62,610 to $90,730 | 1,220 |
| Wyoming | $62,780 | $51,530 to $84,270 | 130 |
Nationally: $65,700. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 23 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs. | Not published |
| Not much | Insert shims, adjust tension on nuts and bolts, or position parts, using hand tools and measuring instruments, to set specified clearances between moving and stationary parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| Not much | Assemble machines, and bolt, weld, rivet, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks. | Not published |
| Not much | Level bedplate and establish centerline, using straightedge, levels, and transit. | Not published |
| Not much | Bolt parts, such as side and deck plates, jaw plates, and journals, to basic assembly unit. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay out mounting holes, using measuring instruments, and drill holes with power drill. | Not published |
| Not much | Dismantle machines, using hammers, wrenches, crowbars, and other hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Attach moving parts and subassemblies to basic assembly unit, using hand tools and power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Shrink-fit bushings, sleeves, rings, liners, gears, and wheels to specified items, using portable gas heating equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Troubleshoot equipment, electrical components, hydraulics, or other mechanical systems. | 0.04% |
| Not much | Fabricate and dismantle parts, equipment, and machines, using a cutting torch or other cutting equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Dismantle machinery and equipment for shipment to installation site, performing installation and maintenance work as part of team. | Not published |
| Not much | Position steel beams to support bedplates of machines and equipment, using blueprints and schematic drawings to determine work procedures. | Not published |
| Not much | Weld, repair, and fabricate equipment or machinery. | Not published |
| Not much | Connect power unit to machines or steam piping to equipment, and test unit to evaluate its mechanical operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Construct foundation for machines, using hand tools and building materials such as wood, cement, and steel. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate engine lathe to grind, file, and turn machine parts to dimensional specifications. | Not published |
| AI + software | Install robot and modify its program, using teach pendant. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #42 Diagnose system or equipment problems
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Join parts using soldering, welding, or brazing techniques |
Show all 18 activities
| Diagnose system or equipment problems | |||
| Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer46%
- Advice or a recommendation40%
- A document or report2%
- Code fixes or debugging2%
- A chart or visualization2%
How they worked with Claude
17% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for millwrights specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,381 moves out
- 1 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Moderate -3.4% 10%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 5%
- 4 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 5%
- 5 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 5%
Where people moved in from
of 2,601 moves in
- 1 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 9%
- 2 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Moderate -3.4% 8%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 5 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% less than high school
- 45% high school
- 36% postsecondary certificate
- 9% some college
- 5% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 46% high school
- 25% some college
- 17% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 618 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
92.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 3.4% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 74.7% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Automated Equipment Engineer-Tech; MACHINE ERECTOR; MILLWRIGHT). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Millwrights” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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