Millwright job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Millwrights

O*NET-SOC 49-9044.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$65,700

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Millwrights (O*NET-SOC 49-9044.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Millwright” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: its O*NET occupation title, O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the U.S. Employment and Training Administration and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs. importance 4.7 of 5
3. 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. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Assemble machines, and bolt, weld, rivet, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks. importance 4.4 of 5
9. Level bedplate and establish centerline, using straightedge, levels, and transit. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Dismantle machines, using hammers, wrenches, crowbars, and other hand tools. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Bolt parts, such as side and deck plates, jaw plates, and journals, to basic assembly unit. importance 4.1 of 5
12. Lay out mounting holes, using measuring instruments, and drill holes with power drill. importance 4.1 of 5
13. Attach moving parts and subassemblies to basic assembly unit, using hand tools and power tools. importance 4.1 of 5
14. Weld, repair, and fabricate equipment or machinery. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Shrink-fit bushings, sleeves, rings, liners, gears, and wheels to specified items, using portable gas heating equipment. importance 4.0 of 5
16. Troubleshoot equipment, electrical components, hydraulics, or other mechanical systems. importance 4.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information and Performing General Physical Activities.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Install robot and modify its program, using teach pendant.

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Mathematics, Building and Construction, Education and Training and Engineering and Technology.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Autodesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists apprenticeship as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent (45%).

Job title: Millwright
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Millwright to install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts.
- Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs.
- 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.
- Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline.
- Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment.
- Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
- Assemble machines, and bolt, weld, rivet, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools.
- Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in installation, equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
- Working knowledge of Mechanical and Mathematics
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Autodesk AutoCAD or Dassault Systemes SolidWorks]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Millwrights, the median annual wage was $65,700 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $31.59. BLS estimates about 40,330 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Millwrights to grow 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real millwright posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only millwright work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (installation and equipment maintenance): a real situation, what you did and what changed.