Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI
Millwrights
Install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.
Also called: Maintenance Millwright, Millwright, Millwright Foreman, Millwright Instructor, Maintenance Mechanic, Millwright Business Representative (Millwright Business Rep), Millwright General Foreman, Precision Millwright.
O*NET 49-9044.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $65,700
- Middle half earn $56,390 to $81,500. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 45% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.6 / 5
- Active Listening3.1 / 5
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Learning Strategies2.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.8 / 5
- Mathematics4.4 / 5
- Building and Construction4.2 / 5
- Education and Training3.8 / 5
- Engineering and Technology3.5 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.5 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative28
- Artistic10
- Social0
- Enterprising2
- Conventional44
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- pipe welder · DE Rohrleitungsbauer/Rohrleitungsbauerin · FR soudeur de tuyaux/soudeuse de tuyaux
- shipwright · DE Bootsbauer/Bootsbauerin · FR charpentier de marine/charpentière de marine
- structural ironworker · DE Metallbauer – Konstruktionstechnik/Metallbauerin – Konstruktionstechnik · FR charpentier en structures métalliques/charpentière en structures métalliques
- rigger · DE Anschläger/Anschlägerin · FR monteur/monteuse
- boat rigger · DE Takler/Taklerin · FR accastilleur/accastilleuse
- ground rigger · DE Veranstaltungsrigger für Arbeiten am Boden/Veranstaltungsriggerin für Arbeiten am Boden · FR monteur au sol/monteuse au sol
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Welding trades (5213)49,800 employed
- Steel erectors (5311)8,200 employed
- Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.27. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-9044).
Related careers
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