How much do millwrights make in Tennessee in 2026?

The median millwright in Tennessee earns $61,810 a year, which works out to roughly $29.72 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number comes from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, and reflects actual reported wages across the state.

The spread across experience and skill levels is meaningful. The 25th percentile sits at $49,960 a year — about $24.02 an hour. If you're just getting your footing in the trade, or working for a smaller shop with limited complexity in the work, that's the range you're likely starting in. The 75th percentile reaches $69,490 a year, or approximately $33.41 an hour. That top quarter includes millwrights handling precision alignment, complex machinery installation, and industrial maintenance on continuous-process equipment where downtime costs real money.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is nearly $19,530 a year. That's not random — it reflects how much experience, specialization, and employer type matter in this trade. A millwright doing repetitive conveyor work at a distribution center is doing a different job, in practical terms, than one commissioning turbines or servicing multi-axis CNC systems in an automotive or chemical plant.

Tennessee has a significant industrial footprint. The state hosts major auto assembly plants, chemical manufacturing corridors, food processing facilities, and distribution hubs concentrated around Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. Each of those metro areas draws millwrights for different reasons. Nashville and its surrounding counties are seeing ongoing industrial construction that keeps installation crews busy. Chattanooga has deep roots in automotive and heavy manufacturing. Memphis, as a major logistics hub, pulls millwright work in warehousing and material-handling equipment. Knoxville connects to energy sector work. Where you work within the state can move your pay up or down from the statewide median.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Millwright work often follows planned shutdowns, equipment failures, and production schedules that don't care about standard business hours. If your employer pays time-and-a-half at $29.72 base, every overtime hour brings in $44.58. Workers putting in 10 or more overtime hours per week can add $10,000–$20,000 to their annual take-home without any raise in their base rate. The BLS figures reported here are base wage estimates and do not capture overtime, shift differentials, or per diem pay common on travel jobs.

Some millwrights in Tennessee work under collective bargaining agreements. If that applies to you, your actual scale and benefits are set by your local's agreement — check that document directly for the authoritative number.

To move up from the 25th toward the 75th percentile, the clearest paths are specialization and certifications. Laser alignment, vibration analysis, rigging certification, and hydraulics training each add marketable skills that employers pay for. Millwrights who can read and work from machine drawings, troubleshoot PLCs at a basic level, and communicate clearly with engineers tend to get called back first and offered higher-tier rates. Travel work — taking jobs outside your home region for extended shutdowns or new-facility commissions — often pays a premium over local rates and includes per diem that isn't reflected in the BLS wage figures.

Tennessee does not have a state-specific millwright license requirement, but journey-level standing through a formal apprenticeship is recognized by most industrial employers as the baseline credential. A completed apprenticeship signals that you've logged the hours and covered the technical curriculum, and it tends to anchor your starting wage above entry-level rates.