How much do millwrights make in Washington in 2026?

The median millwright salary in Washington state is $76,490 per year, which works out to roughly $36.77 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits comfortably above the national median for the trade, reflecting Washington's strong industrial base in aerospace, pulp and paper, food processing, and hydroelectric power — all industries that put millwrights to work year-round.

The spread across the pay scale tells the real story. Millwrights at the 25th percentile earn $67,910 a year, or about $32.65 an hour. Those are typically workers earlier in their careers or in lighter-duty industrial settings. At the 75th percentile, pay jumps to $103,550 annually — around $49.78 an hour. That upper tier reflects workers with deep specialization, multi-craft credentials, or roles in high-demand industrial environments like Boeing's supply chain facilities, pulp mills on the Olympic Peninsula, or the heavy equipment operations tied to Washington's ports and dams.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is over $35,000 a year. That's not a small difference. It means the decisions you make about which employers to target, what skills you build, and how much overtime you're willing to take on have a real dollar impact over the course of a career.

Washington's geography matters here. The Puget Sound region — King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties — concentrates the most industrial activity and tends to pull wages toward the higher end of the range. Facilities that maintain complex automated production equipment, large HVAC systems, or precision alignment work on industrial machinery are concentrated in this corridor. Eastern Washington has a different mix: food processing plants, agricultural equipment operations, and some mining activity. Pay in those settings may land closer to the median or below it, though cost of living is also lower on the east side of the Cascades.

Overtime is a significant income lever for millwrights in Washington. Scheduled shutdowns, annual maintenance outages at paper mills or power-generating facilities, and emergency breakdowns can add substantial hours — sometimes 10 to 20 hours a week during peak maintenance seasons. A millwright at the median rate pulling regular overtime can push total earnings well past $90,000 without any change in base classification.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path. Most millwright apprenticeships run four to five years and combine on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering alignment, rigging, precision measurement, and mechanical power transmission. Completing an apprenticeship doesn't just make you a better millwright — it puts documented credentials in your file that employers use to determine starting pay and classification. Workers who enter industrial facilities as journeyman-certified millwrights consistently start above the 25th percentile.

Washington does not require a state license specifically for millwrights, but many employers require rigging certifications, forklift operator credentials, or manufacturer-specific training for the equipment in their facilities. Adding certifications in laser alignment, vibration analysis, or predictive maintenance can make you a candidate for lead or foreman roles, which typically carry pay in the upper percentile range.

Some millwrights in Washington work under collective bargaining agreements. Those workers should consult their specific labor agreement for the wage scales, fringe benefits, and working condition rules that apply to their situation. The figures on this page are a statewide snapshot and do not reflect any specific agreement.

The BLS data behind these numbers comes from employer payroll surveys, which means it captures base wages and likely includes some overtime in reported annual figures. It does not capture under-the-table pay, most per diem arrangements, or the full value of benefits packages. When comparing offers, factor in health insurance, pension or retirement contributions, and whether travel pay applies — those add-ons can be worth several dollars an hour in effective compensation.

All figures on this page are sourced from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025.