Millwrights Salary
The median pay for a millwrights in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $62,860/year ($30.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $64,426 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 40.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About millwrights
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Millwrights pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $66K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 41.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for millwrights in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $65K | $67K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $66K | $71K |
| Winston-Salem | $66K | $71K |
| Greenville | $58K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level millwrights (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Millwrights pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Millwrights salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $108K | +64% | 340 |
| New Mexico | $90K | +37% | 60 |
| Michigan | $89K | +36% | 2,900 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | +26% | 1,220 |
| Colorado | $81K | +24% | 200 |
| Kansas | $80K | +21% | 840 |
| New York | $80K | +21% | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +20% | 480 |
| California | $78K | +19% | 2,230 |
| Indiana | $77K | +17% | 1,760 |
| Alaska | $77K | +17% | 300 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +17% | 110 |
| Washington | $76K | +16% | 1,020 |
| New Hampshire | $76K | +16% | 80 |
| Ohio | $73K | +11% | 1,930 |
| Oregon | $71K | +8% | 460 |
| Kentucky | $71K | +7% | 1,220 |
| Maine | $68K | +4% | 350 |
| West Virginia | $67K | +2% | 330 |
| Illinois | $67K | +1% | 2,160 |
| Missouri | $66K | +1% | 830 |
| Louisiana | $66K | +1% | 1,080 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | -1% | N/A |
| Idaho | $65K | -2% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -2% | 1,700 |
| Vermont | $64K | -2% | 60 |
| Utah | $63K | -4% | 220 |
| Nevada | $63K | -4% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -4% | 700 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -4% | 130 |
| Georgia | $63K | -4% | 1,780 |
| Texas | $63K | -5% | 3,540 |
| Iowa | $62K | -5% | 690 |
| Florida | $62K | -6% | 530 |
| South Dakota | $62K | -6% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -6% | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -6% | 950 |
| Alabama | $61K | -7% | 1,400 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -8% | 170 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -8% | 590 |
| Montana | $60K | -9% | 70 |
| Maryland | $59K | -10% | 160 |
| Delaware | $59K | -11% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -11% | 1,280 |
| Arizona | $57K | -13% | 450 |
| Arkansas | $56K | -14% | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $51K | -22% | 690 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -22% | 510 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track millwrights salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a millwright afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 41.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for millwrights in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new millwrights typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,828/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is millwright a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $66K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for millwrights?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do millwrights make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $62,860 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,130, and experienced millwrights can clear $80,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,143/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 41.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a millwrights salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median millwrights salary is worth about $64,426 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do millwrights get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.