Millwrights Salary
The median pay for a millwrights in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $84,850/year ($40.79/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $87,528 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,338/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $85K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Milwaukee-Waukesha sits well above the national pay line for millwrights, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $66K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,338/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Milwaukee-Waukesha offers a genuinely strong financial position for millwrightss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for millwrights in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | $85K | $91K |
| Appleton | $85K | $92K |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $76K | $81K |
| Wausau | $83K | $90K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level millwrights (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $36K 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 with published data
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a millwright afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for millwrights in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new millwrights typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,656/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $85K here vs. $66K nationally.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for millwrights?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do millwrights make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $84,850 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,930, and experienced millwrights can clear $96,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,386/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 24.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a millwrights salary go in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $87,528 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.