Trades & Construction

How to become a Millwright

Starting from no experience. Here is the whole route — what each step is, roughly how long it takes, and the credential it earns you.

Time to get there

4 years

Typical pay

$52k–$78k

Starting from

No experience

The steps

1. 1

   Enter an apprenticeship

   Union millwright programs are paid and cover precision alignment.

   apply 1–6 months

2. 2

   Work your hours

   Four years of rigging, alignment, bearings and gearboxes.

   4 years

   Course that covers thisIndustrial Maintenance & Reliability: PM, PdM, TPM and RCMUdemy · around $69.99 →
3. 3

   Learn precision alignment

   Laser alignment and vibration analysis are what make you hard to replace.

   Course that covers thisQuality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC)Udemy · around $19.99 →

Course links are Udemy affiliate links — we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Licences and exams named above are issued by state boards and certifying bodies we have no relationship with; we list them because they are what the job actually requires.