Skilled Wages

Millwright salary in California

Median $37.48 an hour for 2,230 millwrights, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$37.48/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$77,950/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.72 – $61.4810th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,230Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Millwright pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $23.72 · 25th $29.47 · median $37.48 · 75th $52.49 · 90th $61.48California$37.48$23.72$61.48United States: 10th $22.25 · 25th $27.11 · median $31.59 · 75th $39.18 · 90th $45.00United States$31.59
Hourly wage percentiles for millwrights: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 9th of 48 states for median millwright pay, and 20th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.86). 2,230 millwrights work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.6× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.72 – $29.47$49,340 – $61,310roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$29.47 – $52.49$61,310 – $109,190the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$52.49 – $61.48$109,190 – $127,890the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Millwright pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrSan Francisco: $54.56San Francisco$54.56Los Angeles: $47.72Los Angeles$47.72Bakersfield: $39.57Bakersfield$39.57Sacramento: $38.39Sacramento$38.39Riverside: $33.60Riverside$33.60Santa Rosa: $31.35Santa Rosa$31.35Redding: $28.65Redding$28.65Modesto: $23.95Modesto$23.95
Median hourly wage for millwrights by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
San Francisco$23.72$54.56$47.20$71.8332046% above
Los Angeles$24.22$47.72$42.01$63.1671027% above
Bakersfield$24.94$39.57$39.22$39.571306% above
Sacramento$29.99$38.39$35.98$55.201002% above
Riverside$21.83$33.60$31.58$53.6319010% below
Santa Rosa$30.02$31.35$29.08$37.193016% below
Redding$28.28$28.65$28.45$37.284024% below
Modesto$20.90$23.95$23.01$34.8013036% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Millwright wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$37.48California$31.59United States
Median hourly wage for millwrights, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.10$36.91$18.762,870
2000$19.21$35.91$19.333,230
2001$19.99$36.34$20.182,610
2002$15.68$28.06$20.19—
2003$15.47$27.07$20.38—
2004$19.31$32.91$21.023,340
2005$24.70$40.72$21.533,070
2006$24.11$38.50$21.941,900
2007$24.83$38.55$22.161,960
2008$24.59$36.77$22.871,910
2009$24.46$36.71$23.142,090
2010$25.31$37.37$23.251,950
2011$25.51$36.51$23.691,780
2012$27.02$37.89$23.801,790
2013$26.03$35.97$24.052,130
2014$27.74$37.72$24.262,310
2015$27.43$37.26$24.712,190
2016$28.94$38.82$25.212,340
2017$30.99$40.70$25.952,500
2018$33.80$43.33$26.472,880
2019$31.12$39.19$26.712,710
2020$31.00$38.56$27.532,700
2021$29.07$34.54$29.001,980
2022$29.26$32.19$29.292,010
2023$31.16$32.92$30.281,510
2024$37.89$38.89$31.332,490
2025$37.48$37.48$31.592,230

In today's dollars, the median millwright wage in California changed by +0.6% over the last ten years of data and by -4.4% since 2019.

Are there more millwright jobs in California?

0.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.5× the US share, 38th of 47 states

BLS counted 2,230 millwrights in California in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 16%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for millwrights in California

0.0%Projected growth in California2024–2034, state agency
210Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
2,300Jobs in 20242,300 projected for 2034
+0.9%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

California's labor market agency projects the number of millwrights in the state to change by 0.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,300 to 2,300, with about 210 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +0.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,230 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for millwrights in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay millwrights at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 49 of the 54 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $90.77 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $27.93). 5 of the 54 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $28.34). The market median for the state is $37.48.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $95.60 (union)Alpine: $90.77 (union)Amador: $28.34 (survey)Butte: $90.77 (union)Calaveras: $95.60 (union)Colusa: $90.77 (union)Contra Costa: $95.60 (union)Del Norte: $27.93 (survey)El Dorado: $90.77 (union)Fresno: $95.60 (union)Glenn: $90.77 (union)Humboldt: $27.93 (survey)Imperial: $78.92 (union)Inyo: n/aKern: n/aKings: $95.60 (union)Lake: $27.93 (survey)Lassen: $90.77 (union)Los Angeles: $78.92 (union)Madera: $95.60 (union)Marin: $90.77 (union)Mariposa: $95.60 (union)Mendocino: $27.93 (survey)Merced: $95.60 (union)Modoc: $90.77 (union)Mono: n/aMonterey: $95.60 (union)Napa: $90.77 (union)Nevada: $90.77 (union)Orange: $78.92 (union)Placer: $90.77 (union)Plumas: $90.77 (union)Riverside: $78.92 (union)Sacramento: $90.77 (union)San Benito: $95.60 (union)San Bernardino: $78.92 (union)San Diego: $78.92 (union)San Francisco: $95.60 (union)San Joaquin: $95.60 (union)San Luis Obispo: $78.92 (union)San Mateo: $95.60 (union)Santa Barbara: $78.92 (union)Santa Clara: $95.60 (union)Santa Cruz: $95.60 (union)Shasta: $90.77 (union)Sierra: $90.77 (union)Siskiyou: $90.77 (union)Solano: $90.77 (union)Sonoma: $90.77 (union)Stanislaus: $95.60 (union)Sutter: $90.77 (union)Tehama: $90.77 (union)Trinity: $90.77 (union)Tulare: n/aTuolumne: $95.60 (union)Ventura: $78.92 (union)Yolo: $90.77 (union)Yuba: $90.77 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$78.92$90.77n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for millwrights by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrStanislaus (Modesto): market median $23.95, prevailing (union) $95.60, gap +$71.65Stanislaus (Modesto)+$71.65Shasta (Redding): market median $28.65, prevailing (union) $90.77, gap +$62.12Shasta (Redding)+$62.12Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $31.35, prevailing (union) $90.77, gap +$59.42Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$59.42Fresno (California): market median $37.48, prevailing (union) $95.60, gap +$58.12Fresno (California)+$58.12El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $38.39, prevailing (union) $90.77, gap +$52.38El Dorado (Sacramento)+$52.38Riverside (Riverside): market median $33.60, prevailing (union) $78.92, gap +$45.32Riverside (Riverside)+$45.32Alameda (San Francisco): market median $54.56, prevailing (union) $95.60, gap +$41.04Alameda (San Francisco)+$41.04Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $47.72, prevailing (union) $78.92, gap +$31.20Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$31.20
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for millwrights, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
CalaverasUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
Contra CostaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
FresnoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
KingsUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
MaderaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
MariposaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
MercedUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
MontereyUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
San BenitoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
San FranciscoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
San JoaquinUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
San MateoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
Santa ClaraUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018
Santa CruzUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.49$35.11$95.60CA20260018

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

895.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025896kSep 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Millwright pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

More on California

Questions this page answers

How much do millwrights make in California?

The median millwright in California earned $37.48 an hour ($77,950 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $31.59. The middle half earn $29.47–$52.49; the top 10% earn more than $61.48.

Where does California rank for millwright pay?

California ranks 9th of 48 states for millwright pay, with a median of $37.48 an hour, and 20th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union millwright rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for millwrights in 49 counties, with a typical package of $90.77 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many millwrights work in California?

BLS counted 2,230 millwrights in California in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.47; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is millwright work growing in California?

California's labor market agency projects 0.0% growth for millwrights between 2024 and 2034, from 2,300 to 2,300 jobs.

How many millwright openings a year are there in California?

California projects about 210 openings a year for millwrights over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,200 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 49-9044. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.