Millwright salary in Tennessee
Median $29.72 an hour for 1,060 millwrights, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Millwright pay in Tennessee: the full range
Tennessee ranks 36th of 48 states for median millwright pay, and 28th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.34). 1,060 millwrights work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.68 – $24.02 | $45,100 – $49,960 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $24.02 – $33.41 | $49,960 – $69,490 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $33.41 – $36.48 | $69,490 – $75,880 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Millwright pay by metro in Tennessee
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport | $23.01 | $32.00 | $37.04 | $35.85 | 50 | 8% above |
| Chattanooga | $22.11 | $30.21 | $33.02 | $35.47 | 160 | 2% above |
| Knoxville | $21.18 | $29.72 | $32.10 | $35.73 | 200 | about the same as |
| Nashville | $23.80 | $29.48 | $30.61 | $36.85 | 260 | 1% below |
| Jackson | $20.56 | $28.69 | $33.56 | $31.78 | 40 | 3% below |
| Memphis | $21.63 | $28.33 | $30.73 | $39.99 | 190 | 5% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Millwright wages in Tennessee over time
Table
| Year | Tennessee $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $15.06 | $29.10 | $18.76 | 2,150 |
| 2000 | $13.76 | $25.73 | $19.33 | 3,180 |
| 2001 | $16.23 | $29.50 | $20.18 | 2,880 |
| 2002 | $16.06 | $28.74 | $20.19 | 2,210 |
| 2003 | $17.02 | $29.78 | $20.38 | 2,130 |
| 2004 | $19.13 | $32.60 | $21.02 | 1,730 |
| 2005 | $18.42 | $30.36 | $21.53 | 1,190 |
| 2006 | $20.45 | $32.66 | $21.94 | 1,510 |
| 2007 | $20.50 | $31.83 | $22.16 | 1,890 |
| 2008 | $21.59 | $32.28 | $22.87 | 2,490 |
| 2009 | $21.68 | $32.53 | $23.14 | 1,930 |
| 2010 | $20.39 | $30.10 | $23.25 | 1,440 |
| 2011 | $18.88 | $27.02 | $23.69 | 1,380 |
| 2012 | $19.27 | $27.02 | $23.80 | 900 |
| 2013 | $20.91 | $28.90 | $24.05 | 930 |
| 2014 | $22.53 | $30.64 | $24.26 | 970 |
| 2015 | $22.82 | $31.00 | $24.71 | 1,060 |
| 2016 | $22.21 | $29.79 | $25.21 | 920 |
| 2017 | $24.07 | $31.61 | $25.95 | 1,090 |
| 2018 | $23.33 | $29.91 | $26.47 | 1,180 |
| 2019 | $25.08 | $31.58 | $26.71 | 1,310 |
| 2020 | $23.97 | $29.82 | $27.53 | 1,180 |
| 2021 | $22.87 | $27.17 | $29.00 | 1,290 |
| 2022 | $23.38 | $25.72 | $29.29 | 1,030 |
| 2023 | $28.30 | $29.90 | $30.28 | 980 |
| 2024 | $29.51 | $30.29 | $31.33 | 1,110 |
| 2025 | $29.72 | $29.72 | $31.59 | 1,060 |
In today's dollars, the median millwright wage in Tennessee changed by -4.1% over the last ten years of data and by -5.9% since 2019.
Are there more millwright jobs in Tennessee?
BLS counted 1,060 millwrights in Tennessee in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 18%. 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 Tennessee
Tennessee's labor market agency projects the number of millwrights in the state to change by +7.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,050 to 1,130, with about 100 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +0.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,060 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Tennessee labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Tennessee?
Keep comparing
Millwright pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Tennessee
More on Tennessee
Questions this page answers
How much do millwrights make in Tennessee?
The median millwright in Tennessee earned $29.72 an hour ($61,810 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $31.59. The middle half earn $24.02–$33.41; the top 10% earn more than $36.48.
Where does Tennessee rank for millwright pay?
Tennessee ranks 36th of 48 states for millwright pay, with a median of $29.72 an hour, and 28th after adjusting for Tennessee's cost of living (BEA price parity 91.9, US = 100).
What is the union millwright rate in Tennessee?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a millwright classification for most Tennessee counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many millwrights work in Tennessee?
BLS counted 1,060 millwrights in Tennessee in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.25; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is millwright work growing in Tennessee?
Tennessee's labor market agency projects +7.8% growth for millwrights between 2024 and 2034, from 1,050 to 1,130 jobs.
How many millwright openings a year are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee projects about 100 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, Tennessee 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: Tennessee labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.