Career comparison
Millwright vs. Welder
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Millwrights earn more at the median ($65,700 vs. $53,750), while welders usually get to work faster (3–18 months of training). Millwrights install, align and maintain the heavy machinery in factories, plants and power stations. Welders join and cut metal with MIG, TIG and stick welding for construction and manufacturing.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Millwright | Welder | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $65,700 ($31.59/hr) | $53,750 ($25.84/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $46,290 – $93,600 | $39,240 – $77,530 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +0.9% (little or no change) | +2.4% (slower than average) |
| Openings per year | 3,200 | 40,300 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | 4 years (apprenticeship) | 3–18 months |
| Key credential | Apprenticeship completion | AWS Certified Welder |
| Work setting | Millwrights work in factories, power plants, mines and construction sites. | Welders work in fabrication shops, factories, shipyards, construction sites and refineries, sometimes outdoors or at heights. |
What each job does
Millwright
- Read blueprints and installation drawings
- Rig, move and set heavy machinery
- Level and anchor equipment to foundations
- Align shafts and couplings with precision tools
- Install and repair conveyors, pumps and gearboxes
Welder
- Read blueprints, specifications and weld symbols
- Prepare, clean and fit metal parts
- Set up welding equipment and select processes and settings
- Weld components in flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead positions
- Cut metal with oxy-fuel or plasma torches
How they’re similar
Both careers involve hands-on work, physical work, and indoor work. They sit in different fields, mechanics, maintenance & manufacturing and skilled trades & construction, but share transferable skills such as patience and precision and steady hands and focus.
Which should you choose?
Choose millwright if…
- I like big machines and precise work
- I enjoy measuring and aligning things exactly
- I can handle heavy, physical work
Choose welder if…
- I like making things with my hands
- I have a steady hand and patience for precise work
- Heat, sparks and noise don’t bother me
Still torn? Take the Millwright fit quiz and the Welder fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, millwright or welder?
Millwrights earn more at the median: $65,700 versus $53,750 for welders, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Welders typically train faster (3–18 months) than millwrights (4 years (apprenticeship)).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects welders to grow +2.4% from 2025–35, compared with +0.9% for millwrights.