Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Millwright Salary in Detroit
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Industrial · COL Index: 89
Millwrights in Detroit, MI earn a median annual wage of $83,860 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $63,700 and the 90th at $90,050. After cost of living, that translates to $94,225 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (71/100).
What Millwrights Take Home in Detroit
The $26,350 spread between entry-level and top-decile millwrights in Detroit is relatively narrow — about 31% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
Detroit's cost-of-living index of 89 sits below the U.S. average, so the $83,860 median wage for millwrights here actually translates upward — to roughly $94,225 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean wages tend to go further here than nominal numbers suggest.
With a Trade Pay Score of 71 (B), millwrights in Detroit land in the strong second tier. Pay, growth, and purchasing power are all solid but one factor — usually wage growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay — keeps the score below the A threshold. For most workers, B-graded combinations are perfectly reasonable career choices.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $63,700 | $71,573 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $81,430 | $91,494 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $83,860 | $94,225 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $89,400 | $100,449 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $90,050 | $101,180 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for millwrights, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Detroit are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Millwright make in Detroit?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median millwright salary in Detroit, MI is $83,860. The 10th percentile is $63,700 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $90,050 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Detroit pay compare for Millwrights?
With a Trade Pay Score of 71/100 and a grade of B, the Detroit-Millwright pairing is a strong combination but with one factor (usually growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay) holding it back from an A grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Millwrights in Detroit?
Millwrights typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($63,700) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Millwright pay in Detroit?
Detroit has a cost-of-living index of 89. The median millwright salary of $83,860 translates to $94,225 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Detroit
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$81,480 median · Grade B
Millwrights in Detroit, MI earn a median annual wage of $83,860 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $63,700 and the 90th at $90,050. After cost of living, that translates to $94,225 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (71/100).
Millwrights in Detroit, MI is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. skilled-trade wage data dataset. The detail above comes directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. trades, cities, and states.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Millwrights in Detroit, MI is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.