Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Millwright Salary in Philadelphia
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Industrial · COL Index: 115
Millwrights in Philadelphia, PA earn a median annual wage of $66,340 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $49,130 and the 90th at $107,100. After cost of living, that translates to $57,687 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (59/100).
What Millwrights Take Home in Philadelphia
The $57,970 spread between entry-level and top-decile millwrights in Philadelphia is around 87% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
With Philadelphia's cost-of-living index of 115, a millwright earning $66,340 here translates to about $57,687 in U.S.-average purchasing power. That is a meaningful but manageable adjustment — the metro's higher pay typically clears the cost-of-living gap with room to spare in skilled trades.
With a Trade Pay Score of 59 (C), millwrights in Philadelphia are mid-tier — neither standout strong nor materially weak. The combination earns a reasonable nominal wage but is dragged down by either flatter wage growth, a higher cost of living that erodes purchasing power, or thinner employment depth. Workers should compare the per-trade pages to see if a different metro improves the grade.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $49,130 | $42,722 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $54,960 | $47,791 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $66,340 | $57,687 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $80,210 | $69,748 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $107,100 | $93,130 |
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 Philadelphia are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Millwright make in Philadelphia?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median millwright salary in Philadelphia, PA is $66,340. The 10th percentile is $49,130 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $107,100 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Philadelphia pay compare for Millwrights?
With a Trade Pay Score of 59/100 and a grade of C, the Philadelphia-Millwright pairing is a mid-tier combination that is neither standout strong nor materially weak.
What is the apprenticeship path for Millwrights in Philadelphia?
Millwrights typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($49,130) 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 Philadelphia?
Philadelphia has a cost-of-living index of 115. The median millwright salary of $66,340 translates to $57,687 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more 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.
Millwrights in Philadelphia, PA earn a median annual wage of $66,340 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $49,130 and the 90th at $107,100. After cost of living, that translates to $57,687 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (59/100).
The this entity record above pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. skilled-trade wage data distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
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 this entity 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.