Millwright
UBC Local 1348
Install, maintain, and repair heavy industrial machinery at mining operations, processing plants, and paper mills.
Starting Pay
$19.59/hr
1st year apprentice
Journeyman Pay
$39.18/hr
~$78k/year
Apprenticeship
4 years
earn while you learn
Total Package
$105,000+
wages + benefits
Overview
The Work
Millwrights from UBC Local 1348 install, maintain, and repair heavy industrial machinery across the Iron Range's mining operations, taconite processing plants, and paper mills. Day-to-day work centers on precision alignment of crushers, conveyors, screens, ball mills, and other heavy equipment that keeps these facilities running. You'll use laser alignment tools, precision measuring instruments, and rigging equipment to set machinery to tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch. The Iron Range offers a unique concentration of industrial millwright work — the kind of hands-on, problem-solving experience you can't get on a typical commercial construction site. When a crusher goes down at a taconite plant, you're the one they call.
Day One as an Apprentice
Your first day on the job you'll report to an industrial facility — likely a mine or processing plant — and meet your journeyman partner. Expect to spend the first weeks learning job-site safety, lockout/tagout procedures, and how to use basic measuring and rigging tools. You'll start with physical work — moving equipment, cleaning machine bases, handing tools to journeymen — while learning the machinery and maintenance practices that keep these plants operating.
This trade is
Pay Scale
Pay increases each year of the apprenticeship as a percentage of the journeyman rate. All rates are hourly; estimated annual at 2,000 hrs/year.
| Year | Stage | Hourly | Annual Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Year Apprentice | $19.59/hr | ~$39k |
| 2 | 2nd Year Apprentice | $25.47/hr | ~$51k |
| 3 | 3rd Year Apprentice | $31.34/hr | ~$63k |
| 4 | Journeyman Millwright | $39.18/hr | ~$78k |
Benefits Package
Full health insurance for you and your family, a defined-benefit pension plan, annuity savings account, and paid vacation. Combined with northern Minnesota's low cost of living, the total package provides strong purchasing power.
Apprenticeship Program
4 years
Program Length
720 hrs
Classroom Hours
7,000 hrs
On-the-Job Hours
How to Apply
Apply through the North Country Carpenters training center at northcountrycarpenter.org or visit the union hall in Virginia. You'll need a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license, and a mechanical aptitude. Experience with tools or machinery is helpful but not required.
Application Windows
Applications are accepted periodically. Check northcountrycarpenter.org or call the hall for current openings.
Requirements
General Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
- Valid driver's license
- Mechanical aptitude and basic math skills
- At least 18 years old at time of application
- Reliable transportation for travel between job sites
- Drug-free workplace — pre-employment drug test required
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift and carry up to 75 lbs
- Comfortable working in industrial environments with noise, heat, and dust
- Ability to work in confined spaces and awkward positions around machinery
- Good manual dexterity for precision measurement and alignment work
Tools You'll Need
- Basic hand tools (provided list at orientation): wrenches, sockets, hammers, pry bars
- Precision measuring tools (dial indicators, feeler gauges — acquired over apprenticeship)
- Work boots (steel-toed required)
- Hard hat and safety glasses (often provided by employer)
Physical Demand
4/5
Technical Level
4/5
Union Hall
Market Outlook
High Demand
MN DEED projects 7% millwright growth 2022–2032 with about 50 annual openings in Minnesota, outpacing the flat 0% national BLS projection 2024–2034. Minnesota's manufacturing and industrial base generates stronger local demand than the national average.
Next Steps
Ready to learn more or apply? Here's what to do right now.
Wage source: Journeyman base hourly rate is sourced from the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry Commercial Prevailing Wage Schedule (effective 2025-12-22), which is derived from the prevailing collective bargaining agreement for Iron Range. Total package (with fringe benefits) is higher than the base rate shown. Apprentice progression rates are calculated as standard percentages of journeyman scale and may differ slightly from the actual CBA. This page is not affiliated with UBC Local 1348 or any union. Verify all information — including current pay rates, application windows, and requirements — directly with UBC Local 1348.