Skip to main content

Millwright

Skilled Trades

Install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Mechanical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts.
  2. 2Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs.
  3. 3Insert shims, adjust tension on nuts and bolts, or position parts, using hand tools and measuring instruments, to set specified clearances between moving and stationary parts.
  4. 4Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline.
  5. 5Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment.
  6. 6Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
  7. 7Assemble machines, and bolt, weld, rivet, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools.
  8. 8Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks.
  9. 9Level bedplate and establish centerline, using straightedge, levels, and transit.
  10. 10Dismantle machines, using hammers, wrenches, crowbars, and other hand tools.
  11. 11Bolt parts, such as side and deck plates, jaw plates, and journals, to basic assembly unit.
  12. 12Lay out mounting holes, using measuring instruments, and drill holes with power drill.
  13. 13Attach moving parts and subassemblies to basic assembly unit, using hand tools and power tools.
  14. 14Weld, repair, and fabricate equipment or machinery.
  15. 15Shrink-fit bushings, sleeves, rings, liners, gears, and wheels to specified items, using portable gas heating equipment.
  16. 16Troubleshoot equipment, electrical components, hydraulics, or other mechanical systems.
  17. 17Dismantle machinery and equipment for shipment to installation site, performing installation and maintenance work as part of team.
  18. 18Connect power unit to machines or steam piping to equipment, and test unit to evaluate its mechanical operation.
  19. 19Position steel beams to support bedplates of machines and equipment, using blueprints and schematic drawings to determine work procedures.
  20. 20Fabricate and dismantle parts, equipment, and machines, using a cutting torch or other cutting equipment.
  21. 21Install robot and modify its program, using teach pendant.
  22. 22Construct foundation for machines, using hand tools and building materials such as wood, cement, and steel.
  23. 23Operate engine lathe to grind, file, and turn machine parts to dimensional specifications.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Mover
  • Mechanic
  • Millwright
  • Millwrights
  • Gear Repairer
  • Machine Mover
  • Plant Changer
  • Machine Rigger
  • Machine Setter
  • Machine Erector

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mechanical96%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mathematics87%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Building and Construction85%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Education and Training75%
  • Engineering and Technology70%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Public Safety and Security69%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicA little
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Inventory and store parts, tools, and equipment.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Millwrights

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org