Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in Louisiana

Median $35.57 an hour for 1,220 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$35.57/hrMedian hourly wageLouisiana, May data
$73,980/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$30.48 – $37.1610th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,220Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Boilermaker pay in Louisiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, LouisianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$30$40$50$60/hrLouisiana: 10th $30.48 · 25th $31.68 · median $35.57 · 75th $36.04 · 90th $37.16Louisiana$35.57$30.48$37.16United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: Louisiana vs United States, May 2025.

Louisiana ranks 27th of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $40.33). 1,220 boilermakers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$30.48 – $31.68$63,390 – $65,890roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$31.68 – $36.04$65,890 – $74,960the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.04 – $37.16$74,960 – $77,290the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in Louisiana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNew Orleans: $37.16New Orleans$37.16Baton Rouge: $35.93Baton Rouge$35.93Lafayette: $34.00Lafayette$34.00
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
New Orleans$31.70$37.16$37.571204% above
Baton Rouge$30.30$35.93$36.906801% above
Lafayette$31.07$34.00$37.021104% below

Boilermaker wages in Louisiana over time

Louisiana, 1999-2025LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$36.74United States$35.57Louisiana
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, Louisiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearLouisiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.14$33.12$18.09430
2000$15.73$29.41$17.80750
2001$16.80$30.54$19.06760
2002$17.49$31.30$20.171,440
2003$18.97$33.19$20.79890
2004$20.07$34.21$21.68640
2005$19.35$31.90$23.10760
2006$19.60$31.30$22.58740
2007$21.14$32.82$24.38800
2008——$25.13780
2009——$26.97860
2010——$26.27660
2011$25.55$36.57$27.36470
2012$24.42$34.24$27.19430
2013$20.40$28.19$27.74500
2014$25.20$34.27$28.78930
2015$26.28$35.70$28.901,530
2016$28.37$38.06$29.841,670
2017$27.77$36.47$29.931,510
2018$28.59$36.66$29.88840
2019$29.31$36.91$30.341,320
2020$30.74$38.24$31.421,250
2021$29.64$35.22$30.911,280
2022$35.89$39.48$32.172,160
2023$36.72$38.80$34.201,900
2024$36.69$37.66$35.261,620
2025$35.57$35.57$36.741,220

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in Louisiana changed by -0.4% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in Louisiana?

152.6kConstruction jobsLouisiana, 2026-08
+12.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202680k100k120k140k160k180k19901995200020052010201520202025153kAug 2026
Construction employment in Louisiana (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just boilermakers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Orleans Parish1,940$129,981$2,500
Plaquemines Parish1,000$122,438$2,355
Iberville Parish527$82,977$1,596
West Baton Rouge Parish1,740$81,977$1,576
St. Bernard Parish527$81,535$1,568
Richland Parish251$81,506$1,567
East Baton Rouge Parish10,058$80,106$1,540
St. John the Baptist Parish792$77,555$1,491
St. Charles Parish1,574$75,983$1,461
Grant Parish171$75,937$1,460
St. Mary Parish567$73,867$1,421
Ascension Parish4,057$73,040$1,405

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Louisiana

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in Louisiana?

The median boilermaker in Louisiana earned $35.57 an hour ($73,980 a year) in May 2025, 3% below the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $31.68–$36.04; the top 10% earn more than $37.16.

Where does Louisiana rank for boilermaker pay?

Louisiana ranks 27th of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $35.57 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in Louisiana?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a boilermaker classification for most Louisiana counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many boilermakers work in Louisiana?

BLS counted 1,220 boilermakers in Louisiana in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 9.60; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 47-2011.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.