Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Louisiana

Median $18.38 an hour for 22,100 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$18.38/hrMedian hourly wageLouisiana, May data
$38,230/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$14.25 – $28.8910th to 90th percentilehourly range
22,100Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Louisiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, LouisianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrLouisiana: 10th $14.25 · 25th $16.59 · median $18.38 · 75th $22.74 · 90th $28.89Louisiana$18.38$14.25$28.89United States: 10th $16.87 · 25th $18.57 · median $22.66 · 75th $28.72 · 90th $37.54United States$22.66
Hourly wage percentiles for construction laborers: Louisiana vs United States, May 2025.

Louisiana ranks 48th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 44th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $20.84). 22,100 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$14.25 – $16.59$29,650 – $34,510roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$16.59 – $22.74$34,510 – $47,300the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$22.74 – $28.89$47,300 – $60,090the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Louisiana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrLake Charles: $21.75Lake Charles$21.75New Orleans: $18.98New Orleans$18.98Baton Rouge: $18.58Baton Rouge$18.58Lafayette: $18.57Lafayette$18.57Shreveport: $18.50Shreveport$18.50Slidell: $18.41Slidell$18.41Alexandria: $17.76Alexandria$17.76Houma: $17.74Houma$17.74Hammond: $17.71Hammond$17.71Monroe: $17.24Monroe$17.24
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Lake Charles$14.60$21.75$32.132,13018% above
New Orleans$14.78$18.98$29.293,6203% above
Baton Rouge$14.89$18.58$28.456,3001% above
Lafayette$14.02$18.57$29.111,7801% above
Shreveport$14.17$18.50$29.101,1701% above
Slidell$14.50$18.41$29.37860about the same as
Alexandria$13.73$17.76$22.936103% below
Houma$14.03$17.74$24.628803% below
Hammond$14.05$17.71$28.673004% below
Monroe$13.68$17.24$27.378606% below

Construction laborer wages in Louisiana over time

Louisiana, 1999-2025LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$18.38Louisiana
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Louisiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearLouisiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$8.74$16.89$10.8511,300
2000$9.29$17.37$11.1513,830
2001$9.57$17.40$11.5715,640
2002$9.92$17.75$11.9014,480
2003$9.93$17.37$11.8615,060
2004$9.96$16.97$12.1014,430
2005$10.07$16.60$12.2215,360
2006$10.56$16.86$12.6615,800
2007$11.29$17.53$13.1316,770
2008$11.80$17.64$13.7116,120
2009$11.85$17.78$14.0116,020
2010$11.78$17.39$14.0816,020
2011$11.76$16.83$14.3016,700
2012$12.44$17.44$14.4217,840
2013$12.98$17.94$14.6417,320
2014$13.63$18.54$14.9517,540
2015$13.71$18.62$15.3416,950
2016$14.11$18.93$16.0716,270
2017$15.25$20.03$16.6018,350
2018$16.07$20.60$17.2120,710
2019$16.35$20.59$17.7219,580
2020$16.60$20.65$18.2217,020
2021$16.73$19.88$18.1617,090
2022$17.78$19.56$19.5923,320
2023$18.90$19.97$21.7824,760
2024$19.35$19.86$22.4725,350
2025$18.38$18.38$22.6622,100

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Louisiana changed by -1.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Louisiana

On federally funded construction in Louisiana, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $12.31). 64 of the 64 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Acadia County at $12.31). The market median for the state is $18.38.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, LAAcadia: $12.31 (survey)Allen: $12.34 (survey)Ascension: $13.10 (survey)Assumption: $11.56 (survey)Avoyelles: $12.34 (survey)Beauregard: $12.34 (survey)Bienville: $10.74 (survey)Bossier: $11.54 (survey)Caddo: $11.41 (survey)Calcasieu: $10.45 (survey)Caldwell: $10.74 (survey)Cameron: $10.45 (survey)Catahoula: $10.74 (survey)Claiborne: $10.74 (survey)Concordia: $9.89 (survey)De Soto: $9.86 (survey)East Baton Rouge: $12.72 (survey)East Carroll: $10.74 (survey)East Feliciana: $13.10 (survey)Evangeline: $12.34 (survey)Franklin: $10.74 (survey)Grant: $10.77 (survey)Iberia: $12.31 (survey)Iberville: $13.10 (survey)Jackson: $10.74 (survey)Jefferson: $14.68 (survey)Jefferson Davis: $12.34 (survey)Lafayette: $11.26 (survey)Lafourche: $13.28 (survey)LaSalle: $10.74 (survey)Lincoln: $11.50 (survey)Livingston: $13.10 (survey)Madison: $10.74 (survey)Morehouse: $10.74 (survey)Natchitoches: $8.50 (survey)Orleans: $13.09 (survey)Ouachita: $12.37 (survey)Plaquemines: $13.28 (survey)Pointe Coupee: $13.10 (survey)Rapides: $10.77 (survey)Red River: $10.74 (survey)Richland: $10.74 (survey)Sabine: $10.74 (survey)St. Bernard: $19.00 (survey)St. Charles: $13.28 (survey)St. Helena: $13.10 (survey)St. James: $13.28 (survey)St. John the Baptist: $13.28 (survey)St. Landry: $14.11 (survey)St. Martin: $12.31 (survey)St. Mary: $15.00 (survey)St. Tammany: $13.41 (survey)Tangipahoa: $13.28 (survey)Tensas: $10.74 (survey)Terrebonne: $13.28 (survey)Union: $12.16 (survey)Vermilion: $12.31 (survey)Vernon: $11.17 (survey)Washington: $12.34 (survey)Webster: $11.18 (survey)West Baton Rouge: $13.10 (survey)West Carroll: $10.74 (survey)West Feliciana: $13.10 (survey)Winn: $10.74 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$10.74$11.29$12.34$13.10survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for construction laborers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$5$10$15$20$25/hrSt. Bernard (New Orleans): market median $18.98, prevailing (survey) $19.00, gap +$0.02St. Bernard (New Orleans)+$0.02Tangipahoa (Hammond): market median $17.71, prevailing (survey) $13.28, gap −$4.43Tangipahoa (Hammond)−$4.43Lafourche (Houma): market median $17.74, prevailing (survey) $13.28, gap −$4.46Lafourche (Houma)−$4.46Ouachita (Monroe): market median $17.24, prevailing (survey) $12.37, gap −$4.87Ouachita (Monroe)−$4.87St. Tammany (Slidell): market median $18.41, prevailing (survey) $13.41, gap −$5.00St. Tammany (Slidell)−$5.00Ascension (Baton Rouge): market median $18.58, prevailing (survey) $13.10, gap −$5.48Ascension (Baton Rouge)−$5.48Acadia (Lafayette): market median $18.57, prevailing (survey) $12.31, gap −$6.26Acadia (Lafayette)−$6.26Bossier (Shreveport): market median $18.50, prevailing (survey) $11.54, gap −$6.96Bossier (Shreveport)−$6.96Grant (Alexandria): market median $17.76, prevailing (survey) $10.77, gap −$6.99Grant (Alexandria)−$6.99Jefferson Davis (Lake Charles): market median $21.75, prevailing (survey) $12.34, gap −$9.41Jefferson Davis (Lake Charles)−$9.41
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Louisiana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
St. BernardSurvey SULA2012-028 2014-09-22$14.00$5.00$19.00LA20260043
St. MarySurvey SULA2012-007 2014-09-22$15.00$0.00$15.00LA20260022
JeffersonSurvey SULA2012-023 2014-09-22$14.68$0.00$14.68LA20260038
St. LandrySurvey SULA2012-006 2014-09-22$13.42$0.69$14.11LA20260021
St. TammanySurvey SULA2012-029 2014-09-22$13.41$0.00$13.41LA20260044
LafourcheSurvey SULA2012-025 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260040
PlaqueminesSurvey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260052
St. CharlesSurvey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260052
St. JamesSurvey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260052
St. John the BaptistSurvey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260052
TangipahoaSurvey SULA2012-030 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260045
TerrebonneSurvey SULA2012-031 2014-09-22$13.28$0.00$13.28LA20260046
AscensionSurvey SULA2012-034 2014-09-22$13.10$0.00$13.10LA20260049
East FelicianaSurvey SULA2012-035 2014-09-22$13.10$0.00$13.10LA20260050
IbervilleSurvey SULA2012-022 2014-09-22$13.10$0.00$13.10LA20260037

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Louisiana prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

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 construction laborers), 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

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Louisiana

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Louisiana?

The median construction laborer in Louisiana earned $18.38 an hour ($38,230 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $16.59–$22.74; the top 10% earn more than $28.89.

Where does Louisiana rank for construction laborer pay?

Louisiana ranks 48th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $18.38 an hour, and 44th after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Louisiana?

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

How many construction laborers work in Louisiana?

BLS counted 22,100 construction laborers in Louisiana in May 2025, 11.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.62; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 47-2061.
  • 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.