Skilled Wages

Welder salary in Louisiana

Median $29.93 an hour for 13,690 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.93/hrMedian hourly wageLouisiana, May data
$62,250/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.58 – $39.3010th to 90th percentilehourly range
13,690Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Welder pay in Louisiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, LouisianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrLouisiana: 10th $20.58 · 25th $24.36 · median $29.93 · 75th $37.17 · 90th $39.30Louisiana$29.93$20.58$39.30United States: 10th $18.87 · 25th $22.50 · median $25.84 · 75th $30.29 · 90th $37.28United States$25.84
Hourly wage percentiles for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers: Louisiana vs United States, May 2025.

Louisiana ranks 8th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.93). 13,690 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$20.58 – $24.36$42,810 – $50,680roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.36 – $37.17$50,680 – $77,310the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$37.17 – $39.30$77,310 – $81,750the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Welder pay by metro in Louisiana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrBaton Rouge: $37.58Baton Rouge$37.58Lake Charles: $35.06Lake Charles$35.06Alexandria: $31.00Alexandria$31.00Shreveport: $30.58Shreveport$30.58New Orleans: $30.42New Orleans$30.42Slidell: $29.24Slidell$29.24Hammond: $28.12Hammond$28.12Lafayette: $27.77Lafayette$27.77Houma: $27.40Houma$27.40Monroe: $24.94Monroe$24.94
Median hourly wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Baton Rouge$23.79$37.58$44.363,69026% above
Lake Charles$24.13$35.06$42.3697017% above
Alexandria$19.66$31.00$40.152304% above
Shreveport$20.06$30.58$38.039102% above
New Orleans$21.89$30.42$39.712,0002% above
Slidell$14.88$29.24$36.253302% below
Hammond$18.27$28.12$38.36606% below
Lafayette$18.80$27.77$36.551,8607% below
Houma$19.23$27.40$35.861,3508% below
Monroe$20.31$24.94$33.9742017% below

Welder wages in Louisiana over time

Louisiana, 1999-2025LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.93Louisiana$25.84United States
Median hourly wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, Louisiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearLouisiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.47$27.96$12.5812,720
2000$14.28$26.70$13.1312,300
2001$14.83$26.96$13.7012,330
2002$15.17$27.15$14.0211,600
2003$15.53$27.17$14.2512,120
2004$15.84$27.00$14.7213,640
2005$16.41$27.05$14.9015,380
2006$16.82$26.86$15.1014,950
2007$17.83$27.68$15.5116,590
2008$18.38$27.48$16.1315,540
2009$18.68$28.03$16.7115,700
2010$19.28$28.47$17.0413,600
2011$19.79$28.32$17.2713,190
2012$19.83$27.81$17.4513,730
2013$20.17$27.87$17.6614,770
2014$20.62$28.04$17.9916,610
2015$20.81$28.27$18.3416,690
2016$22.12$29.67$18.9415,540
2017$22.86$30.02$19.3514,210
2018$24.53$31.45$19.8913,310
2019$24.47$30.81$20.4312,820
2020$25.12$31.25$21.2511,840
2021$23.44$27.85$22.6011,360
2022$25.43$27.97$22.8611,330
2023$27.10$28.63$23.5312,360
2024$28.78$29.54$24.5212,360
2025$29.93$29.93$25.8413,690

In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Louisiana changed by +5.9% 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.

Keep comparing

Welder pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Louisiana

Questions this page answers

How much do welders make in Louisiana?

The median welder in Louisiana earned $29.93 an hour ($62,250 a year) in May 2025, 16% above the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $24.36–$37.17; the top 10% earn more than $39.30.

Where does Louisiana rank for welder pay?

Louisiana ranks 8th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $29.93 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).

What is the union welder rate in Louisiana?

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

How many welders work in Louisiana?

BLS counted 13,690 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in Louisiana in May 2025, 7.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.64; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 51-4121.
  • 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.