Highest-paying trades in Louisiana
Updated September 27, 2026
Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other are the highest-paying skilled trade in Louisiana, with a median of $82,140 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 57 of the 71 trades ranked here pay more than the $45,520 median for all jobs in Louisiana.
All 71 trades by median pay in Louisiana
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other80 jobs · +19% vs U.S. | $82,140$39.49/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay370 jobs · −22% vs U.S. | $80,610$38.76/hr |
| 3 | Avionics technicians200 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $80,250$38.58/hr |
| 4 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers3,060 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $80,210$38.56/hr |
| 5 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians1,150 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $79,780$38.36/hr |
| 6 | Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment40 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $77,270$37.15/hr |
| 7 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers2,520 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $76,410$36.74/hr |
| 8 | Boilermakers1,220 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $73,980$35.57/hr |
| 9 | Reinforcing iron and rebar workers130 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $70,700$33.99/hr |
| 10 | Structural iron and steel workers1,180 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $68,830$33.09/hr |
| 11 | Construction and building inspectors1,440 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $68,260$32.82/hr |
| 12 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door560 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $66,730$32.08/hr |
| 13 | Millwrights1,080 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $66,080$31.77/hr |
| 14 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment950 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $64,500$31.01/hr |
| 15 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters8,360 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $63,680$30.62/hr |
| 16 | Maintenance workers, machinery1,410 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $62,640$30.12/hr |
| 17 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines4,270 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $62,260$29.93/hr |
| 18 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers13,690 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $62,250$29.93/hr |
| 19 | Commercial divers230 jobs · −15% vs U.S. | $62,230$29.92/hr |
| 20 | Electricians10,550 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $61,540$29.59/hr |
| 21 | Pile driver operators180 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $61,150$29.40/hr |
| 22 | Medical equipment repairers300 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $61,110$29.38/hr |
| 23 | Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers270 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $60,420$29.05/hr |
| 24 | Industrial machinery mechanics7,410 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $60,260$28.97/hr |
| 25 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists3,270 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $58,680$28.21/hr |
| 26 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers5,380 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $58,650$28.20/hr |
| 27 | Brickmasons and blockmasons240 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $57,440$27.62/hr |
| 28 | Security and fire alarm systems installers1,170 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $54,730$26.31/hr |
| 29 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers140 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $53,320$25.64/hr |
| 30 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians240 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $53,080$25.52/hr |
| 31 | Fence erectors120 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $51,770$24.89/hr |
| 32 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators7,860 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $51,700$24.86/hr |
| 33 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other7,970 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $50,660$24.36/hr |
| 34 | Sheet metal workers1,080 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $50,320$24.19/hr |
| 35 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers900 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $50,150$24.11/hr |
| 36 | Plasterers and stucco masons40 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $49,950$24.01/hr |
| 37 | Carpenters8,990 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $49,920$24.00/hr |
| 38 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers1,000 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $49,660$23.88/hr |
| 39 | Carpet installers100 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $49,400$23.75/hr |
| 40 | Home appliance repairers310 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $49,240$23.67/hr |
| 41 | Cement masons and concrete finishers910 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $49,180$23.64/hr |
| 42 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners500 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,900$23.51/hr |
| 43 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers960 jobs · −34% vs U.S. | $48,770$23.45/hr |
| 44 | Roofers760 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $48,760$23.44/hr |
| 45 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators350 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $48,450$23.29/hr |
| 46 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians320 jobs · −15% vs U.S. | $48,330$23.24/hr |
| 47 | Insulation workers, mechanical620 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $48,280$23.21/hr |
| 48 | Rail car repairers190 jobs · −29% vs U.S. | $47,970$23.06/hr |
| 49 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers310 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $47,420$22.80/hr |
| 50 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall1,610 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $47,340$22.76/hr |
| 51 | Automotive body and related repairers1,660 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $47,150$22.67/hr |
| 52 | Glaziers610 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $47,150$22.67/hr |
| 53 | Mechanical door repairers210 jobs · −15% vs U.S. | $47,110$22.65/hr |
| 54 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers300 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $46,770$22.49/hr |
| 55 | Locksmiths and safe repairers190 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $46,550$22.38/hr |
| 56 | Painters, construction and maintenance4,090 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $46,410$22.31/hr |
| 57 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics8,620 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $46,400$22.31/hr |
| 58 | Recreational vehicle service technicians360 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $45,390$21.82/hr |
| 59 | Highway maintenance workers1,050 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $44,790$21.53/hr |
| 60 | Tile and stone setters190 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $44,750$21.52/hr |
| 61 | Pipelayers−10% vs U.S. | $44,340$21.32/hr |
| 62 | Rail-Track laying and maintenance equipment operators−37% vs U.S. | $44,150$21.23/hr |
| 63 | Maintenance and repair workers, general21,490 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $43,960$21.13/hr |
| 64 | Riggers1,840 jobs · −30% vs U.S. | $43,660$20.99/hr |
| 65 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics260 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $43,200$20.77/hr |
| 66 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles70 jobs · −25% vs U.S. | $42,260$20.32/hr |
| 67 | Automotive glass installers and repairers370 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $41,620$20.01/hr |
| 68 | Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles−15% vs U.S. | $41,040$19.73/hr |
| 69 | Construction laborers22,100 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $38,230$18.38/hr |
| 70 | Hazardous materials removal workers880 jobs · −23% vs U.S. | $38,000$18.27/hr |
| 71 | Tire repairers and changers1,120 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $33,900$16.30/hr |
Linked trades have full Louisiana pay pages, with pay in each metro area. See also: highest-paying trades in the U.S.
How we ranked them
Ranked by median annual wage in Louisiana, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates, May 2025. “vs U.S.” compares each trade with its own national median. Which occupations count as trades: Construction occupations and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (BLS major groups 47 and 49), plus welders, excluding first-line supervisors, helpers, and mining and oil-and-gas extraction occupations. BLS doesn't publish a Louisiana median for 17 of the 88 trades in the national ranking, usually because too few people do that work there to estimate; they're left out. Wages exclude self-employed workers. Methodology
Questions
- What is the highest-paying trade in Louisiana?
- Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other, with a median of $82,140 a year ($39.49 an hour) in Louisiana, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Louisiana?
- No trade has a median of $100,000 or more in Louisiana; the highest is precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other at $82,140. Top earners in many trades pass $100,000.
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Louisiana?
- 57 of the 71 trades ranked here have a median above $45,520, the median for all occupations in Louisiana.
- Do trades pay more in Louisiana than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 12 of the 71 trades have a higher median in Louisiana than nationally. The biggest gap is telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers: $80,210, 26% above the U.S. median of $63,890.
- Which trade employs the most people in Louisiana?
- Construction laborers, with about 22,100 jobs and a median of $38,230 a year.