How much do welders make an hour in Louisiana?

The median hourly wage is $29.93. The middle half earn between $24.36 and $37.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Louisiana?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.58 an hour ($42,810 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.36.

Where in Louisiana do welders earn the most?

Among Louisiana metro areas, Baton Rouge has the highest median at $78,170 a year, and Monroe the lowest at $51,870.

Do welders in Louisiana earn more than the national average?

The Louisiana median of $62,250 is 16% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Louisiana run 12% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $70,570 would nationally.

Welder salary in Louisiana

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in Louisiana earn a median of $62,250 a year, or $29.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,750. Louisiana ranks 8th of 51 states and DC for welder pay, at 16% more than the U.S. median of $53,750.

Median yearly pay$62,250

Bottom 10% under$42,810Top 10% over$81,750

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $20.58/hr
Jobs in Louisiana: 13,690
After cost of living: $70,570
Median hourly pay: $29.93/hr
vs U.S. median: +16%
Rank among states: 8th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22). Excludes self-employed welders. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to top welder pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$42,810–$50,680$20.58–$24.36/hr
Experienced welder	$62,250$29.93/hr
Top earners	$77,310–$81,750$37.17–$39.30/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Louisiana compares

Welders are more concentrated in Louisiana than nationally: 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.6 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,750, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $42,810: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

See all Louisiana metro areas

Rural Louisiana

Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area$59,510
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area$56,700
Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area$50,440

Other trades in Louisiana

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Louisiana?: Welders in Louisiana earn a median of $62,250 a year, or $29.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,750.
How much do welders make an hour in Louisiana?: The median hourly wage is $29.93. The middle half earn between $24.36 and $37.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Louisiana?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.58 an hour ($42,810 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.36.
Where in Louisiana do welders earn the most?: Among Louisiana metro areas, Baton Rouge has the highest median at $78,170 a year, and Monroe the lowest at $51,870.
Do welders in Louisiana earn more than the national average?: The Louisiana median of $62,250 is 16% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Louisiana run 12% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $70,570 would nationally.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 51-4121 (Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers), area code 22. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed welders and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (88.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures