Louisiana
Welder pay in Louisiana
What welders earn in Louisiana: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 10 metro areas, plus job counts and 32 listed training programs.
- $63,750Average pay (state)
- $42,810Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $62,250Median pay (state)
- $81,750Top 10% earn over
13,690 jobs in Louisiana · 32 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in Louisiana
Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $42,810 | $50,680 | $62,250 | $77,310 | $81,750 | $63,750 | 13,690 |
| United States | $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 | $56,760 | 416,210 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $49,480 | $61,170 | $78,170 | $79,880 | $92,270 | $72,430 | 3,690 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $50,190 | $59,540 | $72,920 | $76,680 | $88,110 | $68,670 | 970 |
| Alexandria, LA | $40,900 | $53,690 | $64,490 | $69,910 | $83,510 | $62,310 | 230 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $41,720 | $50,590 | $63,610 | $75,750 | $79,090 | $62,780 | 910 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $45,520 | $55,470 | $63,270 | $78,340 | $82,600 | $65,370 | 2,000 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $30,960 | $46,390 | $60,810 | $63,280 | $75,390 | $56,410 | 330 |
| Hammond, LA | $38,000 | $49,310 | $58,490 | $68,470 | $79,790 | $58,750 | 60 |
| Lafayette, LA | $39,110 | $49,890 | $57,750 | $64,630 | $76,030 | $57,600 | 1,860 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $40,000 | $49,680 | $56,990 | $61,290 | $74,580 | $56,400 | 1,350 |
| Monroe, LA | $42,250 | $47,340 | $51,870 | $60,740 | $70,660 | $54,450 | 420 |
Find training
Looking for a school or apprenticeship?
This page covers pay and job outlook. Our sister site RegisteredTradeSchools.com keeps the training directory for welders: registered apprenticeship sponsors, how to apply, and school routes.
Programs
Top training programs in Louisiana
We matched 32 programs in Louisiana: 31 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 1 registered apprenticeship sponsor (DOL). The 10 below are schools with published tuition first; the full directory is on RegisteredTradeSchools.com (links above).
| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Baton Rouge, LA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 32 | $4,419 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Baton Rouge Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Baton Rouge, LA | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 46 | $4,419 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Baton Rouge Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Baton Rouge, LA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 21 | $4,419 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bossier Parish Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Bossier City, LA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 65 | $4,339 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bossier Parish Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Bossier City, LA | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 67 | $4,339 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bossier Parish Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Bossier City, LA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 34 | $4,339 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Alexandria, LA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 150 | $4,098 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Alexandria, LA | Certificate (2-4 years) | 0 | $4,098 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Alexandria, LA | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 120 | $4,098 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Alexandria, LA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 64 | $4,098 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
Sources
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 51-4121.00 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0).
- Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
- Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.