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BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 51-4121 · 13,690 LA workers · AWS certified

Welder Salary in Louisiana 2026,
$62,250 Median | BLS Data by City

State-specific BLS pay data for all 13,690+ welders in Louisiana, the city breakdown, AWS certification pay bands, petrochemical and LNG sector rates, and take-home under Louisiana's flat 3% income tax.

Updated July 2026 · BLS OEWS May 2025

Compiled by GlobalCybers Labor Market Research · Reviewed by Ray Delgado, AWS Certified Welding Inspector & Southeast Staffing Director · See methodology & sources →

LA Median
$62,250
$29.93/hr
vs National
+$8,500
15.8% above US median
LA P90
$81,750
$39.30/hr · top earners
LA Job Growth
+9%
2022–2032 · Louisiana projections via Projections Central
🤑Louisiana replaced its graduated brackets with a flat 3% individual income tax from the 2025 tax year (Act 11), so a Louisiana welder pays a single 3% rate on taxable income regardless of how much turnaround overtime they work.
Direct Answer

How much do welders make in Louisiana in 2026?

Louisiana welders earn a median $62,250/yr ($29.93/hr) per BLS OEWS May 2025, about 15.8% ABOVE the $53,750 national median, the largest state premium in the trade. The petrochemical corridor is the reason: Baton Rouge leads at $78,170 and Lake Charles, where the LNG export terminals are, runs $72,920. Pay rises with certification rather than licence, Louisiana has no state welder licence, so an AWS certified welder sits near the median and a 6G-qualified pipe welder reaches the state P75 of $77,310. → Full welder career guide, career path, credentials & placement →

Note: $62,250 blends every experience level, apprentice through master. For pay by license level alone, see Verified Placement Data below.

Key takeaways
  • Louisiana welders earn a median $62,250/yr ($29.93/hr), about 15.8% ABOVE the $53,750 national median, the strongest state premium in the trade.
  • The petrochemical corridor sets the rate: Baton Rouge $78,170 and Lake Charles $72,920, both far above the state median.
  • There is no Louisiana welder licence. AWS certification and ASME Section IX code weld tests are what employers hire on.
  • A 6G pipe qualification takes a certified welder from $62,250 to about $77,310, the state's 75th percentile.
Louisiana at a glance
Median salary$62,250
Median hourly$29.93
Range (P10–P90)$42,810–$81,750
Top-paying metroBaton Rouge · $78,170
vs national15.8% above
State income tax3% flat

Louisiana Welder Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025

$42,810
P10
$50,680
P25
$62,250
Median
$77,310
P75
$81,750
P90
Welder salary distribution in Louisiana: 10th percentile $42,810, 25th percentile $50,680, median $62,250, 75th percentile $77,310, 90th percentile $81,750 per year (BLS OEWS May 2025).Welder annual pay percentiles · Louisiana10th to 90th percentile of annual base wage$42,810P10$50,680P25$62,250Median$77,310P75$81,750P90Entry levelTop earners
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

GlobalCybers Verified Placement Data · last verified July 2026

How does BLS compare to what Louisiana welders actually get placed at?

BLS OEWS publishes one blended Louisiana wage for this occupation and does not break pay out by AWS license level. The benchmark column below is GlobalCybers' own by-level estimate for Louisiana; the verified column is the median of actual placements made through GlobalCybers' Louisiana welder network.

AWS License LevelBenchmark median by level (GlobalCybers estimate)GlobalCybers Verified Median (live)Gap vs benchmarkPlacements (n, 12 mo)
Entry Welder (no cert)$42,810$44,300+3.5%8
AWS Certified Welder (CW)$62,250$66,600+7.0%19
6G Pipe Welder (ASME Section IX)$77,310$84,300+9.0%14
AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)$81,750$87,500+7.0%4

All verified medians: GlobalCybers Louisiana welder placements, trailing 12 months, updated July 2026. The benchmark column is a GlobalCybers by-level estimate, not a BLS publication — BLS publishes no wage by licence level. Tap a level below for the full gap breakdown.

Benchmark median by level (GlobalCybers estimate)
$62,250
Level estimate for Louisiana; BLS OEWS May 2025 publishes one blended wage only
Verified placement median (live)
$66,600
+7.0% vs benchmark
n = 19 placements · last 12 months

Where the gap comes from — AWS Certified Welder (CW)

+2.0%
+3.0%
+1.0%

Data time lag +2.0% — OEWS publishes ~10 months late; corridor plant maintenance demand tightened over the same window.

Turnaround OT excluded by OES +3.0% — Refinery and chemical-plant turnaround overtime at 1.5x is the single largest driver of the Louisiana gap and sits outside the base BLS wage.

New-hire (switcher) premium +1.0% — BLS averages incumbents; certified welders moving between corridor plants command more.

Verified-candidate selection +1.0% — AWS-certified, weld-test-verified welders in our Louisiana network sit in the upper half of the distribution.

Certified welders run meaningfully above BLS, the corridor's turnaround overtime culture simply is not captured in a base annual wage.

Recent verified Louisiana placements (anonymized)
6G Pipe · Baton Rouge refinery turnaround$41.00/hr + per-diem
AWS CW · Lake Charles LNG maintenance contractor$34.50/hr
AWS CW · New Orleans shipyard structural crew$29.75/hr
Entry Welder (Yr 1) · Lafayette fabrication shop$21.00/hr

Company names withheld per employer confidentiality agreements. Roles shown are a representative sample, not an exhaustive list.

Methodology & Sources

How the Louisiana welder pay figures on this page are built

Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4121, Louisiana statewide estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them. OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation in Louisiana; it does not break pay out by credential or licence level.

Pay by level: the level and career-stage tables on this page distribute Louisiana's own published BLS pay range across the tiers employers actually hire at. They are GlobalCybers estimates aligned to published percentiles, not separate BLS publications.

Verified (GlobalCybers): The median base wage of candidates GlobalCybers placed into Louisiana welder roles, by AWS license level, over the trailing 12 months. Every placement requires a confirmed AWSlicense record and a signed offer letter before it's counted — no self-reported or unverified salary data is included.

Sample sizes are modest (n=4–19 depending on license level) because this reflects our own placement volume, not a market-wide survey — treat it as a directional, real-world data point alongside BLS, not a replacement for it.

Full site methodology & data sources →

Louisiana Markets

Which Louisiana city pays welders the most in 2026?

BLS MSA medians for Louisiana's largest welder markets — local industrial demand matters more than city size alone.

City / MSABLS Median (MSA-level)
Baton Rouge$78,170
Lake Charles$72,920
Shreveport$63,610
New Orleans$63,270
Lafayette$57,750

BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Baton Rouge leads the state at $78,170.

Louisiana city pay guide (1)

Getting Licensed

How to become a licensed welder in Louisiana, step by step

  1. 1
    Learn a core process

    Train in stick (SMAW) and TIG (GTAW) through a Louisiana technical college or an employer-sponsored programme; those are the processes the corridor plants use.

  2. 2
    Pass an AWS certification test

    Take an AWS Certified Welder performance test at an accredited test facility to qualify for structural and plant maintenance work.

  3. 3
    Qualify on code

    Pass an ASME Section IX weld test for pressure work, the credential refineries, chemical plants and LNG terminals require before you touch process piping.

  4. 4
    Qualify 6G pipe

    Pass a 6G pipe test to unlock the highest-paying turnaround and outage work along the Baton Rouge to New Orleans corridor and in Lake Charles.

AWS License Levels

How much more does an AWS licence earn you in Louisiana?

Louisiana licenses issued by AWS (American Welding Society). Louisiana has no state welder licence; employers hire on AWS certification and ASME Section IX code weld tests. Each level's median pay in Louisiana markets.

AWS LicenseLA Pay RangeLA MedianKey Note
Entry Welder$42K–$50K$42,810Structural and production welding in fab shops while testing for a first AWS certification; pay sits at the Louisiana P10.
AWS Certified Welder$51K–$77K$62,250Certified in stick and TIG, working plant maintenance and structural work along the river corridor; this is the Louisiana median.
6G Pipe Welder$72K–$82K+$77,3106G-qualified on ASME Section IX pressure work, the qualification refineries and LNG plants pay the most for; tracks the Louisiana P75.
💡

AWS License ROI: Upgrading from an AWS Certified Welder to 6G Pipe Welder in Louisiana adds a median $19,440/yr. Weld-test cost: a few hundred dollars per ASME Section IX qualification. Full return in under 4 months. GlobalCybers pays your exam fees after placement →

Career Progression

How does welder pay grow with years of experience in Louisiana?

License level sets your pay floor; years in the field (and the responsibility that comes with them) move you up within it.

ExperienceTypical License LevelLA Pay RangeLA Median
0–1 yrEntry / production welder$40K–$47K$42,810
2–4 yrsAWS Certified Welder$48K–$60K$50,680
5–9 yrsCW, plant maintenance$58K–$72K$62,250
10–15 yrs6G pipe / turnaround welder$70K–$82K$77,310
16+ yrsCWI / QA lead$78K–$95K+$81,750

GlobalCybers analysis of LA placements by years in trade, cross-referenced against BLS OEWS experience-tier estimates. Ranges widen at senior tiers as crew-lead, bonded-contractor and business-owner pay diverges.

Louisiana Sectors

Which Louisiana sector pays welders the most?

Louisiana welding pay is set by the petrochemical corridor. Refinery, chemical-plant and LNG work pays rates that structural fabrication in the same state cannot approach.

SectorAWS CW Range6G / Lead RangeSector Peak
Refining & Petrochemical (Baton Rouge corridor)$30–$40/hr$38–$50/hr$105,000+
LNG Export Terminals (Lake Charles, Cameron)$29–$39/hr$37–$48/hr$100,000
Pipeline & Midstream$28–$38/hr$36–$46/hr$92,000
Shipbuilding & Marine Repair (New Orleans)$25–$34/hr$31–$41/hr$78,000
Structural / Fabrication$22–$30/hr$27–$36/hr$66,000
General Production$19–$25/hr$23–$30/hr$55,000

State vs National

How does Louisiana welder pay compare to the national median?

Where Louisiana OUTPERFORMS
+

Petrochemical premium, Louisiana's $62,250 median runs 15.8% above the $53,750 US welder median, the largest state premium in the trade.

+

Turnaround overtime, refinery and chemical-plant turnarounds run 6-day, 10- to 12-hour schedules at 1.5x plus per-diem for travelling welders.

+

Flat 3% income tax, since 2025 Louisiana taxes every extra overtime dollar at the same 3%, rather than at a rising bracket.

Where Louisiana UNDERPERFORMS
−

Cyclical demand, turnaround and LNG project schedules mean the work comes in waves; the base wage between cycles is closer to the median than to the P90.

−

Thin structural market, outside the corridor, structural and general fabrication pay drops toward the $42,810 P10.

−

Travel is part of the job, the highest-paying 6G work follows the outage calendar across the Gulf, not one plant in one town.

By Employer Type

Does union vs. non-union or employer type change welder pay in Louisiana?

In Louisiana the plant you weld in matters more than the shop that employs you. Corridor plant work and structural fabrication pay in different leagues.

Employer TypeJW Hourly RangeBenefitsNotes
Refinery / Petrochemical Contractor$30–$50/hrHealth + per-diem on travelBaton Rouge corridor; highest overtime and turnaround premiums
LNG / Midstream Contractor$29–$48/hrVaries by employerLake Charles and Cameron; project-schedule driven
Plant Maintenance (in-house)$27–$38/hrStrong benefits, steady hoursLower peak pay, far steadier than contract turnaround work
Shipyard / Marine Repair$25–$34/hrHealth + 401(k) commonNew Orleans; structural and aluminium work
Fab Shop / General Production$19–$30/hrOften minimalEasiest entry, lowest ceiling without an AWS certification

Beyond Base Pay

What's a Louisiana welder's total compensation, not just base wage?

BLS and verified-placement medians above are base wage only. Total comp for an LA welder typically adds the following on top.

ComponentTypical LA ValueNotes
Base wage (AWS Certified Welder median)$62,250/yrLouisiana AWS CW median, see the certification table above
Turnaround overtime+$8K–$28K/yrRefinery, chemical-plant and LNG outage schedules; cyclical, not guaranteed
Per diem / travel$70–$120/dayTravelling turnaround and outage contracts
Health insurance (employer share)$5,000–$8,000/yr valueStrongest at plant in-house and large contractor employers
Tools & PPE allowance$300–$1,000/yrCommon at corridor contractors; rare in small fab shops
🧾Calculate your Louisiana take-home paySee your actual net pay after tax on any LA welder offer →📈Salary CalculatorCompare your offer to market rate by role, license level & city →

FAQ

Louisiana Welder Salary, Frequently Asked Questions

How much do welders make in Louisiana?

Louisiana welders earn a median $62,250/yr ($29.93/hr) per BLS OEWS May 2025, about 15.8% above the $53,750 national median. The statewide range runs from roughly $42,810 (P10) to $81,750 (P90). Baton Rouge pays the most at $78,170, and Lafayette is the lowest of the major metros at $57,750.

Which Louisiana city pays welders the most?

Baton Rouge leads at about $78,170, the highest metro welder median in the Gulf South, because the river corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans holds one of the densest concentrations of refineries and chemical plants in the country. Lake Charles ($72,920) follows on LNG export construction and maintenance.

Do welders need a licence in Louisiana?

No. Louisiana issues no state welder licence. Employers hire on AWS certification and on code weld tests, an AWS Certified Welder card for structural work, and ASME Section IX 6G qualification for the pressure and process piping that refineries, chemical plants and LNG terminals run on.

How much does 6G qualification add for a Louisiana welder?

Roughly $15,060/yr. An AWS certified welder in Louisiana sits at the $62,250 state median, while a 6G-qualified pipe welder reaches about $77,310, the state P75. In the petrochemical corridor that gap widens further once turnaround overtime and per-diem are counted.

What does Louisiana's flat 3% income tax mean for welder take-home?

Louisiana replaced its graduated brackets with a flat 3% rate for tax years beginning in 2025. For a welder, the practical effect is that turnaround overtime is no longer taxed at a rising state marginal rate, so a heavy overtime year keeps a larger share of every extra hour than it would have under the old bracket structure.

Why does Louisiana pay welders more than Texas?

Louisiana ($62,250) beats Texas ($53,340) by nearly $9,000 for the same SOC code because Louisiana's welding employment is concentrated in petrochemical, refinery and LNG work, while Texas has a much larger and lower-paid general fabrication and production base diluting its median. On a like-for-like basis the corridor plants pay similarly; the state medians differ because the job mix does.

How much of Louisiana welder pay comes from turnarounds?

A large share, and none of it is in the BLS figures. Refinery and chemical-plant turnarounds run on 6-day, 10- to 12-hour schedules with overtime at 1.5x plus per-diem for travelling welders. A 6G welder who chases turnarounds along the corridor routinely earns well above the $81,750 state P90 in a busy year.

Is the LNG build-out changing welder pay in Louisiana?

Yes, particularly in the southwest. Lake Charles ($72,920) sits well above the state median because LNG export capacity has pulled pipe welders in from across the Gulf. That demand is cyclical and tied to project schedules, which is why the state's certified welders keep their qualifications current rather than tying themselves to one plant.

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Data Sources
BLS ReferenceOEWS May 2025
SOC Code51-4121
LA Workers13,690
License BoardAWS
State Tax3% flat
Verified Placementsn=45, trailing 12mo
Reviewed byR. Delgado, AWS CWI
Verify on BLS.gov →Full methodology →
$62,250
Louisiana BLS median · 2026
$78,170
Baton Rouge, highest LA city
3% flat
Louisiana state income tax
+9%
LA job growth 2022–2032 · Louisiana projections via Projections Central

Outlook & openings: Louisiana welder demand is projected to grow steadily on petrochemical turnaround cycles, LNG export capacity and pipeline maintenance, with roughly 1,450 openings a year statewide (Projections Central / CareerOneStop).

Your career research journey in Louisiana

Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.
💰
1. Know your salary
🪪
2. Know your licences & certifications
🧭
3. Career guide
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4. Interview preparation

Get the job, then keep rising

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Step 5
Get matching jobs

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Step 6
Career advancement plan

A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.

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Step 7
We fund your fees

Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.

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