What do skilled trades pay in Louisiana in 2026?
Median pay for 27 skilled trades in Louisiana (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Louisiana are Power-Line Worker (~$76,410) and Boilermaker (~$73,980), across 27 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Which trade is best in Louisiana?
Different trades win on different measures: here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Power-Line Worker
$76,410
Most workers employed
Construction Laborer
22,100 workers
Across 27 trades: $38,000–$76,410 (median $49,950).
Louisiana tracks 27 skilled trades on TradesPays, all drawn from BLS OEWS May 2025 statewide median wages. At the top of the range, Power-Line Workers pull $76,410 a year; at the bottom, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers come in at $38,000. The midpoint trade earns around $49,950, with most trades falling between $47,285 and $61,895. These are statewide figures: TradesPays does not hold Louisiana metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Louisiana, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Louisiana
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power-Line Worker | $76,410 |
| 2 | Boilermaker | $73,980 |
| 3 | Rebar Worker | $70,700 |
| 4 | Ironworker | $68,830 |
| 5 | Millwright | $66,080 |
| 6 | Plumber | $63,680 |
| 7 | Welder | $62,250 |
| 8 | Electrician | $61,540 |
| 9 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $60,260 |
| 10 | HVAC Technician | $58,650 |
See all 27
| 11 | Brickmason | $57,440 |
| 12 | Construction Equipment Operator | $51,700 |
| 13 | Sheet Metal Worker | $50,320 |
| 14 | Plasterer | $49,950 |
| 15 | Carpenter | $49,920 |
| 16 | Cement Mason | $49,180 |
| 17 | Telecom Line Installer | $48,770 |
| 18 | Roofer | $48,760 |
| 19 | Insulation Worker | $48,280 |
| 20 | Drywall Installer | $47,420 |
| 21 | Glazier | $47,150 |
| 22 | Painter | $46,410 |
| 23 | Tile & Stone Setter | $44,750 |
| 24 | Pipelayer | $44,340 |
| 25 | Floor Layer | $42,260 |
| 26 | Construction Laborer | $38,230 |
| 27 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $38,000 |
Published local scales in Louisiana?
Named locals and the difference from the BLS all-worker median. Geography and experience levels differ; this is not a union versus non-union wage gap.
We don't have union scale data for Louisiana across our trades yet. Missing scale data does not establish union coverage. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Louisiana.
How Louisiana trade pay is spread
Across the 27 trades tracked in Louisiana, the pay range runs from $38,000 to $76,410 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band, $47,285 to $61,895, is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $49,950. Power-Line Worker sits at the top at $76,410; Hazardous Materials Removal Worker anchors the bottom at $38,000. Every figure here is a nominal BLS dollar: the number BLS reports, before any cost-of-living adjustment. TradesPays does not apply cost-of-living indices to state wage data, so don't read a higher Louisiana figure as automatically "better" than a lower number elsewhere until you account for what it costs to live where you work.
Where the jobs are in Louisiana
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Louisiana, with about 22,100 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). Employment and pay are separate signals: the trade that employs the most people is rarely the top-paying one. TradesPays surfaces them separately on purpose: we don't blend headcount and wage into a single "best trade" score, because they answer different questions. If you want the highest wage, look at Power-Line Worker; if you want the widest hiring market, Construction Laborer is where the volume is.
Trades in Louisiana: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Louisiana?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Power-Line Worker is the top-paying trade tracked in Louisiana, at a statewide median of $76,410.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Louisiana's dataset?
- Hazardous Materials Removal Worker sits at the bottom of the 27 trades tracked in Louisiana, with a statewide median of $38,000 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Louisiana?
- Across the 27 trades TradesPays tracks in Louisiana, the midpoint trade earns about $49,950 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $47,285 and $61,895 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Louisiana?
- TradesPays tracks 27 skilled trades at the state level in Louisiana. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Louisiana?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Louisiana, with about 22,100 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying: that's Power-Line Worker at $76,410.
- Are Louisiana's trade wages adjusted for cost of living?
- No. Every wage figure on TradesPays is a nominal BLS dollar: the number reported in BLS OEWS May 2025 before any cost-of-living adjustment. TradesPays does not apply cost-of-living indices to state figures, so what these dollars buy depends on where in Louisiana you live and work.
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