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 jobs
Construction Laborer
22,100 jobs
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 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Louisiana?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
We don't have union scale data for Louisiana across our trades yet — these trades are predominantly non-union, or we haven't added IBEW/UA data. 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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