Best Welding Schools in Louisiana (2026)

Quick answer: Welders in Louisiana earn a median of $62,250 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited welder schools in Louisiana with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Welder training in Louisiana prepares students for entry-level work across the wider Louisiana labor market. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $62,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Louisiana Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$62,250BLS OEWS, May 2025
Louisiana pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$42,810 to $81,750BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Louisiana metro for this fieldBaton Rouge, LA, $78,170BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.2% growth, about 45,600 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment13,690 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Louisiana location quotient2.64BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Welder Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Louisiana figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 120 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Southwest Mississippi Community College

Summit, MS 78.8 miles away BOC Score 64.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 48.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 286
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,408 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Copiah-Lincoln Community College

Wesson, MS 94.0 miles away BOC Score 63.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 50.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 444
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $36,902 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Central Louisiana Technical Community College

Alexandria, LA 46.9 miles away BOC Score 57.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 72.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 2091
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $34,374 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Hinds Community College

Raymond, MS 118.3 miles away BOC Score 53.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 70
  • Annual completions: 2718
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,042 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

SOWELA Technical Community College

Lake Charles, LA 99.1 miles away BOC Score 49.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 3820 Senator J. Bennett Johnston Ave Lake Charles, LA 70615
  • (337) 421-6565
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 2424
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,488 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

River Parishes Community College

Gonzales, LA 73.2 miles away BOC Score 46.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 757
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,593 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Fletcher Technical Community College

Schriever, LA 102.2 miles away BOC Score 45.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48
  • Annual completions: 1270
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,749 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Baton Rouge Community College

Baton Rouge, LA 51.9 miles away BOC Score 43.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48
  • Annual completions: 948
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,313 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA 119.8 miles away BOC Score 41.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 85
  • Annual completions: 2367
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,141 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Northshore Technical Community College

Lacombe, LA 117.0 miles away BOC Score 41.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40
  • Annual completions: 3504
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,814 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Louisiana Delta Community College

Monroe, LA 106.0 miles away BOC Score 41.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 29.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 46
  • Annual completions: 1679
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,409 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

South Louisiana Community College

Lafayette, LA 55.5 miles away BOC Score 40.6
Tuition $4,210 - $19,044
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 30.2%
  • Programs offered: 49
  • Annual completions: 3437
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,336 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Welder Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $39240, P25 $46790, P50 $53750, P75 $63010, P90 $77530.10th$39,24025th$46,79050th (median)$53,75075th$63,01090th$77,530
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$39,240
25th$46,790
50th (median)$53,750
75th$63,010
90th$77,530
Projected employment growth, United States, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, 2024-2034
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 457300; 2034 projected employment 467200; percent change +2.2%.2024457,300 jobs2034 (proj.)467,200 jobsChange: +2.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024457,300
2034 projected467,200
Percent change+2.2%


Frequently Asked Questions

How long does welder training take in Louisiana?

Welder certificate programs in Louisiana typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Many welders also enter the field through a registered apprenticeship, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction and usually takes 3 to 5 years to complete. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do welders earn in Louisiana?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), welders in Louisiana earned a median annual wage of approximately $62,250. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $42,810 to $81,750 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many welder schools are in Louisiana?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)