Pipefitter Jobs in New Orleans, LA
Lay out, fabricate, and install marine pipe systems and supports.
What pipefitters earn around New Orleans
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs about 6% below the national average — your paycheck goes further. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
What a pipefitter does in New Orleans
Pipefitters lay out, fabricate, and install the pipe systems a ship runs on — cutting and threading, fitting spools, setting flanges, valves, and hangers, and prepping joints for the welders. It takes drawing literacy, precise measurement, and the flexibility to adapt to the diversification of marine and industrial projects. Pipefitters and pipe welders work the job side by side.
A pipefitter's median around New Orleans is $30.03 an hour, but local prices run at 93.738 against a national 100 — so it buys what $32.04 would nationally. That is the number worth comparing when a job means relocating or running a per-diem schedule.
Pipefitters in the New Orleans market
Greater New Orleans has been a shipbuilding and repair center on the lower Mississippi for generations, with active repair yards on the Harvey Canal and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It's part of the Louisiana market AMS recruits from.
- Bollinger Quick Repair (Harvey)
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 376,035
- Median household income
- $55,339
- Average commute
- 23 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 93.738
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for New Orleans city, Louisiana, not the wider metro area.
Why New Orleans needs pipefitters right now
New Orleans keeps its pipefitters busy on renewal work. Towboats come off the river for repowers, barges need cargo and ballast systems replaced, and the repair yards along the Harvey Canal and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway turn that work on tight clocks. Renewal fitting is its own skill — measuring what's actually installed, templating spools from the boat instead of a clean iso, and setting flanges, valves, and hangers in machinery spaces with no easy access. On top of that, the port, the refineries, and the fab shops all hire fitters, so the local pool stays spoken for.
Louisiana is the best-paying Gulf state for the trade — pipefitters and steamfitters earn a statewide median of $63,680 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and that figure excludes overtime. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities, which stacks up well even against that median once the hours are real. There's no active AMS crew in New Orleans; AMS recruits from this market, and most of the work is travel with per diem to crews in markets like Houma and Pascagoula. If you're used to short repair stints close to home, steady traveling work is the trade-off to weigh.
If you've fit spools in a towboat engine room, templated replacement runs off a boat that doesn't match its drawings, or set valves and hangers on a repair clock at a Harvey Canal yard, you already work the way marine fitting demands. Experienced fitters who measure right the first time are among the hardest hires in shipbuilding — boot camps can train beginners, but renewal-work judgment only comes from years on boats. AMS pays $35–$40/hr for that judgment and puts you straight to work at your level.
Bring your experience to AMSPipefitter jobs in New Orleans — FAQ
How much do pipefitters make in New Orleans, LA?
In the New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area, pipefitters earn a median of about $30.03 per hour — typically $18.86–$38.31 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 93.738 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $32.04 an hour would nationally. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities; the rate for a specific role is discussed when you apply.
Does AMS hire pipefitters in New Orleans?
AMS recruits pipefitters across the Gulf Coast, including the New Orleans market, for marine fabrication and repair work. Apply and tell us your trade, your experience, and whether you can travel.
What do I need to get hired as a pipefitter in New Orleans?
For pipefitters, AMS looks first at iso & spool drawings and layout & fit-up. Every role also requires passing a shipyard safety orientation and a drug screen, and a TWIC card is usually needed for yard access at Bollinger Quick Repair (Harvey) and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for New Orleans yard work?
Workers in New Orleans city, Louisiana report an average commute of about 23 minutes (U.S. Census ACS). Yard start times are early, so most crews plan the drive around shift change rather than rush hour. If you would rather travel to the work than commute to it, AMS runs per-diem assignments across the Gulf Coast.
Ready to work as a pipefitter in New Orleans?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.