Shipfitter Jobs in Houma, LA
Lay out, cut, fit, and align steel plate and structure for the welders.
Shipfitters in the Houma market
Houma sits at the heart of Louisiana's shipbuilding and offshore-marine corridor along the Houma Navigation Canal, running down through Larose and Galliano — home to Bollinger Houma and Edison Chouest's North American Shipbuilding, some of the largest offshore-service builders on the Gulf Coast. AMS has crews working Houma right now, and it's the market where the next couple of weeks matter most.
The shipfitter's job around Houma is blueprint layout, cutting & fit-up, bracing & tacking — the layout that has to be right before a welder ever strikes an arc on work staged through yards like Bollinger Houma (BHS). Get the fit wrong and the weld cannot save it.
- Bollinger Houma (BHS)
- Edison Chouest / North American Shipbuilding (Larose)
- Gulf Island Fabrication
- Thoma-Sea Marine
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 32,760
- Median household income
- $54,637
- Average commute
- 20 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 88.38
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Houma city, Louisiana, not the wider metro area.
What a shipfitter does in Houma
Shipfitters turn plans into steel — reading blueprints, laying out and cutting plate and structural members, then fitting, bracing, and tacking them into alignment so the welders can finish the joint. It's the layout and fit-up craft at the front of every structural job, on new construction and repair alike, and it demands a sharp eye for tolerance and a feel for how a hull goes together.
Why Houma needs shipfitters right now
Serial construction is a shipfitter's best friend, and this corridor has it. Bollinger builds the Coast Guard's Fast Response Cutters in a running series — repeat hulls where layout, fit-up, and tacking follow a proven sequence, and where a fitter who holds tolerance makes the whole line faster. The offshore fleet supplies the other half of the work: boats coming in for repair need plate renewals and inserts laid out, cut, and braced before any welder strikes an arc.
Fit-up pays best where you don't have to chase it. The 2026 Maritime Action Plan treats worker housing and quality-of-life as industrial-capacity issues — official recognition that living out of motels grinds crews down. AMS's active Houma crews sidestep that: $35–$40 an hour plus overtime opportunities in a market you can drive home from. For fitters who do want the road, travel and per-diem work is common across AMS's other Gulf markets — but nobody has to start there.
If you've laid out and fit hull units at a Gulf yard — lofting off blueprints, cutting plate, pulling structure into alignment and tacking it square — you own the skill that sets every downstream trade's pace. Fitters with real hull time are scarce in a way boot camps can't fix; the trade takes years inside actual boats. AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for that time served and doesn't restart you at the bottom.
Bring your experience to AMSShipfitter jobs in Houma — FAQ
Does AMS hire shipfitters in Houma?
Yes. AMS has crews working the Houma market and hires shipfitters for shipbuilding and ship repair. Apply through our Employment / Job Application page and tell us your trade and experience.
What do I need to get hired as a shipfitter in Houma?
For shipfitters, AMS looks first at blueprint layout and cutting & 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 Houma (BHS) and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Houma yard work?
Workers in Houma city, Louisiana report an average commute of about 20 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 shipfitter in Houma?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.