Shipfitter Jobs in New Orleans, LA
Lay out, cut, fit, and align steel plate and structure for the welders.
Shipfitters 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.
The shipfitter's job around New Orleans 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 Quick Repair (Harvey). Get the fit wrong and the weld cannot save it.
- 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.
What a shipfitter does in New Orleans
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 New Orleans needs shipfitters right now
New Orleans practically invented high-tempo shipfitting: during World War II, Higgins Industries employed about 25,000 people here and turned out more than 20,000 landing craft — layout, cut, fit, tack, repeat, at a pace no yard had matched. The trade never left. Today the fit-up work rides the repair side of the river: renewing barge hulls and towboat structure means laying out inserts from a worn boat instead of a clean plan, cutting plate to match what's actually there, and bracing it true so the welders can close it out.
The closest statewide benchmark for the trade — structural metal fabricators and fitters — carries a Louisiana median of $49,120 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025, excluding overtime). AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities, which clears that bar by a wide margin over a full year. The trade-off: AMS has no active crew in New Orleans. It recruits shipfitters from this market for traveling work with per diem, with active crews in Houma, Mobile, Pascagoula, and Jacksonville. For a fitter willing to work away from home, the jump in pay is the argument.
If you've laid out and fit inserts on barge hull renewals, pulled templates off a distorted boat, or braced and tacked repair steel so it welds out true, your eye for tolerance is the scarce thing. Yards can teach a beginner to cut and tack; they can't fast-track the fit-up judgment that keeps rework off a hull — which is why experienced shipfitters are among the industry's hardest hires. AMS pays $35–$40/hr for that eye and starts you at your real level.
Bring your experience to AMSShipfitter jobs in New Orleans — FAQ
Does AMS hire shipfitters in New Orleans?
AMS recruits shipfitters 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 shipfitter in New Orleans?
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 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 shipfitter in New Orleans?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.