Baton Rouge, LA
Across all occupations in the Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,710 a year ($23.42 an hour) and the mean $61,230, May 2025. That median is −4% against the US median of $50,980 and +7% against Louisiana's $45,520. BLS counts 409,690 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is cashiers.
All occupations: Baton Rouge, LA vs Louisiana and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Baton Rouge, LA | Hourly | $11.44 | $16.17 | $23.42 | $36.05 | $50.89 | $29.44 | 409,690 |
| Annual | $23,790 | $33,640 | $48,710 | $74,990 | $105,850 | $61,230 | ||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $10.92 | $14.59 | $21.89 | $31.90 | $48.13 | $27.21 | 1,934,900 |
| Annual | $22,710 | $30,350 | $45,520 | $66,340 | $100,110 | $56,600 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
491 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Louisiana. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $413,620 | $198.86 | 1,060 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physicians | $315,620 | $151.74 | ** |
| 3 | Nurse Anesthetists | $268,210 | $128.95 | 130 |
| 4 | Dentists, General | $185,430 | $89.15 | 430 |
| 5 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $165,060 | $79.36 | 560 |
| 6 | Industrial Production Managers | $139,860 | $67.24 | 690 |
| 7 | Environmental Engineers | $138,000 | $66.34 | 170 |
| 8 | Database Architects | $136,480 | $65.61 | 40 |
| 9 | Mechanical Engineers | $135,530 | $65.16 | 540 |
| 10 | Chemical Engineers | $134,800 | $64.81 | 360 |
| 11 | Pharmacists | $134,680 | $64.75 | 960 |
| 12 | Electrical Engineers | $133,030 | $63.96 | 350 |
| 13 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $132,040 | $63.48 | 90 |
| 14 | Physician Assistants | $130,670 | $62.82 | 360 |
| 15 | Industrial Engineers | $129,500 | $62.26 | 470 |
| 16 | Financial Managers in Louisiana | $129,310 | $62.17 | 1,770 |
| 17 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $129,260 | $62.14 | 900 |
| 18 | Nurse Practitioners | $129,070 | $62.05 | 1,010 |
| 19 | Veterinarians | $126,890 | $61.01 | 160 |
| 20 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $125,260 | $60.22 | 160 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
Most concentrated occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | 39.39 | 1,720 | 4.21 | $104,410 |
| 2 | Boilermakers | 25.40 | 680 | 1.66 | $74,730 |
| 3 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | 15.73 | 1,310 | 3.20 | $47,520 |
| 4 | Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other | 15.06 | 980 | 2.40 | $45,850 |
| 5 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | 9.36 | 1,100 | 2.68 | $48,090 |
| 6 | Transportation Workers, All Other | 9.30 | 330 | 0.81 | $45,920 |
| 7 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 9.27 | 900 | 2.20 | $129,260 |
| 8 | Extraction Workers, All Other | 8.50 | 120 | 0.30 | $48,050 |
| 9 | Drafters, All Other | 8.34 | 320 | 0.78 | $77,020 |
| 10 | Calibration Technologists and Technicians | 7.58 | 330 | 0.81 | $80,670 |
Occupation groups in Baton Rouge, LA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $106,010 | $126,140 | 29,270 | 71.44 | 1.00 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $102,480 | $110,160 | 9,070 | 22.14 | 1.32 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $79,410 | $85,480 | 7,560 | 18.46 | 0.55 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $77,790 | $84,380 | 4,560 | 11.12 | 1.17 |
| Legal | $76,990 | $91,440 | 3,680 | 8.99 | 1.07 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $73,730 | $94,440 | 27,160 | 66.28 | 1.05 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $66,930 | $77,620 | 23,540 | 57.46 | 0.85 |
| Production | $61,430 | $68,720 | 23,050 | 56.27 | 1.02 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $59,250 | $61,100 | 23,290 | 56.86 | 0.97 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,830 | $61,910 | 19,720 | 48.13 | 1.23 |
| Construction and Extraction | $57,710 | $58,150 | 33,600 | 82.02 | 1.99 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $55,730 | $72,090 | 4,030 | 9.84 | 0.75 |
| Community and Social Service | $52,510 | $54,310 | 5,740 | 14.00 | 0.82 |
| Protective Service | $45,250 | $48,000 | 11,450 | 27.96 | 1.15 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $44,640 | $45,320 | 470 | 1.15 | 0.41 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $42,250 | $45,540 | 44,540 | 108.72 | 0.95 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $41,720 | $46,990 | 36,310 | 88.63 | 1.01 |
| Sales and Related | $34,380 | $45,410 | 32,690 | 79.79 | 0.92 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $30,520 | $33,160 | 11,280 | 27.53 | 0.94 |
| Healthcare Support | $29,400 | $31,000 | 17,560 | 42.87 | 0.84 |
| Personal Care and Service | $28,620 | $32,540 | 6,570 | 16.03 | 0.77 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $24,000 | $26,870 | 34,540 | 84.31 | 0.96 |
Every occupation in Louisiana, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 491 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Baton Rouge, LA estimates (area 12940).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Baton Rouge, LA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.