Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Louisiana
In Louisiana, cooks, restaurant earn a median $29,050 a year, well below the national median of $37,390 (−22%); the state ranks 51st of 51 states by median. That is 36% less than the median across all occupations in Louisiana ($45,520). Every neighbouring state pays more: Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi range from $29,560 in Mississippi to $34,760 in Texas. Louisiana employs 14,910 cooks, restaurant, 7.71 per 1,000 jobs, the 28th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.85 is close to the national share.
Louisiana vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $10.56 | $12.43 | $13.97 | $17.29 | $19.01 | $14.73 | 14,910 | 7.71 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $21,970 | $25,860 | $29,050 | $35,960 | $39,540 | $30,630 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 51st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 28th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.71
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Louisiana's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Louisiana
10 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching Louisiana publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $14.68 | $30,520 | $23,000 | $43,860 | 4,720 | 10.59 | 1.17 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $14.38 | $29,910 | $22,410 | $42,290 | 2,420 | 5.91 | 0.65 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $13.97 | $29,050 | $22,490 | $37,900 | 1,100 | 11.20 | 1.24 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $13.73 | $28,550 | $22,660 | $37,330 | 850 | 8.34 | 0.92 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $13.67 | $28,440 | $22,060 | $37,630 | 1,240 | 7.62 | 0.84 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $13.31 | $27,690 | $21,460 | $36,340 | 530 | 6.34 | 0.70 |
| Lafayette, LA | $13.30 | $27,660 | $21,570 | $36,520 | 1,430 | 7.98 | 0.88 |
| Alexandria, LA | $13.09 | $27,220 | $21,600 | $35,870 | 360 | 6.04 | 0.67 |
| Hammond, LA | $13.04 | $27,130 | $21,480 | $36,610 | 460 | 9.62 | 1.06 |
| Monroe, LA | $13.03 | $27,090 | $21,180 | $36,350 | 570 | 6.55 | 0.72 |
| Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $12.80 | $26,620 | $20,910 | $35,320 | 350 | 5.64 | 0.62 |
| Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $12.63 | $26,270 | $17,090 | $37,360 | 510 | 6.60 | 0.73 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $12.43 | $25,850 | $17,110 | $36,400 | 330 | 4.07 | 0.45 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $13.97 | $29,050 | 14,910 | 0.85 |
| Arkansas | $14.51 | $30,180 | 11,270 | 0.95 |
| Mississippi | $14.21 | $29,560 | 10,770 | 1.02 |
| Texas | $16.71 | $34,760 | 126,620 | 0.99 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Louisiana wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Louisiana estimates.
- 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.