Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Louisiana
In Louisiana, waiters and waitresses earn a median $15,080 a year, well below the national median of $35,230 (−57%); the state ranks 51st of 51 states by median. That is 67% less than the median across all occupations in Louisiana ($45,520). Every neighbouring state pays more: Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi range from $21,370 in Mississippi to $24,680 in Arkansas. Louisiana employs 33,870 waiters and waitresses, 17.5 per 1,000 jobs, the 25th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.20 means the occupation is more concentrated in Louisiana than nationally.
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 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $11.23 | $18.30 | $10.75 | 33,870 | 17.51 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $15,080 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $23,350 | $38,060 | $22,350 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $8.70 | $13.34 | $16.94 | $22.65 | $31.12 | $19.26 | 2,270,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $18,100 | $27,750 | $35,230 | $47,110 | $64,720 | $40,060 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 51st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 25th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.20
- Jobs per 1,000
- 17.51
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 waiters and waitresses, 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 | $8.00 | $16,640 | $15,080 | $42,410 | 10,050 | 22.56 | 1.54 |
| Alexandria, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $38,360 | 750 | 12.45 | 0.85 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,230 | 6,650 | 16.22 | 1.11 |
| Hammond, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,550 | 1,050 | 21.91 | 1.50 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,480 | 1,210 | 14.47 | 0.99 |
| Lafayette, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,320 | 3,410 | 18.98 | 1.30 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,910 | 1,950 | 19.17 | 1.31 |
| Monroe, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $43,180 | 1,370 | 15.63 | 1.07 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $38,470 | 2,620 | 16.09 | 1.10 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $38,660 | 2,520 | 25.68 | 1.76 |
| Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $7.47 | $15,540 | $15,080 | $37,980 | 640 | 10.17 | 0.70 |
| Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $35,310 | 900 | 11.61 | 0.79 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $38,030 | 720 | 8.99 | 0.62 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $7.25 | $15,080 | 33,870 | 1.20 |
| Arkansas | $11.86 | $24,680 | 17,880 | 0.94 |
| Mississippi | $10.27 | $21,370 | 15,190 | 0.89 |
| Texas | $11.18 | $23,240 | 199,610 | 0.97 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (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.