Louisiana
Across all occupations in Louisiana, the median wage is $45,520 a year ($21.89 an hour) and the mean $56,600, May 2025. That median is −11% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is pediatricians, general; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Louisiana vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| 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 | ||
Minimum wage in Louisiana
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Louisiana minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Louisiana
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pediatricians, General | $502,720 | $241.69 | 40 |
| 2 | Anesthesiologists | $410,500 | $197.35 | 190 |
| 3 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $404,550 | $194.50 | 80 |
| 4 | Physicians, All Other | $350,920 | $168.71 | 4,740 |
| 5 | Psychiatrists | $345,040 | $165.88 | 90 |
| 6 | Surgeons, All Other | $304,830 | $146.55 | 140 |
| 7 | Family Medicine Physicians | $255,330 | $122.75 | 1,090 |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetists | $222,130 | $106.80 | 900 |
| 9 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $210,390 | $101.15 | ** |
| 10 | Podiatrists | $197,480 | $94.94 | 50 |
| 11 | Dentists, General | $170,750 | $82.09 | 1,500 |
| 12 | Physicists | $166,240 | $79.92 | 40 |
| 13 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $162,850 | $78.29 | 1,840 |
| 14 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $155,250 | $74.64 | 30 |
| 15 | Petroleum Engineers | $139,640 | $67.13 | 710 |
| 16 | Aerospace Engineers | $136,970 | $65.85 | 90 |
| 17 | Chemical Engineers | $134,800 | $64.81 | 730 |
| 18 | Industrial Production Managers | $133,210 | $64.05 | 2,680 |
| 19 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $132,670 | * | 70 |
| 20 | Pharmacists | $132,410 | $63.66 | 5,610 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Louisiana
Occupation groups in Louisiana
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $102,170 | $120,050 | 120,950 | 62.51 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $94,970 | $101,900 | 30,350 | 15.68 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $78,890 | $86,500 | 26,330 | 13.61 |
| Legal | $77,250 | $100,640 | 17,160 | 8.87 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $75,360 | $82,690 | 15,350 | 7.93 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $74,150 | $89,690 | 147,700 | 76.34 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $69,240 | $77,700 | 90,070 | 46.55 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $56,970 | $58,930 | 108,840 | 56.25 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $53,030 | $58,230 | 95,810 | 49.52 |
| Construction and Extraction | $49,950 | $54,940 | 111,610 | 57.68 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $49,910 | $63,720 | 18,690 | 9.66 |
| Production | $49,890 | $58,130 | 102,050 | 52.74 |
| Community and Social Service | $49,220 | $52,520 | 29,250 | 15.12 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $48,510 | $49,680 | 3,230 | 1.67 |
| Protective Service | $41,740 | $45,650 | 58,850 | 30.42 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $39,530 | $43,460 | 224,190 | 115.87 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $39,200 | $46,240 | 187,060 | 96.68 |
| Sales and Related | $32,570 | $43,640 | 169,300 | 87.50 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $29,510 | $31,810 | 56,000 | 28.94 |
| Healthcare Support | $29,070 | $30,740 | 98,760 | 51.04 |
| Personal Care and Service | $27,990 | $31,920 | 36,480 | 18.85 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $23,400 | $26,730 | 186,890 | 96.59 |
Metropolitan areas in Louisiana
10 metropolitan areas touch Louisiana, plus 3 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA | Metropolitan | $40,600 | $19.52 | 60,000 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | Metropolitan | $48,710 | $23.42 | 409,690 |
| Hammond, LA | Metropolitan | $38,480 | $18.50 | 47,820 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | Metropolitan | $45,610 | $21.93 | 83,440 |
| Lafayette, LA | Metropolitan | $41,780 | $20.09 | 179,570 |
| Lake Charles, LA | Metropolitan | $45,700 | $21.97 | 101,690 |
| Monroe, LA | Metropolitan | $38,150 | $18.34 | 87,500 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | Metropolitan | $47,290 | $22.73 | 445,550 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | Metropolitan | $44,820 | $21.55 | 162,750 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | Metropolitan | $43,710 | $21.01 | 98,240 |
| Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $39,410 | $18.95 | 77,790 |
| Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $37,960 | $18.25 | 62,470 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $40,550 | $19.49 | 80,130 |
Occupation pages for Louisiana
63 occupations have a dedicated Louisiana page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $73,810
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $46,400
- Bartenders $20,850
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $44,890
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $63,220
- Carpenters $49,920
- Cashiers $26,750
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $127,500
- Computer User Support Specialists $52,440
- Construction Laborers $38,230
- Cooks, Fast Food $24,960
- Cooks, Restaurant $29,050
- Customer Service Representatives $37,330
- Electricians $61,540
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $58,770
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $22,800
- Financial Managers $126,800
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $75,360
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $35,800
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $75,550
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $57,180
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $77,520
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $43,860
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $60,260
- Food Preparation Workers $23,620
- General and Operations Managers $101,790
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,320
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $22,520
- Human Resources Specialists $61,300
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $48,950
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $28,930
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $35,340
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $34,870
- Lawyers $104,100
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $57,470
- Light Truck Drivers $39,440
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $26,600
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $43,960
- Management Analysts $95,540
- Managers, All Other $103,140
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $59,690
- Medical Assistants $36,320
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $36,930
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $58,760
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $45,070
- Nursing Assistants $30,510
- Office Clerks, General $32,480
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $48,380
- Project Management Specialists $84,850
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $32,750
- Registered Nurses $80,230
- Retail Salespersons $29,490
- Sales Managers $110,700
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $55,200
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $63,290
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $59,850
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $38,790
- Security Guards $32,240
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $40,180
- Software Developers $102,800
- Stockers and Order Fillers $34,490
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $27,400
- Waiters and Waitresses $15,080
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Louisiana
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Louisiana. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Louisiana estimates.
*- 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 Louisiana.