Salaries · United States · Louisiana
Salaries in Louisiana 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Louisiana is $45,520 a year ($21.89 an hour), 11% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 48th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Louisiana earn a median of $53,477 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Louisiana: the key figures
| Figure | Louisiana | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $45,520 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $56,600 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $22,710 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $100,110 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 1,934,900 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $53,477 ± $366 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $60,756 ± $408 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 88.2 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $45,520, a single person keeps about $37,776 a year ($3,148 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Louisiana income tax. With prices 12% below the US average, $45,520 here buys what $51,600 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $45,520 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,282 |
| Social Security | -$2,822 |
| Medicare | -$660 |
| Louisiana income tax | -$979 |
| Take-home a year | $37,776 |
What drives pay in Louisiana
Louisiana's economy is heavy industry on top of a low-wage service base. Chemical manufacturing produced 8.4% of the state's GDP in 2025 and petroleum refining 4.4%, against 1.9% and 0.5% nationally, and oil and gas extraction with its support services another 3.2% (US 1.0%), according to BEA. Water transportation is 0.9% of GDP, ten times the US share, and ship captains, mates and pilots earn a median of $117,160.
Those plants produce far more output than jobs. Chemicals and refining together make 12.8% of GDP but pay only 4.8% of the state's employee compensation, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission counted about 27,100 chemical manufacturing jobs in 2022. Health care is the largest employer, with about 320,000 people.
At the bottom, Louisiana pays less than any other state: one worker in ten earns under $22,710, the lowest 10th percentile of the 50 states and DC (US $31,200). The minimum wage is the federal $7.25, and fast food workers ($22,800) and home health aides ($22,520), more than 45,000 of each, are among the most common jobs. That pulls the all-jobs median down to $45,520, 11% below the US and 48th, though prices are about 12% below the US average.
Growth has been slow: real GDP rose 7.0% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% nationally. New industrial projects are the state's big bet. Louisiana Economic Development says SpaceX will invest $100 billion in a launch site in Vermilion Parish, expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over ten years at an average salary of $92,600. The Workforce Commission projects chemical jobs to grow 16.1% from 2022 to 2032, with ambulatory health care adding the most jobs.
The highest-paid jobs in Louisiana
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 4,740 | $350,920 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,090 | $255,330 |
| Dentists, General | 1,500 | $170,750 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,840 | $162,850 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 2,680 | $133,210 |
| Pharmacists | 5,610 | $132,410 |
| Physician Assistants | 1,360 | $128,870 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,860 | $127,500 |
| Financial Managers | 7,070 | $126,800 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5,380 | $125,600 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,250 | $125,130 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 2,340 | $124,200 |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,710 | $122,920 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,890 | $119,540 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 6,830 | $117,160 |
The most common jobs in Louisiana
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 49,570 | $29,490 | $14.18 |
| Registered Nurses | 48,970 | $80,230 | $38.57 |
| Cashiers | 46,350 | $26,750 | $12.86 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 45,720 | $22,800 | $10.96 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 45,060 | $22,520 | $10.83 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 43,730 | $35,340 | $16.99 |
| General and Operations Managers | 43,220 | $101,790 | $48.94 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 33,870 | $15,080 | $7.25 |
| Office Clerks, General | 31,790 | $32,480 | $15.62 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 31,710 | $34,490 | $16.58 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 30,920 | $23,620 | $11.36 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 28,540 | $49,320 | $23.71 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 28,040 | $38,790 | $18.65 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 27,610 | $28,930 | $13.91 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 25,780 | $37,330 | $17.95 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Louisiana
Official BLS medians for Louisiana; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 900 | $222,130 |
| Dentist | 1,500 | $170,750 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 90 | $136,970 |
| Pharmacist | 5,610 | $132,410 |
| Physician Assistant | 1,360 | $128,870 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 5,380 | $125,600 |
| Lawyer | 10,200 | $104,100 |
| Software Engineer | 4,080 | $102,800 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 230 | $99,810 |
| Commercial Pilot | 910 | $95,940 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 720 | $92,990 |
| Dental Hygienist | 2,690 | $85,240 |
| Project Manager | 8,050 | $84,850 |
| Actuary | 40 | $80,860 |
| Registered Nurse | 48,970 | $80,230 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,150 | $79,780 |
| Data Scientist | 1,300 | $78,760 |
| Financial Analyst | 1,450 | $75,680 |
| Accountant | 14,050 | $73,810 |
| Compliance Officer | 3,970 | $70,290 |
| UX Designer | 170 | $68,790 |
| Plumber | 8,360 | $63,680 |
| Welder | 13,690 | $62,250 |
| Electrician | 10,550 | $61,540 |
| Paralegal | 4,890 | $60,250 |
| HVAC Technician | 5,380 | $58,650 |
Louisiana and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $45,520 | 88.2 | $51,600 |
| Arkansas | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,200 |
| Mississippi | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,100 |
| Texas | $48,620 | 97.1 | $50,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Louisiana, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Louisiana Workforce Commission: Workforce Development Report 2025, 2025 (PDF dated 16 Sep 2025)
- Louisiana Economic Development news release: 'SpaceX Launches New Era of Commercial Spaceflight with $100 Billion Louisiana Campus', 25 Aug 2026
- Paygrade src/data/state-pay.json (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), May 2025 data
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