Average Salary in Louisiana
What workers in Louisiana earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$56,600Rank #48 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$45,520Rank #48 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$27.21Median $21.89/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,793Mean $4,717/month
- Median household income$60,986ACS 2024 · rank #49
- Price level (RPP)88.2US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Louisiana?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Louisiana is $56,600, and the median annual wage is $45,520, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 18.9% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 10.7% below the national median of $50,980. Louisiana ranks #48 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #48 for median wage.
The mean is $11,080 (24%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Louisiana earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 1,934,900 wage and salary jobs in Louisiana (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Louisiana
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $56,600 | $45,520 |
| Monthly | $4,717 | $3,793 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,177 | $1,751 |
| Weekly | $1,088 | $875 |
| Hourly | $27.21 | $21.89 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Louisiana median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Louisiana?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Louisiana:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22,710 | $1,892 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $30,350 | $2,529 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $45,520 | $3,793 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $66,340 | $5,528 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $100,110 | $8,342 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $45,520 beats more than half of Louisiana workers, about $66,340 puts you in the top quarter, and $100,110 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Louisiana
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,986 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $80,529 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $35,440 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $40,882 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $62,340 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $45,594 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Louisiana have median earnings equal to 73% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Louisiana
Prices in Louisiana are about 11.8% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 88.2; housing 63.1). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $45,520 is worth $51,610 at national-average prices (rank #31), and the mean wage is worth $64,172 (rank #43). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Louisiana taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Louisiana vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $56,600 | $45,520 | 88.2 | $51,610 |
| Arkansas | $54,890 | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,207 |
| Mississippi | $50,810 | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,115 |
| Texas | $65,750 | $48,620 | 97.1 | $50,072 |
Highest-paying occupations in Louisiana
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 470 |
| Physicians, All Other | $312,630 | $350,920 | 4,740 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $267,230 | $255,330 | 1,090 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $243,240 | $222,130 | 900 |
| Dentists, General | $176,540 | $170,750 | 1,500 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,850 | $162,850 | 1,840 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $143,040 | $133,210 | 2,680 |
| Financial Managers | $142,670 | $126,800 | 7,070 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $138,400 | $125,130 | 2,250 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $138,270 | $139,640 | 710 |
Most common jobs in Louisiana and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The largest occupation in Louisiana is retail salespersons, with 49,570 jobs and a median wage of $29,490. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Louisiana
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Louisiana?
The average (mean) annual wage in Louisiana is $56,600, or $27.21 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $45,520 a year ($21.89 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Louisiana?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Louisiana works out to about $4,717 per month and the median wage to about $3,793 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Louisiana?
Earning more than the median of $45,520 puts you above half of all workers in Louisiana. A salary of $66,340 or more is in the top 25%, and $100,110 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Louisiana?
Median household income in Louisiana was $60,986 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Louisiana have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Louisiana taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.