State salary profile · Louisiana

Louisiana Salaries

Louisiana wages where BEA prices sit below the national average (RPP 88.2), from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

$166,311
Mean of top 50 medians
678
Occupations
13
Local wage areas
68,880
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Louisiana is $166,311.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 678 occupations in Louisiana; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Pediatricians, General, earns $502,720, versus $15,080 for Waiters and Waitresses at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 10 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

Louisiana · employment ≠ wage

In Louisiana, Retail Salespersons lead by published employment (49,570 jobs, #1 of 654) but rank #601 of 654 on median wage ($29,490), while Pediatricians, General top the wage list at $502,720 (#1 of 654) with 40 jobs (#642 of 654). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

49,570
Retail Salespersons employment #1
$502,720
Pediatricians wage #1
#642
Employment rank of wage leader
#601
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Louisiana's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Retail Salespersons lead Louisiana by employment; Pediatricians, General lead on median wage at $502,720.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Louisiana, the picture in one line

Louisiana ranks #48 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Pediatricians, General at $502,720. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

#48
of 54 states by published mean wage
$502,720
top-paying: Pediatricians, General
11th
percentile among all states
Alexandria, LA
local OEWS: Alexandria, LA and Baton Rouge, LA

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Alexandria, LA.

Where Louisiana already employs the upper wage tier

Financial Managers and Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels lead Louisiana's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Financial Managers 7,070 jobs · $126,800
  2. 2. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 6,830 jobs · $117,160
  3. 3. Pharmacists 5,610 jobs · $132,410
  4. 4. Construction Managers 5,530 jobs · $110,010
  5. 5. Nurse Practitioners 5,380 jobs · $125,600
  6. 6. Physicians, All Other 4,740 jobs · $350,920
  7. 7. Sales Managers 4,360 jobs · $110,700
  8. 8. Computer and Information Systems Managers 2,860 jobs · $127,500
  9. 9. Industrial Production Managers 2,680 jobs · $133,210
  10. 10. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products 2,340 jobs · $124,200
  11. 11. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 2,250 jobs · $125,130
  12. 12. Mechanical Engineers 1,890 jobs · $119,540
  13. 13. Architectural and Engineering Managers 1,840 jobs · $162,850
  14. 14. Industrial Engineers 1,710 jobs · $122,920
  15. 15. Dentists, General 1,500 jobs · $170,750
  16. 16. Physician Assistants 1,360 jobs · $128,870
  17. 17. Family Medicine Physicians 1,090 jobs · $255,330
  18. 18. Electrical Engineers 990 jobs · $123,710
  19. 19. Veterinarians 950 jobs · $124,370
  20. 20. Marketing Managers 940 jobs · $120,650

Local BLS wage areas inside Louisiana

Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

Alexandria, LA Baton Rouge, LA Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Hammond, LA Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA Lafayette, LA Lake Charles, LA Monroe, LA New Orleans-Metairie, LA Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Shreveport-Bossier City, LA Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Louisiana moved from $43,770 in May 2024 to $45,520 in May 2025 (+4.0%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Louisiana sits +1.3 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Waiters and Waitresses shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Louisiana

Waiters and Waitresses publishes $15,080 here versus $35,230 nationally (-57.2%; 33,870statewide jobs). Next is Firefighters at $33,120 locally versus $59,280 nationally (-44.1%).

  1. Waiters and Waitresses$15,080 in Louisiana sits 57.2% below the national Waiters and Waitresses median of $35,230 (33,870 published local jobs).
  2. Firefighters$33,120 in Louisiana sits 44.1% below the national Firefighters median of $59,280 (5,230 published local jobs).
  3. Bartenders$20,850 in Louisiana sits 39.3% below the national Bartenders median of $34,340 (10,140 published local jobs).
  4. Bus Drivers, School$29,450 in Louisiana sits 38.5% below the national Bus Drivers, School median of $47,920 (6,670 published local jobs).

Waiters and Waitresses and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Louisiana; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Louisiana OEWS table has a published median for 678 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 68,880; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $166,311 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

At the top of the ranking, Pediatricians, General pays a Louisiana median of $502,720, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Anesthesiologists at $410,500, followed by Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $404,550. At the bottom of the published range, Waiters and Waitresses has a median of $15,080, making the displayed endpoint ratio 33.3×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 10 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Louisiana, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Louisiana's lower BEA price level (RPP 88.2) lifts the national-price reading of the published mean to about $64,172. Even then, compare Pediatricians, General and Waiters and Waitresses inside a local OEWS area before treating either median as an offer. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$166,311

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$502,720

Pediatricians, General

Where Louisiana ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Alexandria, LA and Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area

$56,600 Bottom 11% higher than 11% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$56,600 · 11th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Louisiana ranks #48 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($56,600). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $56,600 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $64,172. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Louisiana (RPP 88.2, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Louisiana

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 678 distinct occupations in Louisiana. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Louisiana, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Louisiana jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Financial Managers $126,800
2 Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $117,160
3 Pharmacists $132,410
4 Construction Managers $110,010
5 Nurse Practitioners $125,600
6 Physicians, All Other $350,920
7 Sales Managers $110,700
8 Computer and Information Systems Managers $127,500
9 Industrial Production Managers $133,210
10 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $124,200
11 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $125,130
12 Mechanical Engineers $119,540
13 Architectural and Engineering Managers $162,850
14 Industrial Engineers $122,920
15 Dentists, General $170,750
16 Physician Assistants $128,870
17 Family Medicine Physicians $255,330
18 Electrical Engineers $123,710
19 Veterinarians $124,370
20 Marketing Managers $120,650
21 Nurse Anesthetists $222,130
22 Gas Plant Operators $108,350
23 Chemical Engineers $134,800
24 Petroleum Engineers $139,640
25 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $129,040
26 Purchasing Managers $109,630
27 Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $118,490
28 Environmental Engineers $130,510
29 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $125,930
30 Optometrists $118,060
31 Anesthesiologists $410,500
32 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $120,740
33 Surgeons, All Other $304,830
34 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $126,440
35 Computer and Information Research Scientists $115,210
36 Psychiatrists $345,040
37 Aerospace Engineers $136,970
38 Materials Engineers $128,670
39 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $404,550
40 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary $132,670
41 Nurse Midwives $119,280
42 Podiatrists $197,480
43 Fundraising Managers $122,150
44 Pediatricians, General $502,720
45 Physicists $166,240
46 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $155,250
47 General Internal Medicine Physicians $210,390
48 Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance $129,580
49 Sales Engineers $121,680
50 Natural Sciences Managers $115,950

Lowest Paying Jobs in Louisiana

Occupation Median Salary
Waiters and Waitresses $15,080
Gambling Dealers $17,760
Bartenders $20,850
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $21,820
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $22,060
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $22,240
Physical Therapist Aides $22,460
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $22,520
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $22,680
Fast Food and Counter Workers $22,800
Childcare Workers $22,900
Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers $23,390
Food Preparation Workers $23,620
Parking Attendants $23,920
Cooks, Fast Food $24,960
School Bus Monitors $25,250
Crossing Guards and Flaggers $25,450
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $25,490
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $26,030
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation $26,220
Cooks, Short Order $26,260
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $26,320
Dishwashers $26,440
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $26,600
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners $26,620

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Louisiana. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Louisiana

Alexandria, LA Baton Rouge, LA Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Hammond, LA Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA Lafayette, LA Lake Charles, LA Monroe, LA New Orleans-Metairie, LA Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Shreveport-Bossier City, LA Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Louisiana. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($56,600 here) and reported employment (1,934,900 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Louisiana pages

Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

Alexandria, LA

Local OEWS wage area

Baton Rouge, LA

Local OEWS wage area

Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Hammond, LA

Local OEWS wage area

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA

Local OEWS wage area

Lafayette, LA

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Louisiana

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Louisiana

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Pediatricians, General

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Louisiana? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $166,311/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Louisiana? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $56,600/year for Louisiana in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 48th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Louisiana? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Louisiana is Pediatricians, General with a median salary of $502,720/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Anesthesiologists at $410,500/year.
What jobs pay the least in Louisiana? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Louisiana ranking is Waiters and Waitresses at $15,080/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Louisiana? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 10 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Louisiana. Published local OEWS areas include Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA, Lafayette, LA, then Lake Charles, LA, Monroe, LA, New Orleans-Metairie, LA, Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Louisiana? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 678 distinct occupations in Louisiana. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 68,880 jobs in covered establishments.

Price-level sources for Louisiana

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BEA Regional Price Parities → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Louisiana wage data in a real decision

  • Louisiana prices sit below the national BEA average (RPP 88.2), so the published $56,600 mean is closer to $64,172 nationally; still re-check Pediatricians, General inside Alexandria, LA and Baton Rouge, LA before relocating. Compare states
  • Inside Louisiana, re-check Pediatricians, General in Alexandria, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, Hammond, LA or Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Alexandria, LA
  • Open Pediatricians, General for percentile bands and local-area rows; Louisiana's statewide median of $502,720 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Pediatricians, General
  • The published Louisiana range runs from Waiters and Waitresses at $15,080 to Pediatricians, General at $502,720; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.