Highest Paying Jobs in Louisiana

Top 100 occupations ranked by median annual salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025

Highest Salary

$502,720

Pediatricians, General

Top 25 Average

$212,614

median salary

$100K+ Jobs

occupations

Occupations

100

with wage data

This ranking surfaces the 100 highest-paying occupations in Louisiana by BLS OEWS state median salary, drawn from the May 2025 release. At the top, Pediatricians, General pays a state median of $502,720, +139% above the national median of $210,040 for the same role. Of the 100 tracked positions, 68 pay above $100,000 per year in Louisiana - a useful threshold for separating specialist professional roles from mid-tier employment. The top-10 average sits at $320,389, giving a sense of what elite specialists inside this state actually clear.

The "Difference" column compares each state median to the corresponding national median for the same SOC code, making pay premiums and discounts immediately visible. In this list, 37 of 100 occupations pay above the national median in Louisiana, which usually signals one of three things: a local concentration of specialized employers (finance hubs, tech clusters, research universities, federal agencies), a cost-of-living adjustment baked into state-wide wage scales, or scarce in-state talent supply bidding up competitive roles. Occupations paying below the national median are not necessarily bad news, they often reflect lower cost of living in the state or industries where Louisiana is not a concentrated employer.

Rankings like this show ceiling-potential by specialty, but they don't tell you the odds of landing one of those roles. Pair this table with the employment column (how many workers the state actually employs in each occupation) and the growth projections on each occupation's national page to see whether the field is expanding or contracting. BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, especially distorting for top-paying roles where equity and performance compensation can represent 30-50% of total pay. Use this leaderboard to shortlist careers worth exploring in Louisiana, then drill into each row's linked profile to check percentile spread, typical education, metro-level variation, and whether projected openings match your timeline.

#	Occupation	State Median	National	Difference	Employment
1	Pediatricians, General Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$502,720	$210,040	+139% above	40
2	Anesthesiologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$410,500	$391,490	+5% above	190
3	Obstetricians and Gynecologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$404,550	$292,910	+38% above	80
4	Physicians, All Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$350,920	$265,930	+32% above	4,740
5	Psychiatrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$345,040	$281,870	+22% above	90
6	Surgeons, All Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$304,830	$414,010	26% below	140
7	Family Medicine Physicians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$255,330	$244,180	+5% above	1,090
8	Nurse Anesthetists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$222,130	$236,590	6% below	900
9	General Internal Medicine Physicians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$210,390	$256,560	18% below	N/A
10	Podiatrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$197,480	$160,300	+23% above	50
11	Dentists, General Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$170,750	$170,950	same as	1,500
12	Physicists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$166,240	$172,250	3% below	40
13	Architectural and Engineering Managers Management Occupations	$162,850	$171,270	5% below	1,840
14	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$155,250	$300,080	48% below	30
15	Petroleum Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$139,640	$144,910	4% below	710
16	Aerospace Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$136,970	$134,960	+1% above	90
17	Chemical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$134,800	$125,040	+8% above	730
18	Industrial Production Managers Management Occupations	$133,210	$126,060	+6% above	2,680
19	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$132,670	$123,920	+7% above	70
20	Pharmacists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$132,410	$140,910	6% below	5,610
21	Environmental Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$130,510	$107,110	+22% above	340
22	Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance Personal Care and Service Occupations	$129,580	$97,150	+33% above	N/A
23	Business Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$129,040	$99,080	+30% above	640
24	Physician Assistants Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$128,870	$135,880	5% below	1,360
25	Materials Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$128,670	$112,860	+14% above	90
26	Computer and Information Systems Managers Management Occupations	$127,500	$175,140	27% below	2,860
27	Financial Managers Management Occupations	$126,800	$166,570	24% below	7,070
28	Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Legal Occupations	$126,440	$117,860	+7% above	140
29	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$125,930	$109,270	+15% above	300
30	Nurse Practitioners Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$125,600	$132,300	5% below	5,380
31	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$125,130	$107,310	+17% above	2,250
32	Veterinarians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$124,370	$130,100	4% below	950
33	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales and Related Occupations	$124,200	$104,920	+18% above	2,340
34	Electrical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$123,710	$120,630	+3% above	990
35	Industrial Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$122,920	$102,440	+20% above	1,710
36	Fundraising Managers Management Occupations	$122,150	$125,470	3% below	50
37	Sales Engineers Sales and Related Occupations	$121,680	$124,900	3% below	N/A
38	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$120,740	$232,140	48% below	150
39	Marketing Managers Management Occupations	$120,650	$166,790	28% below	940
40	Mechanical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$119,540	$104,110	+15% above	1,890
41	Nurse Midwives Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$119,280	$134,040	11% below	60
42	Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$118,490	$115,160	+3% above	370
43	Optometrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$118,060	$136,570	14% below	250
44	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$117,160	$92,460	+27% above	6,830
45	Natural Sciences Managers Management Occupations	$115,950	$167,220	31% below	N/A
46	Computer and Information Research Scientists Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$115,210	$140,300	18% below	140
47	Sales Managers Management Occupations	$110,700	$148,270	25% below	4,360
48	Construction Managers Management Occupations	$110,010	$114,990	4% below	5,530
49	Purchasing Managers Management Occupations	$109,630	$148,080	26% below	470
50	Gas Plant Operators Production Occupations	$108,350	$87,820	+23% above	800
51	Human Resources Managers Management Occupations	$107,880	$149,280	28% below	1,390
52	Training and Development Managers Management Occupations	$107,670	$133,000	19% below	330
53	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Production Occupations	$106,640	$96,710	+10% above	3,490
54	Computer Network Architects Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$106,620	$134,050	20% below	470
55	Civil Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$105,380	$100,840	+5% above	3,780
56	Medical and Health Services Managers Management Occupations	$104,550	$123,860	16% below	7,470
57	Hydrologists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$104,520	$96,600	+8% above	N/A
58	Psychologists, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$104,460	$110,840	6% below	170
59	Lawyers Legal Occupations	$104,100	$159,670	35% below	10,200
60	Chemists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$103,890	$91,240	+14% above	740
61	Ship Engineers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$103,430	$109,530	6% below	610
62	Managers, All Other Management Occupations	$103,140	$141,900	27% below	13,220
63	Software Developers Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$102,800	$135,980	24% below	4,080
64	Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$102,800	$74,510	+38% above	270
65	General and Operations Managers Management Occupations	$101,790	$105,770	4% below	43,220
66	Power Plant Operators Production Occupations	$101,170	$102,040	1% below	370
67	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$100,390	$130,220	23% below	450
68	Chemical Plant and System Operators Production Occupations	$100,060	$78,120	+28% above	3,400
69	Compensation and Benefits Managers Management Occupations	$99,840	$149,230	33% below	220
70	Air Traffic Controllers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$99,810	$148,080	33% below	230
71	Administrative Services Managers Management Occupations	$99,210	$114,130	13% below	3,260
72	Engineers, All Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$99,070	$122,930	19% below	6,310
73	Education Administrators, Postsecondary Management Occupations	$98,840	$104,590	5% below	3,670
74	Physical Therapists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$98,530	$102,760	4% below	3,280
75	Occupational Therapists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$98,490	$100,330	2% below	2,060
76	Database Administrators Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$98,270	$104,620	6% below	290
77	Commercial and Industrial Designers Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations	$98,040	$83,910	+17% above	130
78	Atmospheric and Space Scientists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$97,470	$99,070	2% below	70
79	Facilities Managers Management Occupations	$97,120	$106,660	9% below	1,160
80	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Management Occupations	$96,550	$96,660	same as	250
81	Emergency Management Directors Management Occupations	$96,550	$93,330	+3% above	180
82	Commercial Pilots Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$95,940	$123,220	22% below	910
83	Computer Systems Analysts Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$95,660	$105,850	10% below	2,980
84	Management Analysts Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$95,540	$101,860	6% below	4,760
85	Radiation Therapists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$94,710	$105,310	10% below	230
86	Public Relations Managers Management Occupations	$94,380	$146,910	36% below	320
87	Physical Scientists, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$94,320	$122,570	23% below	280
88	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Management Occupations	$93,650	$107,230	13% below	2,840
89	Information Security Analysts Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$92,990	$129,180	28% below	720
90	Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$91,560	$101,920	10% below	440
91	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$91,340	$80,340	+14% above	140
92	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$91,170	$101,110	10% below	560
93	Network and Computer Systems Administrators Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$90,160	$99,130	9% below	1,790
94	Physics Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$90,040	$100,310	10% below	90
95	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$89,560	$90,150	1% below	2,380
96	Writers and Authors Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations	$89,520	$76,910	+16% above	480
97	Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$88,090	$98,070	10% below	70
98	Nuclear Medicine Technologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$87,670	$101,370	14% below	170
99	Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$87,460	$76,780	+14% above	50
100	Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Construction and Extraction Occupations	$86,980	$58,620	+48% above	890

More ways to explore Louisiana pay and compare with national data.

Louisiana Overview

Full state salary data

Fastest Growing in Louisiana

Top 50 by growth rate

National Rankings

Highest paying jobs nationwide

Pediatricians, General

National profile & state breakdown

All 50 States

Compare across states

Compare Pediatricians, General side-by-side with another occupation →

About This Data

All salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. State-level data reflects wages for workers employed in Louisiana. The "Difference" column shows how Louisiana pay compares to the national median for that occupation.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. These figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level wage data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

Compiled by WageDex Editorial, Occupational Wages Editorial Team · May 15, 2026

Nearby & Related Pages

About This Data