Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
60 Highest Paying Jobs in New Orleans, LA (2026)
The highest-paying job in New Orleans, LA, Louisiana is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $332,690 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. Across all 60 tracked occupations the average median is $99,947, with 28 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. New Orleans, LA has a cost-of-living index of 95.9 (national average = 100), so a $99,947 nominal salary equals $104,220 in average-cost-metro buying power.
The 60 occupations below are ranked by median wage in New Orleans, LA, LA, from BLS OEWS data. New Orleans, LA's cost-of-living index runs 95.9 (national baseline = 100), which shapes the headline-wage interpretation. Top-paying occupations in any U.S. metro typically cluster around physicians, dentists, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals. The specific top of the list varies with local industry concentration: tech-heavy metros boost software-engineering ranks, finance-heavy metros boost banking ranks.
Each role on the ranking links to the per-role-and-city page with full percentile distribution (p10 to p90), employment count, and cost-adjusted wage. For workers comparing offers within New Orleans, LA, the percentile data is the most decision-relevant.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in New Orleans, LA
Ranked by median (50th percentile) salary. The COL-Adjusted column rebases each nominal salary to New Orleans, LA's cost-of-living index of 95.9 so you can compare buying power against an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $332,690 · 10th–90th $190,750–$464,410 · 250 jobs in metro
Family Medicine Physicians in New Orleans, LA earn $332,690 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $464,410.
Median $198,050 · 10th–90th $101,880–$323,930 · 270 jobs in metro
Dentists in New Orleans, LA earn $198,050 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $323,930.
Median $137,540 · 10th–90th $58,030–$262,590 · 240 jobs in metro
Business Professor (Postsecondary)s in New Orleans, LA earn $137,540 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $262,590.
Median $136,200 · 10th–90th $51,140–$199,010 · 50 jobs in metro
Optometrists in New Orleans, LA earn $136,200 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $199,010.
Median $134,110 · 10th–90th $84,250–$229,630 · 1,970 jobs in metro
Financial Managers in New Orleans, LA earn $134,110 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $229,630.
Median $131,570 · 10th–90th $69,000–$210,570 · 800 jobs in metro
Computer and Information Systems Managers in New Orleans, LA earn $131,570 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $210,570.
Median $128,360 · 10th–90th $71,230–$169,070 · 200 jobs in metro
Veterinarians in New Orleans, LA earn $128,360 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $169,070.
Median $128,100 · 10th–90th $86,060–$155,240 · 1,470 jobs in metro
Pharmacists in New Orleans, LA earn $128,100 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $155,240.
Median $127,340 · 10th–90th $83,530–$170,530 · 460 jobs in metro
Industrial Engineers in New Orleans, LA earn $127,340 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $170,530.
Median $126,740 · 10th–90th $76,440–$222,270 · 250 jobs in metro
Marketing Managers in New Orleans, LA earn $126,740 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $222,270.
Full Ranking (60 Occupations)
| Rank | Role | Category | Median | 10th–90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $332,690 | $190,750–$464,410 | $346,913 | 250 |
| 2 | Dentist | Healthcare | $198,050 | $101,880–$323,930 | $206,517 | 270 |
| 3 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $137,540 | $58,030–$262,590 | $143,420 | 240 |
| 4 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $136,200 | $51,140–$199,010 | $142,023 | 50 |
| 5 | Financial Manager | Finance | $134,110 | $84,250–$229,630 | $139,844 | 1,970 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $131,570 | $69,000–$210,570 | $137,195 | 800 |
| 7 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $128,360 | $71,230–$169,070 | $133,848 | 200 |
| 8 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $128,100 | $86,060–$155,240 | $133,577 | 1,470 |
| 9 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $127,340 | $83,530–$170,530 | $132,784 | 460 |
| 10 | Marketing Manager | Management | $126,740 | $76,440–$222,270 | $132,158 | 250 |
| 11 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $126,260 | $80,420–$171,260 | $131,658 | 110 |
| 12 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $125,120 | $78,340–$176,580 | $130,469 | 220 |
| 13 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $124,800 | $105,570–$157,690 | $130,136 | 1,270 |
| 14 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $124,580 | $108,740–$169,060 | $129,906 | 400 |
| 15 | Lawyer | Legal | $121,290 | $62,530–$290,190 | $126,475 | 4,330 |
| 16 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $120,700 | $75,920–$216,550 | $125,860 | 1,810 |
| 17 | Sales Manager | Management | $118,540 | $67,710–$222,320 | $123,608 | 1,000 |
| 18 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $117,990 | $75,340–$170,810 | $123,034 | 530 |
| 19 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $116,350 | $81,150–$201,780 | $121,324 | 350 |
| 20 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $110,970 | $64,060–$167,700 | $115,714 | 1,050 |
| 21 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $109,110 | $72,720–$147,180 | $113,775 | 160 |
| 22 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $108,990 | $75,570–$136,990 | $113,650 | 80 |
| 23 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $108,240 | $70,000–$156,760 | $112,868 | 1,070 |
| 24 | Software Developer | Technology | $106,950 | $77,760–$161,260 | $111,522 | 940 |
| 25 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $105,110 | $53,040–$240,450 | $109,604 | 10,670 |
| 26 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $102,520 | $64,890–$124,870 | $106,903 | 390 |
| 27 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $101,200 | $60,740–$166,160 | $105,527 | 70 |
| 28 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $100,530 | $60,150–$123,900 | $104,828 | 710 |
| 29 | Data Scientist | Technology | $98,390 | $59,560–$130,530 | $102,596 | 200 |
| 30 | Architect | Engineering | $97,950 | $56,280–$157,530 | $102,138 | 420 |
| 31 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $97,240 | $70,050–$136,890 | $101,397 | 940 |
| 32 | Management Analyst | Management | $95,100 | $58,640–$170,600 | $99,166 | 1,600 |
| 33 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $94,520 | $48,190–$136,990 | $98,561 | 1,760 |
| 34 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $93,650 | $45,840–$98,330 | $97,654 | 840 |
| 35 | Network Architect | Technology | $91,570 | $61,530–$152,460 | $95,485 | 360 |
| 36 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $89,670 | $60,780–$128,610 | $93,504 | 80 |
| 37 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $81,850 | $65,660–$103,180 | $85,349 | 11,530 |
| 38 | Writer/Author | Creative | $79,020 | $29,740–$123,040 | $82,398 | 120 |
| 39 | Accountant | Finance | $77,940 | $52,630–$121,170 | $81,272 | 3,740 |
| 40 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $77,860 | $56,990–$132,830 | $81,189 | 560 |
| 41 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $77,420 | $63,410–$102,380 | $80,730 | 550 |
| 42 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $77,220 | $37,690–$96,370 | $80,521 | 550 |
| 43 | Database Architect | Technology | $76,990 | $52,940–$140,720 | $80,282 | 70 |
| 44 | Web Designer | Technology | $75,340 | $44,410–$123,050 | $78,561 | 0 |
| 45 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $74,990 | $43,150–$403,680 | $78,196 | 440 |
| 46 | Web Developer | Technology | $73,280 | $45,770–$94,380 | $76,413 | 50 |
| 47 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $68,600 | $45,390–$115,920 | $71,533 | 490 |
| 48 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $65,590 | $30,490–$115,140 | $68,394 | 1,580 |
| 49 | Paralegal | Legal | $64,780 | $41,040–$79,880 | $67,550 | 2,120 |
| 50 | Welder | Trades | $63,270 | $45,520–$82,600 | $65,975 | 2,000 |
| 51 | Electrician | Trades | $62,490 | $38,990–$82,530 | $65,162 | 2,240 |
| 52 | Plumber | Trades | $62,450 | $39,220–$79,690 | $65,120 | 1,510 |
| 53 | Loan Officer | Finance | $62,240 | $46,180–$132,860 | $64,901 | 470 |
| 54 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $60,750 | $48,810–$77,090 | $63,347 | 2,860 |
| 55 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $60,350 | $47,010–$75,550 | $62,930 | 4,400 |
| 56 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $59,780 | $45,280–$95,570 | $62,336 | 250 |
| 57 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $55,540 | $29,900–$91,340 | $57,914 | 1,030 |
| 58 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $51,710 | $37,460–$87,850 | $53,921 | 560 |
| 59 | Carpenter | Trades | $50,130 | $37,250–$73,040 | $52,273 | 1,390 |
| 60 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $49,190 | $31,640–$80,440 | $51,293 | 1,610 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in New Orleans, LA
New Orleans, LA's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
An average median salary above $90K places this metro in the top tier of U.S. cities for nominal pay. Most of that premium accrues to the upper percentiles of skilled and managerial occupations; entry-level and service-sector pay is closer to national norms.
New Orleans, LA's cost-of-living index of 95.9 runs 4% below the U.S. national average. Lower nominal pay here often translates to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs — see the COL-Adjusted column for the apples-to-apples figure.
How to Use This Ranking
For salary negotiation, the median is a starting anchor — not the ceiling. A Family Medicine Physician with five-plus years of experience in New Orleans, LA should be benchmarking against the 75th percentile ($398,550) or 90th percentile ($464,410), not the $332,690 median. Use the salary percentile calculator to place any specific salary into the BLS distribution for any role-and-city pair.
For cross-city comparisons, ignore the nominal Median column and look at COL-Adjusted. A $333K Family Medicine Physician salary in New Orleans, LA (COL 95.9) translates to $347K of buying power in an average-cost metro — that is the apples-to-apples figure when weighing a relocation. Read the methodology behind these adjustments in our methodology page.
For job hunting, focus on the top-10 ranking above and on the role-by-role detail pages — each links through to a Family Medicine Physician in New Orleans, LA page with full percentile breakdowns, year-over-year change, and prevailing-wage references for H-1B / PERM applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in New Orleans, LA is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $332,690 and a 90th-percentile reading of $464,410. The role employs roughly 250 workers in this metro according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 OEWS data.
28 of the 60 BLS-tracked occupations in New Orleans, LA have a median salary of $100,000 or higher. That is well above what most U.S. metros offer. See the full list ranked by median salary above.
Across 60 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in New Orleans, LA is $99,947. The cost-of-living index is 95.9, so adjusted to a national-average baseline, the average is $104,220 in equivalent purchasing power.
New Orleans, LA has a cost-of-living index of 95.9, below the national average. Nominal pay translates better than face value, making it a strong choice for many careers — particularly the Family Medicine Physician, Dentist, Business Professor (Postsecondary) occupations at the top of the ranking.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers across all industries. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile wages by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The same data is used by the Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Related Pages
Rankings based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 reference period. COL adjustments use a composite cost-of-living index calibrated to U.S. average = 100.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.