Louisiana Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Louisiana.
The average salary in Louisiana is $99,947 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 1 metropolitan areas (New Orleans). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $332,690 median; 28 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 96, the average median equates to $104,111 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Louisiana has 1 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing Louisiana job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Louisiana
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 250 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($332,690)
Dentist
Healthcare · 270 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($198,050)
Business Professor (Postsecondary)
Education · 240 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($137,540)
Optometrist
Healthcare · 50 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($136,200)
Financial Manager
Finance · 1,970 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($134,110)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 800 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($131,570)
Veterinarian
Healthcare · 200 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($128,360)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 1,470 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($128,100)
Industrial Engineer
Engineering · 460 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($127,340)
Marketing Manager
Management · 250 jobs in state · top metro: New Orleans ($126,740)
Cities in Louisiana
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Louisiana is $99,947 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 1 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Family Medicine Physician at $332,690 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Louisiana, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Family Medicine Physician ($332,690), Dentist ($198,050), Business Professor (Postsecondary) ($137,540), Optometrist ($136,200), Financial Manager ($134,110). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/louisiana.
28 of the 60 BLS-tracked occupations in Louisiana have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally.
New Orleans, LA leads Louisiana with an average median salary of $99,947 across 60 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Louisiana's tracked metros is 96 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $99,947 translates to $104,111 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. Low COL means nominal pay translates to better-than-average buying power.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Louisiana, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
60 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.