Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Louisiana | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $80,230 | $98,331 | -18% |
| Median hourly wage | $38.57 | $47.27 | -18% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $90,964.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | $79,184 | $59,800 | $96,600 | 96 |
The median annual salary for a Registered Nurse in Louisiana is $80,230, or about $38.57 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Registered Nurses is $98,331. Louisiana is -18% below the national median.
Entry-level registered nurses in Louisiana typically earn from $59,800 depending on the city and employer.
With 48,970 registered nurse jobs on record and a median salary of $80,230, Louisiana offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, registered nurses rank 133 of the 679 occupations reported in Louisiana — higher than 80% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Pediatricians, General at $502,720, Anesthesiologists at $410,500, Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $404,550 — all figures are median annual wages for Louisiana.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Louisiana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, registered nurses rank 133 of the 679 occupations reported in Louisiana — higher than 80% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Louisiana | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatricians, General | $502,720 | $40 |
| Anesthesiologists | $410,500 | $190 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $404,550 | $80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $350,920 | $4,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $345,040 | $90 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $304,830 | $140 |
Louisiana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 679 occupations in Louisiana.