Average Salaries in Baton Rouge, LA
Explore salaries across 501 occupations in Baton Rouge, LA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.9K, -5.8% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 501 occupations and 397,270 total jobs in Baton Rouge, LA.
How the metro compares
Baton Rouge, LA pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Baton Rouge, LA is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $413.6K | 1,060 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $315.6K | N/A |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $268.2K | 130 |
| Dentists, General | $185.4K | 430 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $165.1K | 560 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $139.9K | 690 |
| Environmental Engineers | $138K | 170 |
| Database Architects | $136.5K | 40 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $135.5K | 540 |
| Chemical Engineers | $134.8K | 360 |
Largest occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,130 | $27.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 9,020 | $30.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 8,760 | $36.5K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 8,490 | $23.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 8,290 | $81.1K |
| General And Operations Managers | 8,230 | $107.1K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 7,840 | $23K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 6,650 | $15.1K |
| Construction Laborers | 6,300 | $38.7K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 6,110 | $34.8K |
What Baton Rouge, LA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Baton Rouge, LA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Baton Rouge, LA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Plant And System Operators | 39.39 | $104.4K |
| Boilermakers | 25.40 | $74.7K |
| Sailors And Marine Oilers | 15.73 | $47.5K |
| Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other | 15.06 | $45.9K |
| Pile Driver Operators | 13.29 | $60.6K |
| Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, And Wall | 9.36 | $48.1K |
| Transportation Workers, All Other | 9.30 | $45.9K |
| Captains, Mates, And Pilots Of Water Vessels | 9.27 | $129.3K |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | 8.50 | $48.1K |
| Drafters, All Other | 8.34 | $77K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Baton Rouge, LA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.