Average Salaries in Lafayette, LA
Explore salaries across 357 occupations in Lafayette, LA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.2K, -13.1% 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: 357 occupations and 165,240 total jobs in Lafayette, LA.
How the metro compares
Lafayette, LA pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Lafayette, LA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
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 Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, LA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $300K | 130 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $216.3K | 100 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $201.1K | N/A |
| Dentists, General | $171.9K | 190 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $152.1K | 130 |
| Chief Executives | $134.7K | 140 |
| Physician Assistants | $134.6K | 100 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $132.8K | 180 |
| Pharmacists | $132.1K | 540 |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $127.8K | 110 |
Largest occupations in Lafayette, LA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 5,200 | $21.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,010 | $28.6K |
| Registered Nurses | 4,930 | $82K |
| General And Operations Managers | 4,590 | $99.5K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 4,500 | $32.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,480 | $22.3K |
| Cashiers | 4,480 | $24.9K |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,240 | $34.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 3,410 | $15.1K |
| Food Preparation Workers | 3,260 | $22.9K |
What Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, LA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Lafayette, LA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction Workers, All Other | 60.67 | $53.2K |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil And Gas | 27.56 | $49.2K |
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 17.43 | $50K |
| Riggers | 10.56 | $36.9K |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil And Gas | 10.05 | $47K |
| Sailors And Marine Oilers | 9.20 | $49.5K |
| Boilermakers | 9.14 | $70.7K |
| Bridge And Lock Tenders | 8.54 | $75.3K |
| Drafters, All Other | 7.50 | $60.3K |
| Captains, Mates, And Pilots Of Water Vessels | 6.31 | $116.2K |
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 Lafayette, 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.