How Much Does an LPN Make in Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in Lake Charles, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lake Charles metro area
A typical LPN in Lake Charles, Louisiana earns $25.63 per hour, or $53,300 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,442 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $43,170, and the top 10% of earners make over $62,000.
That pay is 7% below the Louisiana figure of $57,470 and 17% below the national figure of $64,400. Lake Charles ranks 8th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for LPN pay. About 890 LPNs work in the Lake Charles area.
LPN pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Typical pay is $25.63 an hour, or $53,300 a year.
- That is 7% below the Louisiana figure, ranking 8th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $43,170; the top 10% make over $62,000.
- Typical pay rose +49% from 2015 to 2025, against +54% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in Lake Charles?
Pay in Lake Charles runs from entry-level positions at around $20.76 an hour to more than $29.81 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in Lake Charles
| Career stage | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $43,170$20.76 an hour | $45,810$22.03 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $50,620$24.34 an hour | $49,650$23.87 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $53,300$25.63 an hour | $57,470$27.63 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $60,330$29.01 an hour | $61,220$29.43 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $62,000$29.81 an hour | $66,150$31.80 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lake Charles area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in Lake Charles
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the Lake Charles area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in Lake Charles was $35,750 a year. By 2025 it had reached $53,300, a change of +49%, compared with +54% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lake Charles compares with other Louisiana cities
New Orleans pays LPNs the most in Louisiana at $60,640 a year, $7,340 more than Lake Charles. The lowest-paying area in the state is Lafayette at $51,580.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lake Charles | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $60,640 | $29.15 | +14% | 2,940 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $59,700 | $28.70 | +12% | 2,900 |
| 3 | Covington metro incl. Mandeville · Slidell | $59,500 | $28.61 | +12% | 960 |
| 4 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $58,340 | $28.05 | +9% | 1,840 |
| 5 | Hammond | $55,840 | $26.85 | +5% | 470 |
| 6 | Monroe | $55,360 | $26.61 | +4% | 1,130 |
| 7 | Alexandria | $54,880 | $26.38 | +3% | 690 |
| 8 | Lake Charles | $53,300 | $25.63 | this city | 890 |
| 9 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $53,240 | $25.60 | 0% | 520 |
| 10 | Lafayette | $51,580 | $24.80 | -3% | 2,100 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $57,470
Is Lake Charles a good place to work as an LPN?
LPNs in Lake Charles earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $53,300 a year, 17% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lake Charles area, about 8.8 are LPN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 4.2. That makes the local economy more reliant on LPNs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an LPN make in Lake Charles, LA?
- A typical LPN in Lake Charles earns $53,300 a year, or $25.63 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $43,170 and the top 10% earn over $62,000.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in Lake Charles?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in Lake Charles is $25.63. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $20.76, and the top 10% earn over $29.81 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in Lake Charles?
- Entry-level LPN positions in Lake Charles typically offer around $20.76 an hour, or $43,170 a year.
- Is LPN pay in Lake Charles higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lake Charles pay is 7% below the Louisiana figure of $57,470 a year, ranking 8th of 10 metro areas in the state. New Orleans pays the most in Louisiana at $60,640.