How Much Does an LPN Make in New Orleans, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in New Orleans, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · New Orleans · Metairie metro area
A typical LPN in New Orleans, Louisiana earns $29.15 per hour, or $60,640 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,053 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $49,230, and the top 10% of earners make over $75,370.
That pay is 6% above the Louisiana figure of $57,470 and 6% below the national figure of $64,400. New Orleans ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for LPN pay. About 2,940 LPNs work in the New Orleans · Metairie area. New Orleans is part of the New Orleans · Metairie metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Metairie share these figures.
LPN pay in New Orleans at a glance
- Typical pay is $29.15 an hour, or $60,640 a year.
- That is 6% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $49,230; the top 10% make over $75,370.
- Typical pay rose +48% from 2015 to 2025, against +54% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in New Orleans?
Pay in New Orleans runs from entry-level positions at around $23.67 an hour to more than $36.24 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in New Orleans
| Career stage | New Orleans | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $49,230$23.67 an hour | $45,810$22.03 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $51,630$24.82 an hour | $49,650$23.87 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $60,640$29.15 an hour | $57,470$27.63 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $63,790$30.67 an hour | $61,220$29.43 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $75,370$36.24 an hour | $66,150$31.80 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the New Orleans · Metairie area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in New Orleans
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the New Orleans · Metairie area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in New Orleans was $40,910 a year. By 2025 it had reached $60,640, a change of +48%, compared with +54% for Louisiana over the same years.
How New Orleans compares with other Louisiana cities
New Orleans pays LPNs the most of any metro area in Louisiana. The lowest-paying area in the state is Lafayette at $51,580.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs New Orleans | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $60,640 | $29.15 | this city | 2,940 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $59,700 | $28.70 | -2% | 2,900 |
| 3 | Covington metro incl. Mandeville · Slidell | $59,500 | $28.61 | -2% | 960 |
| 4 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $58,340 | $28.05 | -4% | 1,840 |
| 5 | Hammond | $55,840 | $26.85 | -8% | 470 |
| 6 | Monroe | $55,360 | $26.61 | -9% | 1,130 |
| 7 | Alexandria | $54,880 | $26.38 | -9% | 690 |
| 8 | Lake Charles | $53,300 | $25.63 | -12% | 890 |
| 9 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $53,240 | $25.60 | -12% | 520 |
| 10 | Lafayette | $51,580 | $24.80 | -15% | 2,100 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $57,470
Is New Orleans a good place to work as an LPN?
LPNs in New Orleans earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $60,640 a year, 6% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the New Orleans · Metairie area, about 6.6 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 New Orleans, LA?
- A typical LPN in New Orleans earns $60,640 a year, or $29.15 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $49,230 and the top 10% earn over $75,370.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in New Orleans?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in New Orleans is $29.15. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $23.67, and the top 10% earn over $36.24 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in New Orleans?
- Entry-level LPN positions in New Orleans typically offer around $23.67 an hour, or $49,230 a year.
- Is LPN pay in New Orleans higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- New Orleans pay is 6% above the Louisiana figure of $57,470 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.