How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Louisiana in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Louisiana earns about $61.96 per hour ($128,870 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Based on that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $10,739 a month and $2,478 a week. These figures represent typical pay across the state, before accounting for city, setting, or experience.

That pay sits 5% below the national figure of $135,880 a year ($65.33 an hour) for Physician Assistants, placing Louisiana 41st among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Roughly 1,360 Physician Assistants work in Louisiana, a small slice of the 162,150 employed nationwide. The gap is modest, and lower pay in Louisiana tends to track a lower cost of living than in many higher-paying states.

Entry-level positions in Louisiana typically offer around $48.52 an hour, or about $100,920 a year, for Physician Assistants just starting out. Pay tends to rise from there as clinicians gain experience and take on more independent responsibilities. Within a few years, many reach the typical figure of $128,870 a year. Newer graduates should expect starting offers closer to the lower end of that range.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Louisiana often earn upwards of $144,100 a year ($69.28 an hour), and the top 10% of earners make over $162,200. That leaves a spread of $61,280 between entry-level and top-tier pay. Setting, years of experience, and the city where a PA works all factor into where someone lands within that range.

Louisiana's typical Physician Assistant pay has climbed steadily over the past decade, rising from $88,970 in 2015 to $128,870 in 2025. That's a gain of $39,900, or 45%, over ten years. The increase wasn't perfectly linear; pay dipped slightly in 2017 and again in 2025 from the prior year's peak of $129,610, but the overall trend moved upward.

That 45% rise outpaces the 38% increase seen nationally over the same ten years, meaning Louisiana pay grew faster than the country as a whole. For someone starting a Physician Assistant career in Louisiana now, the decade of data shows pay has moved up substantially. Past growth doesn't guarantee future gains, but the trend has consistently pointed higher.

Pay runs highest in the Slidell metro area, where Physician Assistants typically earn $138,310 a year ($66.50 an hour), about 7% above the statewide figure. Covington and Mandeville, part of the same metro area, share that same $138,310 figure. Bayou Cane, Houma, and Thibodaux follow closely at $135,960 a year. These figures reflect each city's full metro area, not just the city center.

At the other end, the New Orleans metro area typically pays $124,580 a year ($59.90 an hour), the lowest among Louisiana's tracked cities. That's a spread of $13,730 between the highest- and lowest-paying areas. Metairie, part of the same metro area, has the largest Physician Assistant workforce in the state at 400 employed. Pay differences across cities often track differences in local living costs.

Louisiana's typical pay compares differently across its borders. Texas pays more, at $134,550 a year (about 4% higher), while Arkansas trails at $118,430 (8% lower) and Mississippi lags furthest behind at $105,920 (18% lower). A Physician Assistant weighing a move across state lines will find Louisiana's pay ahead of two of its three neighbors. Licensure earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a nearby one, easing a cross-border move.

Physician Assistants in Louisiana typically earn $128,870 a year ($61.96 an hour), a figure that has climbed 45% over the past decade. Pay runs somewhat below the national figure but varies by city, experience, and setting. Anyone weighing a move or a new role should check Louisiana's state licensing or registry page for current requirements, and review city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to practice.