How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistant in Lake Charles, Louisiana earns $61.13 per hour, or $127,160 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,597 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $58,930, and the top 10% of earners make over $162,380.
That pay is 1% below the Louisiana figure of $128,870 and 6% below the national figure of $135,880. Lake Charles ranks 7th of 9 metro areas in Louisiana for Physician Assistant pay. About 40 Physician Assistants work in the Lake Charles area.
Physician Assistant pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Typical pay is $61.13 an hour, or $127,160 a year.
- That is 1% below the Louisiana figure, ranking 7th of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $58,930; the top 10% make over $162,380.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Lake Charles?
Pay in Lake Charles runs from entry-level positions at around $28.33 an hour to more than $78.07 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Lake Charles
| Career stage | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $58,930$28.33 an hour | $100,920$48.52 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $113,320$54.48 an hour | $117,130$56.31 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $127,160$61.13 an hour | $128,870$61.96 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $140,920$67.75 an hour | $144,100$69.28 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $162,380$78.07 an hour | $162,200$77.98 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lake Charles area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Lake Charles
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Lake Charles area · BLS OES May estimates, 2017 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2017, typical Physician Assistant pay in Lake Charles was $47,520 a year. By 2025 it had reached $127,160, compared with +45% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lake Charles compares with other Louisiana cities
Slidell pays Physician Assistants the most in Louisiana at $138,310 a year, $11,150 more than Lake Charles. The lowest-paying area in the state is New Orleans at $124,580.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lake Charles | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slidell metro incl. Covington · Mandeville | $138,310 | $66.50 | +9% | 110 |
| 2 | Bayou Cane | $135,960 | $65.37 | +7% | 60 |
| 3 | Lafayette | $134,550 | $64.69 | +6% | 100 |
| 4 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $134,090 | $64.46 | +5% | 90 |
| 5 | Alexandria | $132,710 | $63.80 | +4% | 50 |
| 6 | Baton Rouge | $130,670 | $62.82 | +3% | 360 |
| 7 | Lake Charles | $127,160 | $61.13 | this city | 40 |
| 8 | Monroe | $126,190 | $60.67 | -1% | 50 |
| 9 | Metairie metro incl. New Orleans | $124,580 | $59.90 | -2% | 400 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $128,870
Is Lake Charles a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Lake Charles earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $127,160 a year, 6% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lake Charles area, about 0.4 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.1. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Lake Charles, LA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Lake Charles earns $127,160 a year, or $61.13 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $58,930 and the top 10% earn over $162,380.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Lake Charles?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Lake Charles is $61.13. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $28.33, and the top 10% earn over $78.07 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Lake Charles?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Lake Charles typically offer around $28.33 an hour, or $58,930 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Lake Charles higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lake Charles pay is 1% below the Louisiana figure of $128,870 a year, ranking 7th of 9 metro areas in the state. Slidell pays the most in Louisiana at $138,310.