How Much Does a Rad Tech Make in Louisiana in 2026?

A typical Rad Tech in Louisiana earns about $30.61 per hour, or $63,680 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $5,307 a month and $1,225 a week. Those numbers reflect the median for Radiologic Technologists working across the state, in hospitals, clinics, and imaging centers alike.

That pay sits 21% below the national median of $38.52 an hour ($80,110 a year), placing Louisiana 48th among the 51 states and territories measured. Louisiana employs about 3,370 Rad Techs, a fraction of the 230,490 working nationwide. Lower pay in Louisiana tends to track the state's lower cost of living compared with higher-cost states.

Entry-level Rad Techs in Louisiana typically start around $24.05 an hour, or about $50,030 a year, according to the same wage data. Pay tends to move toward the state typical figure of $63,680 within the first few years on the job. New graduates often start in general radiography before adding modalities that pay more.

Experienced Rad Techs in Louisiana often earn upwards of $36.66 an hour, and the top 10% of earners make over $39.82 an hour, or $82,830 a year. That's a spread of $32,800 between entry-level and top pay. Setting, years of experience, and city all factor into where an individual technologist lands within that range.

Louisiana's typical Rad Tech pay rose from $51,720 in 2019 to $63,680 in 2025, a gain of $11,960. That's a 23% increase over six years, though pay dipped briefly in 2021 before climbing again. The steadiest gains came from 2022 onward.

Nationally, Rad Tech pay rose 32% over the same stretch, a faster pace than Louisiana's climb. Pay in the state has moved in the right direction, though it hasn't kept pace with the national trend. Someone starting as a Rad Tech in Louisiana today enters a field where pay has grown steadily, without any guarantee of matching gains ahead.

Pay runs highest in the New Orleans metro area, where Rad Techs typically earn $70,740 a year ($34.01 an hour), about 11% above the statewide figure. These figures cover the full metro area, including Metairie. Bossier City and Shreveport follow at $64,630 a year, still ahead of the state typical pay.

Lake Charles pays the least among Louisiana's metro areas, with typical pay around $60,020 a year ($28.86 an hour), a spread of $10,720 between the highest- and lowest-paying cities. New Orleans also holds the largest Rad Tech workforce in the state, with about 770 employed there. Pay differences across cities generally track differences in local living costs.

Louisiana's typical Rad Tech pay trails Texas, where technologists earn $78,630 a year, about 23% higher. Arkansas pays almost the same, at $63,640 a year, while Mississippi comes in lower, at $59,300 a year, about 7% below Louisiana. Rad Techs considering a move across state lines can often transfer or endorse their license into a neighboring state rather than starting the credentialing process over.

Louisiana Rad Techs typically earn $63,680 a year, up 23% over the past six years, though pay still trails the national figure. Readers considering the field should check the state licensing board for registry and certification requirements, and review city-level pages for local pay figures in places like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport.