How Much Does an RN Make in Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs 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 RN in Lake Charles, Louisiana earns $43.60 per hour, or $90,690 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,558 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,570, and the top 10% of earners make over $121,680.
That pay is 13% above the Louisiana figure of $80,230 and 7% below the national figure of $97,550. Lake Charles ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for RN pay. About 2,460 RNs work in the Lake Charles area.
RN pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Typical pay is $43.60 an hour, or $90,690 a year.
- That is 13% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,570; the top 10% make over $121,680.
- Typical pay rose +60% from 2015 to 2025, against +34% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Lake Charles?
Pay in Lake Charles runs from entry-level positions at around $30.08 an hour to more than $58.50 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Lake Charles
| Career stage | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $62,570$30.08 an hour | $63,800$30.67 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $69,520$33.43 an hour | $69,040$33.19 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $90,690$43.60 an hour | $80,230$38.57 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $97,090$46.68 an hour | $93,600$45.00 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $121,680$58.50 an hour | $104,740$50.36 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lake Charles area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Lake Charles
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Lake Charles area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Lake Charles was $56,650 a year. By 2025 it had reached $90,690, a change of +60%, compared with +34% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lake Charles compares with other Louisiana cities
Lake Charles pays RNs the most of any metro area in Louisiana. The lowest-paying area in the state is Bayou Cane at $75,740.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lake Charles | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Charles | $90,690 | $43.60 | this city | 2,460 |
| 2 | Lafayette | $81,960 | $39.41 | -10% | 4,930 |
| 3 | Metairie metro incl. New Orleans | $81,850 | $39.35 | -10% | 11,530 |
| 4 | Alexandria | $81,680 | $39.27 | -10% | 2,170 |
| 5 | Covington metro incl. Slidell · Mandeville | $81,160 | $39.02 | -11% | 3,190 |
| 6 | Baton Rouge | $81,130 | $39.00 | -11% | 8,290 |
| 7 | Shreveport metro incl. Bossier City | $80,080 | $38.50 | -12% | 6,390 |
| 8 | Monroe | $78,270 | $37.63 | -14% | 2,340 |
| 9 | Hammond | $76,200 | $36.64 | -16% | 1,260 |
| 10 | Houma metro incl. Thibodaux · Bayou Cane | $75,740 | $36.41 | -16% | 1,460 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $80,230
Is Lake Charles a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Lake Charles earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $90,690 a year, 7% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lake Charles area, about 24 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. RN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Lake Charles, LA?
- A typical RN in Lake Charles earns $90,690 a year, or $43.60 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $62,570 and the top 10% earn over $121,680.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Lake Charles?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Lake Charles is $43.60. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $30.08, and the top 10% earn over $58.50 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Lake Charles?
- Entry-level RN positions in Lake Charles typically offer around $30.08 an hour, or $62,570 a year.
- Is RN pay in Lake Charles higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lake Charles pay is 13% above the Louisiana figure of $80,230 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.