SalaryExplorer

SOC 35-9021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Dishwashers — Houma

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA · 9 metro areas compared

$26,830 /year
$12.90per hour
140jobs in area
−22.9%vs US median

Median pay for this occupation in Houma, LA is $26,830 a year, trailing the national median of $34,810 by 22.9%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $34,81010TH$18,96025TH$21,430MEDIAN$26,83075TH$29,19090TH$32,850

How pay has moved

$28,943$16,2682019202020212022202320242025$26,830
$18,380 in 2019 to $26,830 in 2025, +46% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+0.2%
Openings per year
76,800
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

Median pay for this occupation in Houma, LA is $26,830 a year, trailing the national median of $34,810 by 22.9%. Half of workers earn between $21,430 and $29,190. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $18,960 and the ninetieth at $32,850.

The area has 140 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.7 of every thousand jobs. New Orleans leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $27,690. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 253rd of 278 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$18,960−45.5%
25th$21,430−38.4%
Median (50th)$26,830−22.9%
75th$29,190−16.1%
90th$32,850−5.6%
Mean$25,720−26.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Louisiana

Median annual wage for Dishwashers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1New Orleans$27,6901,420
2Baton Rouge$27,580640
3Slidell$26,440300
4Lafayette$25,300450
5Lake Charles$24,760200
6Hammond$24,380130
7Shreveport$23,170310
8Alexandria$23,010100
9Monroe$22,160170

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Houma run 14.9% below the national average, so the median of $26,830 goes as far as $31,528 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 9.4% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$26,830as reported by BLS

Local price level

85.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$31,528US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $26,830 a year, 22.9% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $18,960 to $32,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 140 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is New Orleans, at $27,690.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Dishwashers in Houma, LA?

The median annual wage is $26,830, or $12.90 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $34,810, so pay in Houma, LA is 22.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Houma, LA earns more than $32,850 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $18,960 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in New Orleans, at $27,690 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 140 jobs in this occupation in Houma, LA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.