SOC 17-3019 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Drafters, All Other — Lake Charles
Lake Charles, LA · 6 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Lake Charles, LA comes to $71,690 a year, ahead of the national median of $63,520 by 12.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -6.9%
- Openings per year
- 1,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
6.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Lake Charles, 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 Lake Charles, LA comes to $71,690 a year, ahead of the national median of $63,520 by 12.9%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $50,780 and $119,190. The lowest tenth earn under $43,670, while the highest tenth earn more than $136,000.
Employment stands at 60, or 0.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Baton Rouge leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $77,020. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 74th of 277 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $43,670 | −31.3% |
| 25th | $50,780 | −20.1% |
| Median (50th) | $71,690 | +12.9% |
| 75th | $119,190 | +87.6% |
| 90th | $136,000 | +114.1% |
| Mean | $81,630 | +28.5% |
Other metro areas in Louisiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baton Rouge | $77,020 | 320 | |
| 2 | Alexandria | $74,540 | 50 | |
| 3 | New Orleans | $65,870 | 180 | |
| 4 | Slidell | $61,260 | 100 | |
| 5 | Lafayette | $60,270 | 130 | |
| 6 | Houma | $59,970 | 80 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lake Charles run 14.1% below the national average, so the median of $71,690 goes as far as $83,458 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 31.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$71,690as reported by BLSLocal price level
85.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$83,458US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $71,690 a year, 12.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $43,670 to $136,000 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Baton Rouge, at $77,020.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Drafters, All Other in Lake Charles, LA?
The median annual wage is $71,690, or $34.46 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 $63,520, so pay in Lake Charles, LA is 12.9% higher. 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 Lake Charles, LA earns more than $136,000 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $43,670 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 Baton Rouge, at $77,020 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Lake Charles, 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.
Explore related data