SOC 17-2071 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Electrical Engineers — Lake Charles
Lake Charles, LA · 6 metro areas compared
At $129,940, median pay for Electrical Engineers in Lake Charles, LA tracks the national median of $120,630 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.2%
- Openings per year
- 11,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
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 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
At $129,940, median pay for Electrical Engineers in Lake Charles, LA tracks the national median of $120,630 closely. Pay ranges from under $80,520 at the tenth percentile to more than $170,700 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $97,060 to $162,600.
Employment stands at 70, or 0.7 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Slidell records the highest median at $167,010. Of the 277 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 7th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $80,520 | −33.3% |
| 25th | $97,060 | −19.5% |
| Median (50th) | $129,940 | +7.7% |
| 75th | $162,600 | +34.8% |
| 90th | $170,700 | +41.5% |
| Mean | $130,670 | +8.3% |
Other metro areas in Louisiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slidell | $167,010 | 50 | |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $133,030 | 350 | |
| 3 | New Orleans | $125,120 | 220 | |
| 4 | Shreveport | $111,380 | 60 | |
| 5 | Monroe | $101,310 | 40 | |
| 6 | Lafayette | $99,280 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lake Charles run 14.1% below the national average, so the median of $129,940 goes as far as $151,269 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 25.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$129,940as reported by BLSLocal price level
85.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$151,269US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $129,940 a year, 7.7% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $80,520 to $170,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 70 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Slidell, at $167,010.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Electrical Engineers in Lake Charles, LA?
The median annual wage is $129,940, or $62.47 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 $120,630, so pay in Lake Charles, LA is 7.7% 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 $170,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $80,520 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 Slidell, at $167,010 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 70 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.
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