Accountants and Auditors Salary
The median pay for a accountants and auditors in Lake Charles, LA is $70,050/year ($33.68/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $146K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $81,596 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 26.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $70K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About accountants and auditors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for accountants and auditors in Lake Charles runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $84K. Rent runs $1,217/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for accountants and auditors in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $78K | $84K |
| Baton Rouge | $73K | $80K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $70K | $83K |
| Lafayette | $68K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level accountants and auditors (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $146K or more, a $98K spread from bottom to top.
Accountants and Auditors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Accountants and Auditors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $112K | +33% | 9,810 |
| New York | $103K | +23% | 109,830 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +20% | 42,250 |
| Massachusetts | $99K | +19% | 46,230 |
| Connecticut | $98K | +17% | 16,770 |
| California | $97K | +16% | 175,360 |
| Colorado | $97K | +16% | 35,410 |
| Washington | $97K | +15% | 34,740 |
| Rhode Island | $96K | +15% | 6,570 |
| Delaware | $95K | +14% | 6,570 |
| Virginia | $93K | +11% | 47,100 |
| Maryland | $89K | +7% | 26,170 |
| Oregon | $86K | +3% | 14,920 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | -0% | 7,000 |
| Alaska | $83K | -0% | 2,190 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -2% | 49,270 |
| Georgia | $82K | -2% | 44,020 |
| Minnesota | $82K | -2% | 30,530 |
| Nevada | $82K | -2% | 6,930 |
| Texas | $81K | -3% | 116,470 |
| Illinois | $80K | -4% | 54,930 |
| Utah | $80K | -4% | 15,490 |
| Arizona | $80K | -4% | 27,410 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -5% | 25,100 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -5% | 16,720 |
| Ohio | $79K | -5% | 50,440 |
| Florida | $79K | -5% | 91,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $79K | -6% | 54,290 |
| Kansas | $79K | -6% | 13,610 |
| Vermont | $79K | -6% | 2,630 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -6% | 5,820 |
| Michigan | $79K | -6% | 41,460 |
| New Mexico | $79K | -6% | 6,300 |
| Indiana | $78K | -7% | 25,660 |
| Wyoming | $78K | -7% | 2,670 |
| Maine | $77K | -7% | 3,860 |
| Iowa | $77K | -7% | 13,210 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -8% | 27,340 |
| Missouri | $77K | -8% | 28,000 |
| South Carolina | $77K | -9% | 15,270 |
| Montana | $76K | -9% | 4,730 |
| North Dakota | $76K | -10% | 4,430 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -10% | 11,930 |
| Alabama | $75K | -11% | 24,300 |
| Idaho | $75K | -11% | 5,570 |
| Hawaii | $75K | -11% | 4,670 |
| Louisiana | $74K | -12% | 14,050 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -12% | 4,900 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -14% | 10,340 |
| Mississippi | $68K | -19% | 7,350 |
| Arkansas | $66K | -21% | 7,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track accountants and auditors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a accountants and auditor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 26.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for accountants and auditors in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new accountants and auditors typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,855/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 43% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is accountants and auditor a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $70K here vs. $84K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for accountants and auditors?
Lake Charles pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — below the national median.
How much do accountants and auditors make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $70,050 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,590, and experienced accountants and auditors can clear $145,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,606/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 26.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a accountants and auditors salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median accountants and auditors salary is worth about $81,596 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do accountants and auditors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.