Accountants and Auditors Salary
The median pay for a accountants and auditors in Louisiana is $73,810/year ($35.49/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $117K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $84,567 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 24.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $74K get you in Louisiana?
About accountants and auditors
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for accountants and auditors in Louisiana runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $84K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 24.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Louisiana can be a reasonable trade-off for accountants and auditorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level accountants and auditors (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $117K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.
Accountants and Auditors salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $78K | +6% | 3,740 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $75K | +1% | 480 |
| Monroe | $74K | +0% | 510 |
| Baton Rouge | $73K | -1% | 3,410 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $72K | -2% | 770 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $70K | -5% | 1,250 |
| Lake Charles | $70K | -5% | 600 |
| Lafayette | $68K | -8% | 1,100 |
| Hammond | $66K | -10% | 250 |
| Alexandria | $65K | -13% | 400 |
Compare to other states
Track accountants and auditors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a accountants and auditor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 24.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for accountants and auditors in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new accountants and auditors typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,937/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $74K here vs. $84K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for accountants and auditors?
Louisiana pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do accountants and auditors make in Louisiana?
The median is $73,810 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,950, and experienced accountants and auditors can clear $117,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,813/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 24.7% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $84,567 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.