Audio and Video Technicians Salary
The median pay for a audio and video technicians in Lake Charles, LA is $49,150/year ($23.63/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers.
So what does $49K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.9). 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 audio and video technicians
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for audio and video technicians in Lake Charles runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,212/month, which is 36.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for audio and video technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for audio and video technicians in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $47K | , |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $48K | , |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $40K | , |
| Lafayette | $37K | , |
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 audio and video technicians (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Audio and Video Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Audio and Video Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $79K | +36% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +22% | 2,280 |
| Maryland | $70K | +21% | 1,770 |
| Washington | $69K | +19% | 1,360 |
| New York | $68K | +16% | 7,990 |
| California | $65K | +11% | 9,280 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +10% | 150 |
| Nevada | $63K | +8% | 1,580 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 820 |
| Alaska | $62K | +7% | 70 |
| Illinois | $61K | +5% | 3,020 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +4% | 430 |
| Delaware | $60K | +3% | 130 |
| Michigan | $58K | +0% | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $57K | -2% | 830 |
| New Hampshire | $56K | -3% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -7% | 6,000 |
| Virginia | $54K | -7% | 1,900 |
| Minnesota | $54K | -7% | 960 |
| Oregon | $52K | -10% | 630 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -10% | 440 |
| Vermont | $52K | -11% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 760 |
| Georgia | $51K | -12% | 1,630 |
| Iowa | $51K | -12% | 290 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 1,370 |
| Nebraska | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| Alabama | $50K | -14% | 320 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -14% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -14% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,640 |
| Idaho | $50K | -14% | 210 |
| Ohio | $50K | -14% | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $50K | -14% | 1,390 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -14% | 50 |
| Texas | $49K | -15% | 4,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -16% | 540 |
| Utah | $49K | -16% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -17% | 600 |
| Arizona | $47K | -19% | 1,340 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -19% | 420 |
| Montana | $47K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -20% | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -20% | 200 |
| Maine | $46K | -21% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -23% | 860 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -24% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -25% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track audio and video technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a audio and video technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 36.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for audio and video technicians in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new audio and video technicians typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,243/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is audio and video technician a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $49K here vs. $58K 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 audio and video technicians?
Lake Charles pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do audio and video technicians make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $49,150 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,390, and experienced audio and video technicians can clear $57,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,335/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 36.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a audio and video technicians salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median audio and video technicians salary is worth about $57,218 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do audio and video technicians 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.