Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $63,420 a year. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $73,873 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 29.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $63K 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Career/technical education teachers, secondary school pay in Lake Charles tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $66K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,217/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.7% 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. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $61K | $72K |
| Baton Rouge | $61K | $68K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $63K | $68K |
| Lafayette | $59K | $67K |
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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101K | +53% | 3,460 |
| Connecticut | $101K | +52% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +48% | 3,130 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +26% | 2,320 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +23% | 90 |
| California | $81K | +22% | 3,260 |
| New York | $80K | +20% | 7,610 |
| Delaware | $79K | +20% | 560 |
| Ohio | $79K | +20% | 5,130 |
| Vermont | $79K | +20% | 220 |
| Georgia | $79K | +19% | 1,680 |
| Oregon | $78K | +18% | 750 |
| Maryland | $78K | +18% | 690 |
| Alaska | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Maine | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Illinois | $78K | +18% | 2,780 |
| Michigan | $77K | +17% | 1,800 |
| New Hampshire | $76K | +15% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +14% | 4,840 |
| Virginia | $76K | +14% | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +12% | 1,420 |
| Colorado | $73K | +10% | 1,250 |
| Utah | $72K | +9% | 730 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +9% | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +8% | 880 |
| New Mexico | $67K | +1% | 100 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 32,250 |
| Nevada | $65K | -3% | 150 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -5% | 1,310 |
| Arizona | $63K | -5% | 660 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -6% | 210 |
| Florida | $62K | -6% | 6,820 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -7% | 1,000 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -7% | 2,940 |
| North Dakota | $62K | -7% | 640 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -7% | 1,530 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -8% | 330 |
| Idaho | $61K | -9% | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $59K | -10% | N/A |
| Missouri | $59K | -11% | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -11% | 1,170 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -12% | 2,650 |
| Kansas | $58K | -12% | 1,050 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -13% | 1,770 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -13% | 1,000 |
| Iowa | $58K | -13% | 640 |
| Indiana | $56K | -15% | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -15% | 360 |
| Montana | $55K | -17% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, secondary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 28.7% 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, secondary schools typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,993/month. At HUD’s $1,217/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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $66K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools?
Lake Charles pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $63,420 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,880, and experienced career/technical education teachers, secondary schools can clear $73,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,240/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 28.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a career/technical education teachers, secondary school 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary is worth about $73,873 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools 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.