Cashiers Salary
Cashiers in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $27,480 a year, or about $13.21 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $35K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $32,009 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 62.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K 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 cashiers
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for cashiers in Lake Charles runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $33K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 62.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cashierss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cashiers in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $28K | $31K |
| Baton Rouge | $27K | $30K |
| Lafayette | $25K | $29K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $26K | $30K |
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 cashiers (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $35K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Cashiers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cashiers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $39K | +18% | 6,060 |
| Washington | $39K | +18% | 61,050 |
| California | $37K | +13% | 336,110 |
| Colorado | $37K | +12% | 51,670 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +12% | 10,780 |
| Alaska | $36K | +10% | 5,810 |
| Vermont | $36K | +9% | 7,030 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +8% | 30,920 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +8% | 58,880 |
| New York | $36K | +8% | 158,890 |
| Oregon | $35K | +7% | 37,660 |
| Maine | $35K | +6% | 14,240 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +6% | 9,260 |
| Minnesota | $35K | +5% | 58,190 |
| Arizona | $35K | +5% | 72,570 |
| New Jersey | $35K | +5% | 107,680 |
| Illinois | $34K | +5% | 139,630 |
| Maryland | $34K | +5% | 49,910 |
| Montana | $34K | +4% | 12,170 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +3% | 17,250 |
| Delaware | $33K | +2% | 11,450 |
| Utah | $32K | -4% | 22,940 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -4% | 9,510 |
| Wisconsin | $31K | -6% | 65,380 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -6% | 5,840 |
| Virginia | $31K | -7% | 83,890 |
| Florida | $31K | -7% | 201,370 |
| Missouri | $31K | -7% | 69,430 |
| Idaho | $30K | -8% | 17,200 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -8% | 20,650 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -8% | 19,020 |
| Nevada | $30K | -9% | 30,160 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -9% | 12,860 |
| Michigan | $30K | -10% | 92,930 |
| Indiana | $30K | -10% | 68,350 |
| Ohio | $29K | -11% | 103,020 |
| Texas | $29K | -11% | 245,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -11% | 110,950 |
| Georgia | $29K | -12% | 97,540 |
| Iowa | $29K | -12% | 41,450 |
| North Carolina | $29K | -12% | 106,440 |
| Kansas | $29K | -12% | 33,080 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -13% | 44,550 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -13% | 63,350 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -13% | 56,550 |
| Alabama | $28K | -14% | 46,420 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -14% | 41,140 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -16% | 28,270 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -19% | 46,350 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -20% | 30,490 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -20% | 17,360 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cashiers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cashier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 62.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cashiers in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cashiers typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,237/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 98% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cashier a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $27K here vs. $33K 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 cashiers?
Lake Charles pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do cashiers make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $27,480 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,610, and experienced cashiers can clear $35,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,947/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 62.5% 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 cashiers 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 cashiers salary is worth about $32,009 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cashiers 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.