Correspondence Clerks Salary
Correspondence Clerks in Baton Rouge, LA make a median of $36,790 a year, or about $17.69 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.78), which stretches that salary to about $40,527 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,204/month, about 48% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Baton Rouge?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baton Rouge’s Regional Price Parity (90.78). 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 correspondence clerks
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What this looks like in Baton Rouge
Pay for correspondence clerks in Baton Rouge runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,204/month, which is 47.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 correspondence clerkss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for correspondence clerks in metros near Baton Rouge, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $50K | $48K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baton Rouge, LA
Entry-level correspondence clerks (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Correspondence Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Correspondence Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $61K | +31% | 70 |
| Oregon | $61K | +31% | 110 |
| California | $54K | +15% | 240 |
| Idaho | $51K | +9% | 40 |
| Nebraska | $50K | +6% | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +6% | 120 |
| Indiana | $50K | +6% | 70 |
| Ohio | $50K | +6% | 40 |
| New York | $49K | +5% | 540 |
| Maine | $49K | +5% | 40 |
| Texas | $49K | +4% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +4% | 40 |
| Virginia | $48K | +3% | N/A |
| Nevada | $48K | +2% | 130 |
| Utah | $47K | +1% | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +1% | N/A |
| Illinois | $46K | -1% | 50 |
| Colorado | $46K | -3% | 50 |
| Missouri | $43K | -7% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -9% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -10% | 50 |
| South Carolina | $42K | -11% | 130 |
| Michigan | $41K | -13% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -14% | 140 |
| Arizona | $40K | -15% | 110 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -21% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track correspondence clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baton Rouge numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a correspondence clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baton Rouge?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 47.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,204/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for correspondence clerks in Baton Rouge?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correspondence clerks typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,916/month. At HUD’s $1,204/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is correspondence clerk a high-paying job in Baton Rouge?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $37K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Baton Rouge compare to the national average for correspondence clerks?
Baton Rouge pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do correspondence clerks make in Baton Rouge, LA?
The median is $36,790 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,930, and experienced correspondence clerks can clear $47,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Baton Rouge?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,543/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,204/month, which eats 47.3% 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 correspondence clerks salary go in Baton Rouge?
Baton Rouge has a Regional Price Parity of 90.78 (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 correspondence clerks salary is worth about $40,527 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do correspondence clerks 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.