Customer Service Representatives Salary
Customer Service Representatives in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $35,080 a year, or about $16.86 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $40,862 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 50.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K 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 customer service representatives
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for customer service representatives in Lake Charles runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 50% 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 customer service representativess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for customer service representatives in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $39K | $43K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $39K | $42K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $36K | $43K |
| Lafayette | $37K | $42K |
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 customer service representatives (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Customer Service Representatives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Customer Service Representatives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $50K | +12% | 39,760 |
| California | $50K | +11% | 176,850 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +10% | 49,990 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +9% | 53,340 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | +8% | 7,550 |
| Delaware | $48K | +8% | 7,470 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +7% | 24,490 |
| New York | $48K | +7% | 141,090 |
| New Jersey | $48K | +7% | 59,690 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +6% | 7,890 |
| Colorado | $48K | +6% | 38,770 |
| Vermont | $48K | +6% | 2,870 |
| Oregon | $47K | +6% | 19,440 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +6% | 12,750 |
| Maine | $47K | +5% | 7,560 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +5% | 50,840 |
| Illinois | $46K | +3% | 100,970 |
| Iowa | $46K | +3% | 30,100 |
| Arizona | $46K | +2% | 87,020 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +2% | 8,010 |
| Ohio | $46K | +2% | 85,930 |
| Montana | $45K | +1% | 4,910 |
| Alaska | $45K | +1% | 2,410 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -0% | 5,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -0% | 94,340 |
| Missouri | $44K | -1% | 50,530 |
| Michigan | $44K | -2% | 71,310 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -2% | 15,340 |
| Idaho | $43K | -4% | 18,770 |
| Indiana | $43K | -4% | 44,630 |
| Utah | $43K | -4% | 44,490 |
| Tennessee | $43K | -4% | 59,730 |
| Maryland | $43K | -4% | 37,740 |
| Virginia | $43K | -5% | 59,850 |
| Wyoming | $42K | -5% | 2,110 |
| South Dakota | $41K | -9% | 6,120 |
| Nevada | $41K | -9% | 32,110 |
| Florida | $40K | -10% | 228,000 |
| Texas | $40K | -10% | 337,170 |
| Kansas | $40K | -10% | 29,200 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -10% | 89,510 |
| Georgia | $40K | -11% | 97,850 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -13% | 16,950 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -13% | 51,000 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -14% | 38,630 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -14% | 34,460 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -14% | 9,860 |
| Alabama | $38K | -14% | 33,290 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -15% | 20,680 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -17% | 25,780 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -19% | 20,860 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track customer service representatives salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a customer service representatif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 50% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for customer service representatives in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new customer service representatives typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,542/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is customer service representatif a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $35K here vs. $45K 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 customer service representatives?
Lake Charles pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do customer service representatives make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $35,080 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,700, and experienced customer service representatives can clear $48,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,434/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 50% 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 customer service representatives 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 customer service representatives salary is worth about $40,862 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do customer service representatives 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.