Mechanical Engineer Salary
The median pay for a mechanical engineers in Louisiana is $119,540/year ($57.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $182K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $136,962 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 15.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $120K actually covers in Louisiana, month by month
About mechanical engineers
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Louisiana sits well above the national pay line for mechanical engineers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $104K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 16.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Louisiana offers a genuinely strong financial position for mechanical engineers at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level mechanical engineers (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $120K. Top earners bring in $182K or more, a $111K spread from bottom to top.
Mechanical Engineers salary by metro in Louisiana
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $136K | +13% | 540 |
| Lake Charles | $126K | +5% | 110 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $119K | -1% | 100 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $118K | -1% | 530 |
| Monroe | $101K | -16% | 40 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $100K | -16% | 110 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $83K | -31% | 60 |
| Lafayette | $83K | -31% | 160 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a mechanical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $120K, rent takes 16.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical engineers in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical engineers typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,622/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is mechanical engineer a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $120K here vs. $104K nationally.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for mechanical engineers?
Louisiana pays $120K median vs. the U.S. average of $104K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $137K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do mechanical engineers make in Louisiana?
The median is $119,540 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $70,350, and experienced mechanical engineers can clear $181,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $120K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,330/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 16.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a mechanical engineers salary go in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 mechanical engineers salary is worth about $136,962 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do mechanical engineers 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.