Nurse Practitioners Salary
In Louisiana, nurse practitioners earn $125,600 at the median, or about $60.38 an hour. The range runs from $99K at the entry level to $160K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $143,905 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 15.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $126K get you in Louisiana?
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Nurse practitioners pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $126K locally vs. $132K nationwide, a 5% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 15.6% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level nurse practitioners (10th percentile) start around $99K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $160K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Nurse Practitioners salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $129K | +3% | 1,010 |
| Lake Charles | $128K | +2% | 180 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $128K | +2% | 390 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $128K | +2% | 230 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $126K | +0% | 410 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $125K | -1% | 1,270 |
| Monroe | $124K | -1% | 340 |
| Hammond | $123K | -2% | 160 |
| Alexandria | $123K | -2% | 230 |
| Lafayette | $121K | -4% | 480 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a nurse practitioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 15.6% 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 nurse practitioners in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nurse practitioners typically earn — is $99K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,943/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 20% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is nurse practitioner a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $126K locally vs. $132K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for nurse practitioners?
Louisiana pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $132K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $144K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nurse practitioners make in Louisiana?
The median is $125,600 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $99,050, and experienced nurse practitioners can clear $159,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,654/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 15.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a nurse practitioners 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 nurse practitioners salary is worth about $143,905 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nurse practitioners 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.