Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Louisiana is $128,870/year ($61.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $101K at the entry level to $162K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $147,651 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 15.2% 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 $129K actually covers in Louisiana, month by month
About physician assistants
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Louisiana
Physician assistants pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $129K locally vs. $136K nationwide, a 5% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 15.2% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $101K. Mid-career wages sit at $129K. Top earners bring in $162K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Physician Assistants salary by metro in Louisiana
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $138K | +7% | 110 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $136K | +6% | 60 |
| Lafayette | $135K | +4% | 100 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $134K | +4% | 90 |
| Alexandria | $133K | +3% | 50 |
| Baton Rouge | $131K | +1% | 360 |
| Lake Charles | $127K | -1% | 40 |
| Monroe | $126K | -2% | 50 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $125K | -3% | 400 |
Compare to other states
Track physician assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $129K, rent takes 15.2% 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 physician assistants in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $101K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,306/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 19% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $129K locally vs. $136K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for physician assistants?
Louisiana pays $129K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $148K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Louisiana?
The median is $128,870 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $100,920, and experienced physician assistants can clear $162,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $129K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,828/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 15.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physician assistants 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 physician assistants salary is worth about $147,651 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physician assistants 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.