Recreation Workers Salary
Recreation Workers in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $26,370 a year, or about $12.68 an hour. The range runs from $17K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $30,716 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 65.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $26K 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 recreation workers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for recreation workers in Lake Charles runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 64.9% 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 recreation workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreation workers in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $34K | $37K |
| Baton Rouge | $29K | $31K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $29K | $34K |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $23K | $24K |
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 recreation workers (10th percentile) start around $17K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Recreation Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Recreation Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $46K | +27% | 470 |
| Washington | $45K | +23% | 6,380 |
| South Dakota | $42K | +16% | 650 |
| Hawaii | $41K | +12% | 1,590 |
| California | $40K | +9% | 48,560 |
| Oregon | $40K | +8% | 4,640 |
| Colorado | $39K | +6% | 6,100 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +5% | 11,280 |
| New York | $38K | +4% | 24,790 |
| Minnesota | $38K | +3% | 7,940 |
| Alaska | $38K | +3% | 630 |
| Maine | $37K | +2% | 1,260 |
| Vermont | $37K | +2% | 840 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +2% | 730 |
| Maryland | $37K | +2% | 4,350 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +1% | 2,030 |
| New Jersey | $37K | +1% | 7,550 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +0% | 5,000 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | -1% | 770 |
| Virginia | $36K | -1% | 9,260 |
| Arizona | $36K | -2% | 12,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -2% | 9,850 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -3% | 6,840 |
| Florida | $35K | -3% | 18,010 |
| Illinois | $35K | -3% | 17,650 |
| Michigan | $35K | -4% | 10,850 |
| Montana | $35K | -4% | 800 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -5% | 1,510 |
| Missouri | $34K | -6% | 5,380 |
| Delaware | $34K | -8% | 1,230 |
| Iowa | $34K | -8% | 2,870 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -8% | 3,420 |
| Utah | $33K | -10% | 5,760 |
| Texas | $33K | -11% | 18,660 |
| North Carolina | $33K | -11% | 9,520 |
| Georgia | $33K | -11% | 8,160 |
| Ohio | $32K | -11% | 12,340 |
| Kentucky | $32K | -11% | 3,290 |
| New Mexico | $32K | -13% | 870 |
| Kansas | $32K | -13% | 2,990 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -14% | 2,380 |
| South Carolina | $31K | -14% | 5,270 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -16% | 790 |
| Indiana | $30K | -17% | 8,050 |
| Nevada | $30K | -18% | 2,570 |
| Idaho | $30K | -18% | 2,080 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -19% | 1,410 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -22% | 2,830 |
| Alabama | $28K | -22% | 4,700 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -23% | 2,220 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -24% | 1,740 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track recreation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 64.9% 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 $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreation workers in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreation workers typically earn — is $17K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,031/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 118% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is recreation worker a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $26K here vs. $37K 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 recreation workers?
Lake Charles pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do recreation workers make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $26,370 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,180, and experienced recreation workers can clear $39,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,875/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 64.9% 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 recreation workers 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 recreation workers salary is worth about $30,716 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do recreation workers 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.