Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $90,690 a year, or about $43.6 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $122K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $105,638 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 21.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $91K 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 registered nurses
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Registered nurses pay in Lake Charles tracks closely to the national median, $91K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 21.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $82K | $88K |
| Baton Rouge | $81K | $89K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $80K | $94K |
| Lafayette | $82K | $94K |
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 registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $122K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Registered Nurses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +44% | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136K | +40% | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129K | +32% | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124K | +27% | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109K | +12% | 7,510 |
| New York | $109K | +12% | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $107K | +9% | 92,680 |
| Massachusetts | $105K | +7% | 88,200 |
| Nevada | $104K | +6% | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +5% | 40,110 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +5% | 11,440 |
| Minnesota | $102K | +4% | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +3% | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $100K | +3% | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $100K | +2% | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +2% | 15,390 |
| Delaware | $100K | +2% | 14,290 |
| Arizona | $100K | +2% | 73,150 |
| Vermont | $97K | -0% | 7,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | -1% | 146,520 |
| Illinois | $96K | -2% | 138,910 |
| Texas | $96K | -2% | 271,380 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -2% | 68,060 |
| New Mexico | $94K | -3% | 17,980 |
| Michigan | $94K | -3% | 104,950 |
| Virginia | $94K | -4% | 77,490 |
| Georgia | $94K | -4% | 100,950 |
| Idaho | $92K | -5% | 16,880 |
| Maine | $87K | -11% | 16,540 |
| Montana | $85K | -13% | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $85K | -13% | 24,720 |
| Utah | $85K | -13% | 27,420 |
| North Carolina | $84K | -14% | 111,120 |
| Florida | $84K | -14% | 229,940 |
| Wyoming | $84K | -14% | 5,330 |
| Indiana | $84K | -14% | 68,980 |
| Oklahoma | $83K | -15% | 38,270 |
| Ohio | $83K | -15% | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $82K | -16% | 49,750 |
| Missouri | $82K | -16% | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -16% | 72,200 |
| Kentucky | $81K | -17% | 50,300 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -17% | 11,340 |
| Louisiana | $80K | -18% | 48,970 |
| West Virginia | $80K | -18% | 23,430 |
| Kansas | $79K | -19% | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $79K | -19% | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $79K | -19% | 34,420 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -20% | 14,710 |
| Mississippi | $77K | -21% | 29,060 |
| Alabama | $77K | -21% | 54,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 21.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,754/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 32% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $91K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Lake Charles pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $90,690 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,570, and experienced registered nurses can clear $121,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,743/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 21.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses 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 registered nurses salary is worth about $105,638 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses 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.