Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Louisiana is $103,430/year ($49.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $244K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $118,504 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 18.2% 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 $103K get you in Louisiana?
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Ship engineers pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $103K locally vs. $110K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 18.5% 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 ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $103K. Top earners bring in $244K or more, a $185K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers salary by metro in Louisiana
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $133K | +28% | 230 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $100K | -3% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $103K, rent takes 18.5% 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 ship engineers in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,546/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $103K locally vs. $110K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Louisiana pays $103K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $119K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Louisiana?
The median is $103,430 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,100, and experienced ship engineers can clear $244,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $103K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,444/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 18.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a ship 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 ship engineers salary is worth about $118,504 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship 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.