Accountant salary in Lafayette, LA
Hiring an accountant costs less in Lafayette than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $67,630 a year1: 8.4% below the Louisiana statewide median of $73,810 and 19.2% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#466 of 521). BLS counts about 1,100 people in this job here, 8% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Lafayette, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $47,380 | $67,630 | $103,090 | |
| Louisiana | $48,950 | $73,810 | $117,110 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Lafayette earns $58,330–$83,980. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $103,090, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($73,590) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $25,650 wide, against $31,870 across Louisiana and $42,790 nationally: employers in Lafayette pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,380 | $3,948 | $22.78 | $61,135 |
| 25th percentile | $58,330 | $4,861 | $28.04 | $75,265 |
| Median | $67,630 | $5,636 | $32.51 | $87,265 |
| 75th percentile | $83,980 | $6,998 | $40.38 | $108,361 |
| 90th percentile | $103,090 | $8,591 | $49.56 | $133,019 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $16,350 over the median, the 25th only $9,300 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $21,097 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lafayette, and the Louisiana statewide median of $73,810 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $19,635 to the $67,630 median and brings it to $87,265 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($80,720); sales development representatives come next at $58,240.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +19.4% | 660 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -13.9% | 760 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -16.2% | 420 | |
| Recruiter | -17.1% | 540 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #9 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette (-19.2%), between e-commerce order specialists (-18.2%) and administrative assistants (-19.9%). The typical role here is at -18.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 7.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette, 8.6% across Louisiana and 9.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $64,090 in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area to $77,940 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $13,850 a year. All 3 areas in Louisiana with more accountants than Lafayette also pay more, among them New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($77,940) and Baton Rouge, LA ($73,070).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +7.2% | 770 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +4.1% | 1,250 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | +3.6% | 600 | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 1,100 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 300 | |
| Hammond, LA | -2.3% | 250 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -4.6% | 400 |
Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette is #171 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Lake Havasu City-Kingman and Hinesville pay just above Lafayette and Florence-Muscle Shoals and St. Joseph just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +20.6% | 1,100 | jobs | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +18.2% | 1,120 | jobs | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | +6.7% | 1,100 | jobs | |
| Hinesville, GA | +0.3% | 80 | pay | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.2% | 280 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 1,100 | ||
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -0.0% | 460 | pay | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -0.2% | 340 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Lafayette, LA?
About $87,265 a year at the median, or $7,272 a month: $67,630 in pay plus about $19,635 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Lafayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $67,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,380, the 90th $103,090, and the middle half earned $58,330 to $83,980.
Is Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $67,630 against $73,810 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Lake Charles at $70,050, the next down the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area at $67,140.
How many accountants work in Lafayette?
BLS counts about 1,100 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Louisiana total of 14,050. 3 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Shreveport-Bossier City, with about 1,250.
Does an accountant cost more than a sales development representative in Lafayette?
Yes: $9,390 a year more at the median. The medians are $67,630 and $58,240.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.