Accountant salary in Lake Charles, LA
Hiring an accountant costs less in Lake Charles than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $70,050 a year1: 5.1% below the Louisiana statewide median of $73,810 and 16.3% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#444 of 521). BLS counts about 600 people in this job here, 4% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Lake Charles, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lake Charles against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | $47,590 | $70,050 | $145,570 | |
| Louisiana | $48,950 | $73,810 | $117,110 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $145,570 or more, 3.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of accountants in Lake Charles earns $56,940–$94,950. The mean ($84,450) is 21% 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 $38,010 wide, between the figure for Louisiana ($31,870) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,590 | $3,966 | $22.88 | $61,406 |
| 25th percentile | $56,940 | $4,745 | $27.38 | $73,471 |
| Median | $70,050 | $5,838 | $33.68 | $90,387 |
| 75th percentile | $94,950 | $7,912 | $45.65 | $122,516 |
| 90th percentile | $145,570 | $12,131 | $69.99 | $187,832 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,900 over the median, the 25th only $13,110 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $32,129 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 Lake Charles, and the Louisiana statewide median of $73,810 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lake Charles
At the $70,050 median, a local hire costs about $90,387 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,337 here. 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 Lake Charles
Of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($92,770); recruiters come next at $64,130.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +32.4% | 350 | |
| Accountant | this role | 600 | |
| Recruiter | -8.5% | 280 | |
| Office Manager | -21.5% | 880 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -27.1% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #6 of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles (-16.3%), between recruiters (-15.6%) and virtual receptionists (-16.8%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Lake Charles, 8.7% across Louisiana and 9.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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. Of the 5 areas in Louisiana with more accountants than Lake Charles, 1 pays less: Lafayette, LA ($67,630).
| Area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | +4.3% | 3,410 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +3.5% | 770 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +0.5% | 1,250 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 600 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -3.5% | 1,100 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -4.2% | 300 | |
| Hammond, LA | -5.7% | 250 |
Lake Charles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lake Charles is #306 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, Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and Chambersburg pay just above Lake Charles and Erie and Williamsport just below. All four are within $440 a year of the median in Lake Charles. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | +17.6% | 600 | jobs | |
| Medford, OR | +15.9% | 600 | jobs | |
| Missoula, MT | +4.1% | 600 | jobs | |
| Chambersburg, PA | +0.6% | 370 | pay | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | +0.6% | 1,640 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 600 | ||
| Erie, PA | -0.1% | 970 | pay | |
| Williamsport, PA | -0.2% | 340 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Lake Charles, LA?
About $90,387 a year at the median, or $7,532 a month: $70,050 in pay plus about $20,337 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Lake Charles?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $70,050 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,590, the 90th $145,570, and the middle half earned $56,940 to $94,950.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,050 against $73,810 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Shreveport-Bossier City at $70,420, the next down Lafayette at $67,630.
How many accountants work in Lake Charles?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Louisiana total of 14,050. 5 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Slidell-Mandeville, with about 770.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Lake Charles?
Yes: $5,920 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,050 and $64,130.
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.