Bookkeeper salary in Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles pays bookkeepers close to the Louisiana norm. The median is $44,550 a year1, about level with the Louisiana statewide median of $44,890 and 12.1% below the US median of $50,670. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#433 of 521). BLS counts about 830 people in this job here, 4% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, 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 | $29,990 | $44,550 | $63,500 | |
| Louisiana | $28,760 | $44,890 | $65,220 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Lake Charles earns $35,980–$55,210. The top tenth earns $63,500 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,230 wide, wider than in Louisiana as a whole ($18,180) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Lake Charles depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,990 | $2,499 | $14.42 | $38,697 |
| 25th percentile | $35,980 | $2,998 | $17.30 | $46,426 |
| Median | $44,550 | $3,712 | $21.42 | $57,484 |
| 75th percentile | $55,210 | $4,601 | $26.54 | $71,239 |
| 90th percentile | $63,500 | $5,292 | $30.53 | $81,935 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,570 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,660, or about $13,755 once benefits are added. 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 $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lake Charles, and the Louisiana statewide median of $44,890 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lake Charles
At the $44,550 median, a local hire costs about $57,484 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,934 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 bookkeepers 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 #9 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($47,310) and administrative assistants ($40,260). Project Coordinator is the highest at $92,770.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +9.9% | 220 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +6.2% | 390 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 830 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -9.6% | 1,390 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -18.3% | 170 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles (-12.1%), between project coordinators (-9.3%) and payroll specialists (-13.9%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Lake Charles than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.7% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Lake Charles, 11.8% across Louisiana and 9.0% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 $38,910 in Lafayette to $46,980 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $8,070 a year. Of the 6 areas in Louisiana with more bookkeepers than Lake Charles, 3 pay less: Lafayette, LA ($38,910), Slidell-Mandeville, LA ($44,520) and Monroe, LA ($41,970).
| Area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | +5.5% | 3,840 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | +4.9% | 4,060 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +1.9% | 1,900 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 830 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -0.1% | 1,180 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -1.8% | 770 | |
| Hammond, LA | -2.0% | 380 |
Lake Charles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lake Charles is #317 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, Wheeling and Muncie pay just above Lake Charles and Valdosta and Little Rock-North Little Rock just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Lake Charles. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | +13.0% | 820 | jobs | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | +6.3% | 820 | jobs | |
| Idaho Falls, ID | +6.2% | 830 | jobs | |
| Muncie, IN | +0.2% | 450 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.2% | 520 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 830 | ||
| Valdosta, GA | -0.0% | 450 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -0.2% | 3,480 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Lake Charles, LA?
About $57,484 a year at the median, or $4,790 a month: $44,550 in pay plus about $12,934 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Lake Charles?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $44,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,990, the 90th $63,500, and the middle half earned $35,980 to $55,210.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for bookkeepers?
About the same: a median of $44,550 against $44,890 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Shreveport-Bossier City at $45,400, the next down Slidell-Mandeville at $44,520.
How many bookkeepers work in Lake Charles?
BLS counts about 830 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Louisiana total of 18,980. 6 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Monroe, with about 1,020.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Lake Charles?
Yes: $4,290 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,550 and $40,260.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: 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.