Project Coordinator salary in Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles pays project coordinators more than Louisiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $92,770 a year1: 9.3% above the Louisiana statewide median of $84,850 and 9.3% below the US median of $102,320. Nationally it ranks #253 of 518 areas. BLS counts about 350 people in this job here, 4% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 13-1082, 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 | $55,510 | $92,770 | $159,550 | |
| Louisiana | $56,400 | $84,850 | $143,780 | |
| United States | $61,580 | $102,320 | $167,970 |
The middle half of project coordinators in Lake Charles earns $69,760–$125,210. The top tenth earns $159,550 or more, 2.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $55,450 wide, wider than in Louisiana as a whole ($54,700) and the US ($54,660), so what a project coordinator earns in Lake Charles depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a project coordinator here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $55,510 | $4,626 | $26.69 | $71,626 |
| 25th percentile | $69,760 | $5,813 | $33.54 | $90,013 |
| Median | $92,770 | $7,731 | $44.60 | $119,703 |
| 75th percentile | $125,210 | $10,434 | $60.20 | $161,561 |
| 90th percentile | $159,550 | $13,296 | $76.71 | $205,871 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $23,010 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $32,440, or about $41,858 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 $102,320 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lake Charles, and the Louisiana statewide median of $84,850 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Lake Charles
At the $92,770 median, a local hire costs about $119,703 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $26,933 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 project coordinators 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
Project coordinators have the highest median of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles; virtual receptionists have the lowest, at $31,620.
| Role | Median | vs project coordinator | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | this role | 350 | |
| Accountant | -24.5% | 600 | |
| Recruiter | -30.9% | 280 | |
| Office Manager | -40.8% | 880 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -44.9% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles (-9.3%); marketing specialists come last (-35.1%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so, measured against the US, project coordinators cost more in Lake Charles than the area's general pay level would suggest. Project coordinators hold 4.9% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Lake Charles, 5.0% across Louisiana and 7.0% 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 $76,260 in Hammond to $97,030 in Slidell-Mandeville, a gap of $20,770 a year. Of the 5 areas in Louisiana with more project coordinators than Lake Charles, 4 pay less, the largest of them Baton Rouge, LA ($86,650), New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($85,410) and Lafayette, LA ($80,720).
| Area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +4.6% | 480 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | +1.3% | 140 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 350 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -2.4% | 340 | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -3.4% | 190 | |
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -5.0% | 270 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -6.6% | 2,290 |
Lake Charles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lake Charles is #304 of 517 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Williamsport and Cheyenne pay just above Lake Charles and Fort Wayne and Sheboygan just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in Lake Charles. Of the three markets with about as many project coordinators, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Robins, GA | +26.1% | 350 | jobs | |
| Cheyenne, WY | +0.3% | 230 | pay | |
| Williamsport, PA | +0.3% | 150 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 350 | ||
| Fort Wayne, IN | -0.2% | 650 | pay | |
| Sheboygan, WI | -0.3% | 350 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IN | -9.7% | 360 | jobs | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -12.4% | 350 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a project coordinator in Lake Charles, LA?
About $119,703 a year at the median, or $9,975 a month: $92,770 in pay plus about $26,933 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do project coordinators earn in Lake Charles?
The median was $92,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $55,510, the 90th $159,550, and the middle half earned $69,760 to $125,210.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for project coordinators?
No, it costs more: a median of $92,770 against $84,850 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area at $94,020, the next down Houma-Bayou Cane at $90,550.
How many project coordinators work in Lake Charles?
BLS counts about 350 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Louisiana total of 8,050. 5 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Slidell-Mandeville, with about 480.
Does a project coordinator cost more than an accountant in Lake Charles?
Yes: $22,720 a year more at the median. The medians are $92,770 and $70,050.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1082: 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.