Recruiter salary in Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles pays recruiters more than Louisiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $64,130 a year1: 4.6% above the Louisiana statewide median of $61,300 and 15.6% below the US median of $75,940. Among US areas it comes in at #315 of 521. The market is small, about 280 people, 4% of the Louisiana total, so expect few local candidates at a time.
BLS occupation 13-1071, 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 | $43,170 | $64,130 | $97,160 | |
| Louisiana | $39,170 | $61,300 | $100,420 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Lake Charles earns $49,980–$73,540. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $97,160, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $23,560 wide, against $29,810 across Louisiana and $40,770 nationally: employers in Lake Charles pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,170 | $3,598 | $20.75 | $55,703 |
| 25th percentile | $49,980 | $4,165 | $24.03 | $64,490 |
| Median | $64,130 | $5,344 | $30.83 | $82,748 |
| 75th percentile | $73,540 | $6,128 | $35.36 | $94,890 |
| 90th percentile | $97,160 | $8,097 | $46.71 | $125,368 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $9,410 over it, while the 25th sits $14,150 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $12,142 more a year with benefits. 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 $75,940 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Lake Charles, and the Louisiana statewide median of $61,300 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local recruiters earn.
What a hire really costs in Lake Charles
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 $18,618 to the $64,130 median and brings it to $82,748 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 recruiters 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 #3 by median pay, between accountants ($70,050) and office managers ($54,960). Project Coordinator is the highest at $92,770.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +44.7% | 350 | |
| Accountant | +9.2% | 600 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 280 | |
| Office Manager | -14.3% | 880 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -20.3% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #5 of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles (-15.6%), between administrative assistants (-15.3%) and accountants (-16.3%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 4.0% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Lake Charles, 4.5% across Louisiana and 6.0% 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 $54,610 in Monroe to $64,990 in Slidell-Mandeville, a gap of $10,380 a year. Of the 6 areas in Louisiana with more recruiters than Lake Charles, 4 pay less, the largest of them Baton Rouge, LA ($61,400), Lafayette, LA ($56,070) and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA ($61,200).
| Area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +1.3% | 320 | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | +1.0% | 1,900 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 280 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -3.0% | 230 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -4.3% | 1,960 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -4.6% | 460 | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -6.5% | 230 |
Lake Charles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lake Charles is #376 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Montgomery and Lafayette-West Lafayette pay just above Lake Charles and Lawrence and Bozeman just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Lake Charles. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | +8.4% | 280 | jobs | |
| Grand Junction, CO | +3.9% | 280 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +0.0% | 510 | pay | |
| Montgomery, AL | +0.0% | 970 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 280 | ||
| Lawrence, KS | +0.0% | 230 | pay | |
| Bozeman, MT | -0.1% | 320 | pay | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | -1.1% | 280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Lake Charles, LA?
About $82,748 a year at the median, or $6,896 a month: $64,130 in pay plus about $18,618 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Lake Charles?
The median was $64,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,170, the 90th $97,160, and the middle half earned $49,980 to $73,540.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for recruiters?
No, it costs more: a median of $64,130 against $61,300 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is New Orleans-Metairie at $64,780, the next down Alexandria at $62,210.
How many recruiters work in Lake Charles?
BLS counts about 280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Louisiana total of 7,240. 6 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Houma-Bayou Cane, with about 300.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Lake Charles?
Yes: $9,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,130 and $54,960.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: 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 2026-11-13.