Physician assistant salary in Louisiana
Louisiana physician assistants earn a median of $128,870 a year ($61.96 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 5% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 41st of 51 states.
Median, Louisiana
$128,870
Mean $130,290
Middle half earns
$117,130 to $144,100
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Louisiana
1,360
0.68x the national concentration
Where Louisiana sits in the range
Louisiana
Statewide
United States
National
New Orleans
Metro area
Baton Rouge
Metro area
Slidell
Metro area
Lafayette
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Louisiana physician assistants earned less than $100,920 and ten percent earned more than $162,200, a spread of $61,280. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | Louisiana | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $100,920 | $99,380 | +1.5% |
| 25th | $117,130 | $120,670 | -2.9% |
| Median | $128,870 | $135,880 | -5.2% |
| 75th | $144,100 | $163,980 | -12.1% |
| 90th | $162,200 | $190,280 | -14.8% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 9 metro areas that include part of Louisiana. Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA has the highest median at $138,310. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 400 | $124,580 | $123,210 to $148,710 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 360 | $130,670 | $103,390 to $138,730 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LAmoderate precision | 110 | $138,310 | $122,330 to $141,180 |
| Lafayette, LAmoderate precision | 100 | $134,550 | $122,140 to $137,430 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 90 | $134,090 | $127,650 to $153,070 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 60 | $135,960 | $124,940 to $154,830 |
| Monroe, LAmoderate precision | 50 | $126,190 | $108,860 to $154,720 |
| Alexandria, LA | 50 | $132,710 | $104,800 to $153,060 |
| Lake Charles, LAmoderate precision | 40 | $127,160 | $113,320 to $140,920 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Louisiana
| Occupation | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $128,870 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $125,600 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $222,130 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $80,230 | $97,550 |
The Louisiana PA workforce
BLS counts 1,360 physician assistants on Louisiana payrolls, or 0.70 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, less concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 2,003 physician assistants with a Louisiana practice address, and 121 new PA NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $117,130, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Louisiana physician assistants earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $144,100, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about PA pay in Louisiana
How much does a PA make in Louisiana?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Louisiana was $128,870 in May 2025, and the mean was $130,290, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $117,130 and $144,100.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Louisiana?
The median hourly wage was $61.96 and the mean was $62.64. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in Louisiana?
Among Louisiana metro areas with published data, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA had the highest median at $138,310, and New Orleans-Metairie, LA the lowest at $124,580.
How does Louisiana rank for PA pay?
Louisiana ranks 41st of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 5% below the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in Louisiana?
BLS estimated 1,360 physician assistants employed in Louisiana in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 2,003 with a Louisiana practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1071, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
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