The top 25 occupations in Louisiana ranked by 2026 median annual salary. Based on BLS data projected forward with Louisiana cost-of-living adjustment.
Ranked by median annual base salary. Click any role for full Louisiana-specific detail.
| Rank | Role | Median 2026 | 75th % | Top 10% (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CEO (Mid-Market) Business & Management | $422,700 | $549,500 | $697,400 |
| #2 | Surgeon Healthcare | $347,700 | $452,000 | $573,800 |
| #3 | Chief Financial Officer Finance | $318,300 | $413,800 | $525,200 |
| #4 | Physician (MD/DO) Healthcare | $224,200 | $291,500 | $369,900 |
| #5 | Corporate Lawyer Legal | $191,200 | $248,500 | $315,400 |
| #6 | Petroleum Engineer Engineering | $188,400 | $244,900 | $310,900 |
| #7 | Investment Banker Finance | $173,400 | $225,400 | $286,100 |
| #8 | Dentist Healthcare | $164,700 | $214,100 | $271,800 |
| #9 | AI Engineer Technology | $163,900 | $213,100 | $270,500 |
| #10 | Machine Learning Engineer Technology | $150,000 | $195,000 | $247,500 |
| #11 | Senior Software Engineer Technology | $146,500 | $190,400 | $241,700 |
| #12 | Chemical Engineer Engineering | $144,000 | $187,200 | $237,500 |
| #13 | Site Reliability Engineer Technology | $141,300 | $183,600 | $233,100 |
| #14 | IT Manager Technology | $137,800 | $179,100 | $227,300 |
| #15 | Controller Finance | $135,100 | $175,700 | $223,000 |
| #16 | Judge / Magistrate Legal | $135,100 | $175,700 | $223,000 |
| #17 | Management Consultant Business & Management | $133,800 | $174,000 | $220,800 |
| #18 | Product Manager Technology | $132,500 | $172,300 | $218,700 |
| #19 | Lawyer / Attorney Legal | $131,600 | $171,100 | $217,100 |
| #20 | Sales Engineer Sales | $130,300 | $169,400 | $215,000 |
| #21 | Data Scientist Technology | $129,100 | $167,800 | $212,900 |
| #22 | Marketing Manager Business & Management | $127,700 | $166,000 | $210,700 |
| #23 | Pharmacist Healthcare | $126,300 | $164,200 | $208,400 |
| #24 | Account Executive (SaaS) Sales | $125,000 | $162,500 | $206,300 |
| #25 | Data Engineer Technology | $123,800 | $161,000 | $204,300 |
In Louisiana, the highest-paying job tracked is CEO (Mid-Market), with a median salary of $422,700 in 2026. The 90th percentile reaches $697,400.
Salaries are based on BLS OEWS data, projected forward to 2026 using category-specific wage growth and adjusted for Louisiana's cost-of-living index. The ranking shows median annual base pay (excluding bonuses, equity, and benefits).
Most of the top 25 highest-paying jobs in Louisiana typically require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require advanced degrees (medicine, law, engineering specializations). Trades roles are notable exceptions — they appear in some state rankings without requiring four-year degrees.