Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, ranked by annual average salary. For each job, the table displays the number of employees with that job, as well as the job's entry-level salary. (The entry-level salary is calculated based on the 10% of paid workers with the lowest salaries.)

Based on the table, we see that the highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area are those of architectural and engineering manager, with an average annual salary of $133,000. The second highest-paying jobs are those of industrial production manager, with an average salary of $125,350.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area has been computed using data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2023. Notably, the highest-paying occupations change from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 show the top 10 highest-paying occupations in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$133,000	$101,030	40
2	Industrial Production Managers	$125,350	$75,980	120
3	Pharmacists	$122,450	$67,180	220
4	Nurse Practitioners	$122,250	$81,700	140
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$112,800	$81,270	30
6	Ship Engineers	$110,800	$59,630	100
7	Occupational Therapists	$104,630	$72,490	60
8	Human Resources Managers	$102,070	$64,430	40
9	Sales Managers	$101,490	$58,950	90
10	Mechanical Engineers	$100,650	$50,470	30
11	Industrial Engineers	$98,800	$71,830	40
12	Physical Therapists	$96,670	$71,200	100
13	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	$96,110	$50,810	420
14	Construction Managers	$95,250	$66,970	90
15	General and Operations Managers	$93,960	$46,900	1,280
16	Financial Managers	$93,790	$64,420	170
17	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$92,920	$36,230	50
18	All Other Managers	$91,000	$40,830	420
19	Medical and Health Services Managers	$89,980	$53,490	160
20	Administrative Services Managers	$82,950	$47,590	70
21	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$81,660	$48,170	40
22	Engineers, All Other	$81,550	$55,000	120
23	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$80,060	$55,380	40
24	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$78,730	$46,700	80
25	Project Management Specialists	$77,960	$46,990	110
26	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$77,610	$51,640	50
27	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$77,390	$34,850	60
28	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$73,600	$61,880	40
29	Registered Nurses	$72,080	$53,400	1,190
30	Social and Community Service Managers	$71,700	$47,930	90
31	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$67,580	$36,960	430
32	Lawyers	$67,500	$39,610	150
33	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$65,700	$40,170	70
34	Other Therapists	$64,570	$44,480	30
35	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$63,950	$47,600	280
36	Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors	$63,600	$49,330	240
37	Other Plant and System Operators	$62,850	$38,590	140
38	Occupational Therapy Assistants	$62,400	$28,080	30
39	Cost Estimators	$61,870	$42,930	70
40	Respiratory Therapists	$61,740	$49,990	90
41	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$61,690	$34,740	480
42	Physical Therapist Assistants	$60,610	$23,980	70
43	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$60,400	$43,860	420
44	Computer Occupations, All Other	$60,210	$37,090	140
45	Postal Service Clerks	$59,500	$39,770	70
46	Accountants and Auditors	$59,260	$35,010	430
47	Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers	$59,170	$31,630	110
48	Dietitians and Nutritionists	$59,140	$36,920	30
49	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$58,790	$32,040	460
50	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$57,810	$30,360	90
51	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$57,700	$41,180	100
52	Speech-Language Pathologists	$57,570	$44,740	60
53	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$57,570	$41,770	140
54	Healthcare Social Workers	$57,110	$43,060	40
55	Crane and Tower Operators	$56,620	$30,490	90
56	Industrial Machinery Mechanics	$55,660	$34,090	240
57	Logisticians	$55,270	$44,390	40
58	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	$55,150	$35,030	350
59	Maintenance Workers, Machinery	$55,080	$31,200	170
60	Radiologic Technologists	$53,560	$48,320	100
61	Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists	$52,960	$40,730	30
62	Instructional Coordinators	$52,690	$41,720	90
63	Other Business Operations Specialists	$52,530	$30,680	360
64	Structural Iron and Steel Workers	$52,390	$38,390	60
65	Middle School Special Education Teachers	$51,920	$40,580	150
66	Secondary School Special Education Teachers	$51,710	$48,800	190
67	Kindergarten and Elementary School Special Education Teachers	$51,550	$40,310	790
68	First-Line Supervisors of Transportation Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	$51,360	$32,200	320
69	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$51,230	$29,280	120
70	Commercial Divers	$51,210	$32,910	150
71	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$51,130	$39,360	920
72	Millwrights	$50,670	$44,840	60
73	Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	$50,510	$27,760	100
74	Compliance Officers	$50,480	$32,120	190
75	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$50,410	$26,550	150
76	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	$49,990	$48,660	110
77	Postal Service Mail Carriers	$49,810	$39,640	240
78	Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$49,800	$26,690	210
79	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$49,720	$20,960	60
80	Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers	$49,550	$21,630	30
81	Human Resources Specialists	$49,530	$30,750	160
82	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	$49,520	$34,690	650
83	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$48,690	$39,650	650
84	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$48,660	$36,450	220
85	Surgical Technologists	$47,800	$31,980	30
86	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	$47,720	$29,710	380
87	Machinists	$47,690	$33,430	170
88	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$47,570	$30,640	50
89	Loan Officers	$47,440	$30,110	120
90	Property Appraisers and Assessors	$46,910	$30,200	50
91	Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	$46,700	$36,730	60
92	First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	$46,390	$31,780	900
93	Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	$46,310	$30,130	120
94	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	$46,260	$37,930	870
95	Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers	$46,200	$24,130	630
96	Electricians	$45,620	$30,530	300
97	Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	$45,540	$32,440	60
98	Training and Development Specialists	$45,340	$29,140	70
99	Computer User Support Specialists	$44,940	$23,100	30
100	Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	$44,530	$30,030	70

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Pharmacists	$122,340
2	Industrial Production Managers	$121,910
3	Nurse Practitioners	$100,920
4	Sales Managers	$98,130
5	Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	$96,960
6	Human Resources Managers	$94,410
7	Medical and Health Services Managers	$94,380
8	Occupational Therapists	$94,200
9	Physical Therapists	$93,710
10	General and Operations Managers	$90,220

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$179,240
2	Industrial Production Managers	$123,010
3	Pharmacists	$120,770
4	General Dentists	$117,910
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$117,760
6	Nurse Practitioners	$112,380
7	General and Operations Managers	$98,430
8	Medical and Health Services Managers	$96,340
9	Financial Managers	$95,610
10	Human Resources Managers	$84,410

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$154,990
2	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$139,720
3	Industrial Production Managers	$123,060
4	Pharmacists	$120,100
5	General Dentists	$114,680
6	Nurse Practitioners	$107,350
7	Financial Managers	$99,430
8	Ship Engineers	$99,420
9	General and Operations Managers	$96,280
10	Medical and Health Services Managers	$96,210

Also see The most popular jobs in Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area.

Also see The most popular jobs in Louisiana, The top paying jobs in Louisiana.