Registered Nurse Salary in Louisiana (2026)
Average Registered Nurse pay in Louisiana
$86,000/year
≈ $41/hour before tax
After tax (single filer)
$67,126/year
$5,594/month · effective tax rate 21.95%
- Federal $10,090
- State $2,205
- FICA $6,579
- Take-home
Pay by role in Louisiana
- Senior Travel RN / Crisis Rate (Post-Hurricane)$2,800–$4,500+/wk
- Senior CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist)$215,000–$295,000+ TC
- Senior NICU / PICU RN$95,000–$135,000+ shift diff
- Senior ICU / CCU RN$88,000–$128,000+ shift diff
- Senior ER / Trauma RN (UMC NOLA Level 1)$85,000–$125,000+ shift diff
- Senior OR / PACU RN$85,000–$125,000+ shift diff
See the full tax breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $67,126 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,594 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,582 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $32/hr |
Federal Tax | $10,090 |
State Tax | $2,205 |
FICA Taxes | $6,579 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 21.95% |
Not all Registered Nurses earn the same — not even close
Louisiana's RN market is anchored by Ochsner Health (the country's largest US health system HQ'd in LA + largest LA private employer with substantial Magnet nurse workforce across ~40 hospitals + ~400 clinics), LCMC Health NOLA (UMC + Children's Hospital + East Jefferson + West Jefferson + Touro + Lakeview Regional), Tulane Medical Center NOLA, LSU Health New Orleans + LSU Health Shreveport teaching hospitals, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center BR (the largest BR area hospital), Christus Health Shreveport + Willis-Knighton Health System Shreveport (largest Shreveport area systems), Lafayette General Health, North Oaks Medical Hammond, plus LSU School of Nursing + LSU Health Shreveport School of Nursing + Loyola School of Nursing + Southeastern LA + ULL + Nicholls State + Northwestern State nursing pipelines.
Senior Travel RN / Crisis Rate (Post-Hurricane)
$2,800–$4,500+/wk
Hurricane-season crisis travel rates · post-Ida + Laura + Delta + Zeta surge · ICU + ER + Med-Surg
Senior CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist)
$215,000–$295,000+ TC
CRNA at Ochsner + LCMC + Tulane + LSU Health + Our Lady of the Lake · highest LA RN ceiling
Senior NICU / PICU RN
$95,000–$135,000+ shift diff
NICU + PICU at Children's NOLA (LCMC) + Ochsner Children's + Our Lady of the Lake
Senior ICU / CCU RN
$88,000–$128,000+ shift diff
ICU + CCU at Ochsner + LCMC + Tulane + LSU Health + UMC NOLA · high-acuity tertiary
Senior ER / Trauma RN (UMC NOLA Level 1)
$85,000–$125,000+ shift diff
ER + trauma at UMC NOLA (only LA Level 1 trauma) + LSU Health + Tulane + post-Katrina + Ida surge
Senior OR / PACU RN
$85,000–$125,000+ shift diff
OR + PACU at Ochsner + LCMC + Tulane + Our Lady of the Lake · surgical services
Senior Magnet Charge Nurse
$92,000–$135,000+
Charge nurse at Ochsner Magnet + Our Lady of the Lake Magnet + LSU Health · clinical leadership
Senior Nurse Manager
$105,000–$155,000+ TC
Nurse manager at LA Magnet + tertiary hospitals · unit + service line leadership
Senior Public Health / FQHC RN
$72,000–$108,000
LA Department of Health + LA FQHC + RHC + LSU Health rural · LA HPSA + post-Katrina recovery
New Grad RN (BSN + LSU + Loyola + Southeastern)
$62,000–$78,000+
New grad RN · LSU + LSU Health Shreveport + Loyola + Southeastern LA + ULL + Nicholls pipeline · entry band
Worth knowing: Louisiana's hurricane season + post-Ida + Laura + Delta + Zeta hurricane response operations are one of the country's most distinctive concentrated US nurse crisis + travel rate markets and a feature most national RN surveys understate for LA. LA's substantial coastal hurricane exposure (the country's #2 US hurricane-strike state behind FL with major recent landfalls including Hurricane Katrina Aug 2005 + Rita Sep 2005 + Gustav Sep 2008 + Isaac Aug 2012 + Laura Aug 2020 + Delta Oct 2020 + Zeta Oct 2020 + Ida Aug 2021 + Francine Sep 2024) supports substantial seasonal LA RN hurricane surge + crisis travel rate work clearing $2,800-4,500+/wk at peak surge periods. Ochsner Health (Fortune private, ~36K employees + the country's largest US health system HQ'd in LA + largest LA private employer + the country's largest Magnet-designated nursing organization in the Gulf South) operates substantial Magnet-recognized nursing across ~40 hospitals + ~400 clinics. Senior Ochsner Magnet RNs + Charge Nurses + Nurse Managers clear $92-155K+. University Medical Center NOLA (LCMC + LSU + Tulane jointly affiliated, the only LA Level 1 trauma center + only LA verified pediatric trauma center) supports substantial high-acuity ER + trauma nursing. Children's Hospital New Orleans (LCMC) supports substantial pediatric + NICU + PICU nursing. LA is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state since 2004 supporting LA RN practice across all 41+ NLC states. LA NP regulatory framework — LA remains REDUCED practice authority per AANP classification despite Act 246 of 2023 expanding NP scope (collaborative practice agreement still required for prescriptive authority — see nurse-practitioner entry). LA's flat 3% (post-2024 Act 11) + LA RTW since 1976 + no state estate tax (repealed 2008) + LA Citizens hurricane premium offset.
Sources & Methodology
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — 2026 retirement-plan contribution limits
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — 2026 HSA contribution limits
- →Social Security Administration — 2026 Social Security wage base
- →LA Department of Revenue - individual income tax rates and brackets, 2025 reform FAQ
- →BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — Registered Nurse wage data for Louisiana
Salary figures are market estimates for Registered Nurses in Louisiana and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Louisiana 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.
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Typical Registered Nurse Salary by Experience (National)
US-wide ranges, not Louisiana figures. Each link shows the Louisiana taxes on that salary.
Entry Level (0–3 yrs)
$67,000
/year
Mid Level (3–7 yrs)
$86,000
/year
Senior Level (7+ yrs)
$133,000
/year
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More on Louisiana
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Louisiana in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Louisiana in 2026.
Adjust filing status, 401(k) for your exact 2026 take-home in Louisiana.