Travel Nurse Salary in Louisiana (2026)
Travel nurses in Louisiana earn about $43/hr in taxable wages (our estimate), plus tax-free housing and meal stipends that can go up to $1,267–$1,876 per week depending on the city (GSA FY2027 ceiling). City pay for New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport is below. Use the calculator to turn an actual offer into take-home pay.
Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates
Pay figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.
Calculate Your Pay in Louisiana
Use our calculator to estimate your take-home pay in Louisiana, including cost of living analysis to see your true discretionary income.
Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown
Estimate your take-home pay, taxes, and blended rate in seconds.
Federal tax applies to wages after the $16,100 standard deduction; FICA applies to all wages. Tax-free stipends are excluded from both.
Same-state assignment — you file one resident return in your home state.
State income tax not included
We do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for this state, so we are not estimating its income tax. A wrong state figure is worse than none. Federal and FICA figures above are complete and sourced; your true net pay will be lower than gross by more than the amounts shown, so the take-home figures on this page are labelled "before state tax" rather than presented as final net pay.
Overtime (Optional)
Blended Hourly Rate
$95.11
Based on 36 hours in LA.
Gross Weekly Pay
$3,424
Taxable Weekly Income
$1,548
Estimated Weekly Taxes
$289
Federal + FICA only; state income tax not included
Net Before State Tax
$3,135
After federal + FICA; your state tax will lower this
Assignment Projections
13-Week Assignment
$40,753
Net before state tax
26-Week Assignment
$81,505
Net before state tax
Annual (52 weeks)
$163,011
Net before state tax
Take Home vs Taxes
Before state tax
$3,135
per week
Federal + FICA
$289
per week
Total Gross: $3,424 per week
🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis
Your Weekly Housing Stipend
$1,316
≈ $5,698/month
Est. 1BR Rent in Louisiana
$950
Monthly average
✅ Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money
+$4,748
Your stipend covers rent with $4,748 left over each month.
Find apartments under $950/month in New Orleans:
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Average Travel Nurse Pay in Louisiana
These are average pay rates for travel nurses in Louisiana. Actual pay varies by specialty, experience, and facility. Use our pay calculator to estimate your specific take-home pay.
Hourly Rate
$43/hr
Weekly Gross
$1,720
Annual
$89,440
GSA Per Diem Rates for Louisiana
Lodging
$188/night
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
$80/day
These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts for travel nurses in Louisiana.
Tax Information for Louisiana
Cost of Living in Louisiana
Cost of Living Index
92.1
Below national average
Housing
Low
Utilities
Low
How LA Compares: Hourly Pay Estimates
Data source: these are TravelNurseCalc's own editorial estimates, last reviewed July 31, 2026. They are not survey, government or submitted-rate data, and they are quoted on a 40-hour full-time-equivalent basis, not a 36-hour contract. Actual pay varies by facility, experience and contract terms. See the methodology for what is sourced and what is ours.
LA estimate
$43/hr
Editorial estimate, 40-hour basis
Mean of all 50 state estimates
$47/hr
Simple average, not weighted by nurse headcount
Estimated Pay by Specialty
$55/hr
$54/hr
$56/hr
$52/hr
$48/hr
$53/hr
$54/hr
$55/hr
$49/hr
$51/hr
$54/hr
$50/hr
$130/hr
$62/hr
LA vs. the Highest-Estimate States
$58/hr
$58/hr
$56/hr
$56/hr
$55/hr
$43/hr
Want real submitted rates?
Offers submitted by nurses appear in the Agency Pay Tracker, and only once a segment has at least 30 submissions. Until then, use the calculator to turn any offer into take-home pay.
Popular Cities for Travel Nurses in Louisiana
These are the most popular cities for travel nurse assignments in Louisiana. Click on any city to see detailed pay information, cost of living, and job opportunities. Use our state comparison tool to compare pay across different states.
Baton Rouge
Avg Pay: $50/hr
1BR Rent: $1100/mo
View city guide →
Lake Charles
Avg Pay: $43/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
Monroe
Avg Pay: $43/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
New Orleans
Avg Pay: $50/hr
1BR Rent: $1300/mo
View city guide →
View all state pay guides or search for specific cities using our calculator.
Louisiana Pay by Nursing Specialty
Pay varies significantly by specialty. Select a specialty to see detailed salary data for Louisiana:
ICU
$47/hr
~$1,692/wk
Very High DemandER
$46/hr
~$1,656/wk
Very High DemandOR
$48/hr
~$1,728/wk
High DemandLabor & Delivery
$45/hr
~$1,620/wk
High DemandMed-Surg
$43/hr
~$1,548/wk
Very High DemandPACU
$46/hr
~$1,656/wk
High DemandNICU
$46/hr
~$1,656/wk
High DemandPICU
$47/hr
~$1,692/wk
High DemandPsychiatric
$44/hr
~$1,584/wk
Moderate DemandOncology
$45/hr
~$1,620/wk
High DemandCardiac
$46/hr
~$1,656/wk
High DemandTelemetry
$45/hr
~$1,620/wk
High DemandCRNA
$101/hr
~$3,636/wk
Very High DemandCath Lab
$49/hr
~$1,764/wk
High DemandTop Hospitals in Louisiana
- Ochsner Medical Center
- Tulane Medical Center
- LSU Health Sciences Center
Nursing License Requirements for Louisiana
Cost of Living in Louisiana
Average 1BR Rent
$950/mo
Cost of Living Index
92.1
National avg = 100
Housing Cost
Low
Tip: Use our pay calculator to see how your take-home pay compares to the cost of living in Louisiana. Consider that rent in Louisiana is lower than the national average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do travel nurses make in Louisiana?
Our estimate for Louisiana is about $43/hr in taxable wages (roughly $38–$53/hr depending on specialty and facility). On top of that, tax-free housing and meal stipends can be paid up to the GSA per diem ceiling: $1,267–$1,876 per week across Louisiana's GSA localities for FY2027 (lodging plus M&IE, times seven). Your agency's actual stipend is usually below that ceiling, so check the contract.
What are the GSA rates for Louisiana?
GSA sets per diem by locality, not by state. Across Louisiana's 4 GSA localities for FY2027, lodging runs $113–$188/night and Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) $68–$80/day — GSA publishes M&IE as a single combined rate, not a separate incidentals figure. These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts travel nurses can receive. For official rates, visit [GSA.gov](https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates).
Is Louisiana tax-friendly for travel nurses?
Louisiana does levy a state income tax — we don't publish a specific rate here, since we only compute exact state tax for the 9 states with no wage income tax at all (see our methodology). You'll pay federal tax and FICA on your taxable wages regardless of state.
What is the cost of living in Louisiana?
The cost of living index in Louisiana is 92.1, which is below the national average. Housing costs are low, and utilities are low.
Do I need a separate license to work in Louisiana?
Louisiana is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), so if you have a compact license, you can work here without additional licensing. The license costs $200 and typically takes 2-4 weeks to process.