Civil engineer · Lake Charles, LA

Civil engineer in Lake Charles: $3,182/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Lake Charles at $97,490 a year. About 120 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.49). The 10th percentile is $42,620 and the 90th is $156,930. Pay ranks 161st-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,149/mo). Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,182 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Baton Rouge, about 127 miles away, at $4,110 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,182

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$97,490

$42,620 to $156,930

Rent (1 bd)

$1,149

$1,368 (2 bd)

Employment

120

Location quotient 0.49

Pay rank

161st of 368

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

7.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $97,490.

Taxes$1,922
Rent$1,149
Other living costs$1,871
Left over$3,182

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $97,490
Federal income tax: −$13,062
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,458
State income tax (LA): −$2,550
Take-home pay: $74,421
Effective tax rate: 23.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,149
Groceries: $360
Getting around: $566
Healthcare: $405
Utilities and internet: $225
Everything else: $315
Total spending: $3,020

Left over each month

$8,124 gross, minus $1,922 in tax and $3,020 in living costs.

$3,182

Rank every metro for a civil engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Baton Rouge, $4,110/mo.

Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →

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Questions

What does a civil engineer make in Lake Charles?

$97,490 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 120 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Lake Charles?

$3,182 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax Rent is $1,149, and pay covers 7.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?

Baton Rouge, about 127 miles away, leaves $4,110 a month, more than Lake Charles.