Recruiting services in New Orleans, LA
A full search for an employer hiring in New Orleans, run end to end on your behalf and priced per search rather than as a percentage of salary. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340, and the tier is set by the seniority of the role, never by what the role pays.
Permanent hires, any industry, anywhere in Louisiana. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days and run 30 to 50% below what a contingency recruiter charges for the same hire. Every placement carries a 45 day replacement guarantee at 50% off.
Looking for a staffing agency in New Orleans?
That search usually means one of two different things, and they are not interchangeable. Temporary staffing puts someone in a seat for a while on an agency payroll. A permanent search finds a person who joins your payroll and stays. If what you need is temporary cover, a staffing agency is the right call and this is not it.
For a permanent hire the real comparison is against a contingency recruiter. Contingency bills 20 to 30% of first year salary, several firms often work the same role at once, and nobody owns the outcome. A full search is one owner, a flat fee set by seniority, and a shortlist rather than a stream of forwarded resumes.
New Orleans is covered the same way every other market is. Nothing about the fee moves with the city, so the figures below are here to price the role and read the market, not to change what the search costs.
Every role we search for in New Orleans
Each one carries the wage band employers in this metro actually pay, what New Orleans residents in that field earn, and what the search costs.
Architecture and engineering
- Aerospace Engineers
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians
- Chemical Engineers
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Drafters, All Other
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
- Engineers, All Other
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Industrial Engineers
- Mechanical Drafters
- Mechanical Engineers
- Petroleum Engineers
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians
- Surveyors
Business and financial operations
- Accountants and Auditors
- Budget Analysts
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Compliance Officers
- Cost Estimators
- Credit Analysts
- Credit Counselors
- Financial and Investment Analysts
- Financial Examiners
- Financial Risk Specialists
- Financial Specialists, All Other
- Fundraisers
- Human Resources Specialists
- Insurance Underwriters
- Labor Relations Specialists
- Loan Officers
- Logisticians
- Management Analysts
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Project Management Specialists
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
- Training and Development Specialists
Computer and mathematical
- Computer and Information Research Scientists
- Computer Network Architects
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Computer Occupations, All Other
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Data Scientists
- Database Administrators
- Information Security Analysts
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Operations Research Analysts
- Software Developers
- Web and Digital Interface Designers
- Web Developers
Legal
Management
- Administrative Services Managers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Construction Managers
- Education Administrators, All Other
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary
- Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
- Emergency Management Directors
- Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
- Facilities Managers
- Financial Managers
- Food Service Managers
- Fundraising Managers
- Gambling Managers
- General and Operations Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Industrial Production Managers
- Lodging Managers
- Managers, All Other
- Marketing Managers
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Natural Sciences Managers
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
- Public Relations Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Sales Managers
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Training and Development Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Office and administrative support
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Cargo and Freight Agents
- Couriers and Messengers
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- Customer Service Representatives
- Data Entry Keyers
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
- File Clerks
- Financial Clerks, All Other
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Library Assistants, Clerical
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Meter Readers, Utilities
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
- Office Clerks, General
- Order Clerks
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- Postal Service Clerks
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
- Procurement Clerks
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
- Tellers
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
Sales and related
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Cashiers
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
- Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers
- Insurance Sales Agents
- Parts Salespersons
- Retail Salespersons
- Sales and Related Workers, All Other
- Sales Engineers
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Travel Agents
What does an employer in New Orleans actually pay?
Whatever the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area pays, because that is the level at which wages are published. The table below is place of work: it is what employers located in that metropolitan area report paying, not what anyone living in New Orleans happens to take home.
What about management roles in New Orleans?
21,453 New Orleans residents work in management occupations and earn a median of $70,761, the largest group in the city. BLS publishes wages for 31 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $165,620 for architectural and engineering managers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,660 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $152,970 |
| Financial Managers | $152,160 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $147,670 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $143,150 |
| Sales Managers | $137,790 |
| General and Operations Managers | $135,900 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $135,610 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 31 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in management occupations
- 21,453
- Their median annual earnings
- $70,761
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about business and financial operations roles in New Orleans?
9,927 New Orleans residents work in business and financial operations occupations and earn a median of $69,678. BLS publishes wages for 26 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $74,990 for personal financial advisors.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $132,040 |
| Financial Examiners | $104,340 |
| Management Analysts | $103,110 |
| Project Management Specialists | $95,660 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $90,990 |
| Credit Analysts | $89,950 |
| Budget Analysts | $88,790 |
| Logisticians | $87,510 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 26 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in business and financial operations occupations
- 9,927
- Their median annual earnings
- $69,678
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about computer and mathematical roles in New Orleans?
4,749 New Orleans residents work in computer and mathematical occupations and earn a median of $72,071. BLS publishes wages for 15 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $126,260 for computer network architects.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Computer Network Architects | $128,080 |
| Software Developers | $118,330 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $112,940 |
| Information Security Analysts | $112,630 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $100,420 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $99,850 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $99,540 |
| Data Scientists | $99,230 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 15 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in computer and mathematical occupations
- 4,749
- Their median annual earnings
- $72,071
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about architecture and engineering roles in New Orleans?
3,464 New Orleans residents work in architecture and engineering occupations and earn a median of $101,333. BLS publishes wages for 19 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $148,390 for petroleum engineers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Petroleum Engineers | $153,850 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $149,150 |
| Chemical Engineers | $137,320 |
| Industrial Engineers | $127,410 |
| Electrical Engineers | $125,140 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $121,080 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $116,190 |
| Engineers, All Other | $114,860 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 19 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in architecture and engineering occupations
- 3,464
- Their median annual earnings
- $101,333
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about legal roles in New Orleans?
6,213 New Orleans residents work in legal occupations and earn a median of $104,621, and the best paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 7 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $121,290 for lawyers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $144,250 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $126,860 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $126,620 |
| Judicial Law Clerks | $71,440 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $68,260 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $64,370 |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | $57,150 |
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in legal occupations
- 6,213
- Their median annual earnings
- $104,621
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about sales and related roles in New Orleans?
14,780 New Orleans residents work in sales and related occupations and earn a median of $28,415, the lowest paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 16 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $127,030 for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $131,000 |
| Sales Engineers | $123,200 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $105,400 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $82,720 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $74,950 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $69,710 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $68,270 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $65,940 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 16 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in sales and related occupations
- 14,780
- Their median annual earnings
- $28,415
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about office and administrative support roles in New Orleans?
16,564 New Orleans residents work in office and administrative support occupations and earn a median of $34,233. BLS publishes wages for 43 occupations in this group across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, topping out at $61,620 for production, planning, and expediting clerks.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $67,120 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $64,520 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $64,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $63,400 |
| Postal Service Clerks | $62,450 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $60,290 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | $57,700 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $54,300 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 43 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What New Orleans residents earn
- New Orleans residents working in office and administrative support occupations
- 16,564
- Their median annual earnings
- $34,233
Residents of New Orleans working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
Why are the two numbers on this page so different?
They count different people. The wage figures count jobs sitting inside the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area, whoever fills them. The earnings figures count people who live in New Orleans, wherever they commute to.
The clearest case here is legal. New Orleans residents in those roles report a median of $104,621, against a median of $75,540 across the published wages for that group in this metro, a difference of about $29,081. Residents out-earning the local wage usually means they are commuting out to better-paying employers, so a New Orleans offer in that group is competing with a drive rather than with the firm down the road.
It runs the other way in management, where published wages in this metro run to a median of $105,110 but New Orleans residents in that group report a median of $70,761. Employers here are drawing that talent from outside the city line.
Across the groups we cover, New Orleans earnings run from $28,415 in sales and related to $104,621 in legal, a spread of 3.7x. A band set from the wrong end of that range is the most common reason a search here stalls.
New Orleans is the 1st largest of the 2 Louisiana cities we publish data for, at 362,154 people, in Orleans Parish.
What does a search cost here?
The same as anywhere. Location does not move the fee and neither does salary. Tier is set by the seniority of the role, and across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median wage in this metro is $165,620 for architectural and engineering managers. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $33,124 to $49,686 on the first year salary alone.
Price a New Orleans search
Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.