New Orleans employers must pay workers at least $7.25 an hour, the federal minimum wage requirement. States and local governments may set a higher minimum wage rate, but Louisiana is among the states that do not have a state minimum wage, so the rate defaults to the federal amount,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
A minimum-wage job in New Orleans pays $15,080 per year, based on a 40-hour work week. A living wage is the amount you need to support yourself or your family with living expenses.
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A single adult working in New Orleans must earn $11.08 per hour for a living wage in New Orleans,
according to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis. The MIT living wage calculator considers costs for such things as housing, food and child care in the area. For a family of four, one adult working must earn $24.06 per hour for the family to be self-supporting. The living wage in New Orleans is $23,046 for a single adult and $50,045 per year for a family of four.
A single adult earning minimum wage in New Orleans makes about two-thirds of what is required for a living wage. At minimum wage, an adult working to support a family of four is making less than one-third of the living wage.
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Many low level jobs in New Orleans pay at a rate higher than minimum wage. If you get a job as a dishwasher, you can earn about $8.61,
according to FindTheBest.com. As a bartender, a rate of $9.18 is about average in New Orleans. If you work in a casino as a gaming dealer, you can expect to earn $8 an hour.
Plumbers earn about $49,050 a year in New Orleans. Cardiovascular technicians earn an average of about $49,100 a year. A member of the clergy in New Orleans earns an average of $47,540. If you are employed as a claims adjuster, you can expect to earn about $49,950.
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