Women in Louisiana: Pay, Representation, and Firsts
Everything the data says about women in Louisiana — pay, legislature representation, historical firsts, and how the state ranks against the rest of the US.
Where Louisiana sits
Women in Louisiana earn 72.6 cents for every dollar men earn — a gap of 27.4%. That puts Louisiana #50 out of the 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity — bottom decile. The women-in-legislature figure of 18.8% ranks Louisiana #45 nationally — below 20%, among the lowest.
Notable firsts & figures
Lowest female-to-male pay ratio among any US state (72.6%). Mary Landrieu (Senate 1997-2015) — first woman Senator from Louisiana. Never elected a woman governor.
- First woman US Senator: 2005
- No woman yet elected governor of Louisiana.
- Largest city: New Orleans
Professions in Louisiana
State-adjusted pay and gap figures for women in 20 common professions in Louisiana. Each page combines national BLS medians with Louisiana’s Census ACS wage environment.
Fields in Louisiana
Related national data
Frequently asked
What is the gender pay gap in Louisiana?
Women in Louisiana earn 72.6% of what men earn — a gap of 27.4%. Census ACS S2001 data.
How many women are in Louisiana’s state legislature?
18.8% of Louisiana state legislators are women — rank #45 nationally among 51 US jurisdictions (CAWP 2024).
Has Louisiana elected a woman governor?
No — Louisiana has never elected a woman governor.
Has Louisiana elected a woman US Senator?
Yes — the first woman US Senator from Louisiana took office in 2005.
How many women does Louisiana send to Congress?
1 women from Louisiana serve in the 119th US Congress (House + Senate, 2025-27).