Hazmat Removal Workers in the Lake Charles area earn a median of $37,670 a year, 22% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #131 of 134 metros for hazmat removal workers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Houston, but less in Baton Rouge.
It's one of 3 Louisiana metros with published pay for this trade; see hazmat removal worker pay in Louisiana.
Hazmat Removal Worker pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Hazmat removal workers in the Lake Charles, LA metro earn a median $37,670 a year ($18.11 an hour), #131 of 134 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,040 and $50,270.
- After local prices, that median buys what $43,878 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $910 a month, 29% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among hazmat removal workers in Lake Charles.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for hazmat removal workers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is shrinking (-3.8% since 2020).
Lake Charles scorecard for hazmat removal workers Our calculation
Grades compare Lake Charles with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($48,215).
Pay over time
The median pay for hazmat removal workers in the Lake Charles area went from $41,180 in 2020 to $37,670 in 2025, down 8.5%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -27.0% — a real pay cut. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Lake Charles Our calculation
Prices in Lake Charles run 14% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $43,878 would in a typical place, ranking #118 of 133 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Lake Charles from this pay, local rent and prices.
What hazmat removal workers do
Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
- Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
- Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.
- Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.
- Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, hazmat removal worker jobs are projected to grow 1.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 4,300 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often hazmat removal workers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Louisiana Official source
The main state licensing office in Louisiana is the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. It can point you to the right license for hazmat removal workers.
Official Louisiana licensing site ↗
Requirements for hazmat removal workers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, hazmat removal workers have 71 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 18% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying LA metros for hazmat removal workers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New OrleansLOUISIANA · LA | $39,170 | $42,302 | 290 |
| Lake CharlesLOUISIANA · LA | $37,670 | $43,878 | 110 |
| Baton RougeLOUISIANA · LA | $37,070 | $40,835 | 320 |
See every metro in Louisiana.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Lake Charles area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just hazmat removal workers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Lake Charles area is 23 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 80% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Lake Charles area's population shrank 3.8% from 2020 to 2025 (254,332 → 244,655), ranking #381 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -10,158).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Lake Charles
The Lake Charles area has about 115,312 homes. 39% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 24% were built in 2010 or later. 74% of households own their home, and the median home value is $213,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Lake Charles are down 49% from 2021 to 2025 (1,064 → 546).
In 2025 the Lake Charles area approved permits for 546 new homes (526 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in Lake Charles Government data
In an average year, Lake Charles has 88 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 1 at 100°F or more, 11 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 71 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 92°F and winter nights 45°F. That matters for hazmat removal workers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Lake Charles, LA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $37,670 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get hazmat removal worker pricing & estimate templates →Compare Lake Charles with another city →
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ToolLake Charles budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Lake Charles metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Lake Charles against every other metro for hazmat removal workers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for hazmat removal workers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.