BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – These days, the price tag that comes with keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table seems to be increasing. But in Louisiana’s capital region, there are jobs that can provide the financial stability we need to stay afloat amid inflation.
According to the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, recent statistics indicate that pharmacists lead the pack of Baton Rouge’s Top 10 earners. BRAC’s statistics say these healthcare workers receive median annual earnings of just over $133,000.
Not too far behind in the rankings are chemical engineers at $131,170.10 and nurse practitioners who receive $106,282.16 in median annual earnings. Engineers and plant workers also made the list of Baton Rouge’s Top 10 highest-paying jobs, which is available below.
There’s more good news when it comes to most of these high-paying careers, they’re not in short supply. Jake Polansky, BRAC’s manager of economic & policy research, explained that the jobs listed above are more locally abundant than the national average, given our metro’s size.
Want to switch careers?
If you’re interested in changing careers but not sure how to approach the process, Folakemi Stinson, the owner of a Baton Rouge-based life coaching company called Beautiful Resolve says your first step is to make sure you have the right mindset.
She acknowledges that the thought of leaving your current job for a brand-new venture can be scary. But she advises, “You must look at fear as a border bully that is stopping you from getting to the other side of what you dreamed of achieving in that new career.”
Understanding why you’re motivated to leave your current job can help eliminate some of those fears. Stinson calls this “understanding your why” and she adds, “There is a reason why you want to reach this successful point in this career. What is going to help you when times get tough, complicated and discouraging is to understand your why!”
Before applying for positions in a new field, it’s a good idea to do thorough research about the line of work you’re interested in, perhaps even taking classes.
“No one can move forward moving ignorantly,” Stinson said. “You’re going to need to take in the knowledge and understanding that is needed to achieve success in this career.”
The Louisiana Workforce Commission offers information on training courses for a variety of occupations via its website.
The secret to finding and keeping a job
Michael Zaunbrecher, the owner of Spherion Staffing and Recruiting, also offered a critical piece of advice to local jobseekers. He said, “If you have to go to a job interview, show up on time. And if you’re offered the job, show up on time every day.”
He said, “A lot of employers are having difficulty finding workers who show up on time.”
Zauncbrecher’s company mainly focuses on finding jobs for industrial workers, and he said industrial forklift drivers and material handlers seem to be in high demand.
If a person has skills in these areas, he recommends they seek out various job boards online or even a staffing company and use these as platforms to get their name out to companies in need of workers.
Click here for more information on available positions in the capital area.
