SOC 17-3023

Building Automation Specialist Salary in St. James Parish, LA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + LA
COL Index: 96.7 (-3.3% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.6% Realized
$58,359 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $78,190 $37.59/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.36% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$15,140 $582.31/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $37.59 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,691/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,032/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,340
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,848
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,134
Louisiana Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,819
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$58,359 ($2,244.56 / check)
Category 2 of 6

St. James Parish, LA Building Automation Specialist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $78,190
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $49.5k 25th $61.6k Median: $78,190 50th (Median) $78.2k 75th $97.7k 90th $116k You: $78,190
10th (Entry) $49,510 $23.80/hr
25th (Junior) $61,610 $29.62/hr
50th (Median) $78,190 $37.59/hr
75th (Senior) $97,650 $46.95/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $115,700 $55.63/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA
1
BMS Field TechnicianHVAC controls fundamentals, sensor wiring, low-voltage safety
$52,000$25.00/hr · 0-2 Years
2
BAS Programmer / SpecialistBACnet, Modbus protocols, direct digital control (DDC) programming
$74,000$35.58/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Controls EngineerSmart building integration, energy management modeling, commissioning
$96,000$46.15/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Automation Project ManagerCommercial building automation projects, client contract management
$120,000$57.69/hr · 8+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians-$4,290/yr
National median: $73,900
Skill overlap: 89%
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer+$52,030/yr
National median: $130,220
Skill overlap: 86%
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians-$3,680/yr
National median: $74,510
Skill overlap: 85%
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment-$4,100/yr
National median: $74,090
Skill overlap: 85%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in St. James Parish, LA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
18% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $891/month Requires minimum annual gross of $35,640
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,165/month Requires minimum annual gross of $46,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.39/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.73/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in St. James Parish, LA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$78,190-$15,140$58,359$2,244.56
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$92,851-$19,707$67,573$2,598.96
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$107,511-$24,274$76,787$2,953.35
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$122,172-$28,840$86,001$3,307.74
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$136,833-$33,544$95,079$3,656.89
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Louisiana tax codes.

Market Baseline
$78,190/yr
$37.59/hr · SOC 17-3023
Statutory Tax Drag
19.36% Effective
-$15,140 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
18% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,972/mo
Post-$891/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 17-3023
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA: Market Snapshot

BLS publishes no Building Automation Specialist wage estimate for St. James Parish, LA, so this page uses the national median of $78,190 (10th to 90th percentile $49,510 to $115,700). HUD’s $891 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 13.7% of that national median. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.39 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Building Automation Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs national median
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$106,250+35.9%
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$103,480+32.3%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$103,170+31.9%
Lexington Park, MD$102,640+31.3%
Baton Rouge, LA$102,380+30.9%
Albuquerque, NM$102,250+30.8%
Casper, WY$99,840+27.7%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$98,180+25.6%
Lake Charles, LA$97,740+25.0%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$97,680+24.9%

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 241 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Peer Benchmarks

Roles in related occupations with transferable skills and overlapping employer demand.

Building Automation Specialist Salary in St. James Parish, LA (2026) Overview

Building Automation Specialist median pay in St. James Parish, LA is $78,190 a year ($37.59/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA?

The median annual wage is $78,190 ($37.59 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $49,510 and $115,700. Source: the national BLS OEWS distribution, because BLS does not publish this occupation for the metro.

What is the take-home pay for a Building Automation Specialist in St. James Parish, LA after taxes?

On the median wage of $78,190, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $61,877 a year ($5,156 a month) after $16,313 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.86%, using 2026 tax rules.