F-1 OPT · Louisiana
F-1 OPT take-home pay in Louisiana (2026)
Pick a salary to see the full breakdown — federal income tax, FICA, Louisiana state income tax, and your annual / monthly / bi-weekly net.
| Gross salary | Take-home | Monthly | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $50,288 | $4,191 | 16.2% | Details → |
| $80,000 | $65,288 | $5,441 | 18.4% | Details → |
| $100,000 | $80,288 | $6,691 | 19.7% | Details → |
| $120,000 | $95,002 | $7,917 | 20.8% | Details → |
| $150,000 | $116,902 | $9,742 | 22.1% | Details → |
| $180,000 | $138,802 | $11,567 | 22.9% | Details → |
| $220,000 | $166,544 | $13,879 | 24.3% | Details → |
| $280,000 | $204,831 | $17,069 | 26.8% | Details → |
| $350,000 | $248,231 | $20,686 | 29.1% | Details → |
| $500,000 | $341,231 | $28,436 | 31.8% | Details → |
How Louisiana state income tax works for F-1 OPT holders
Louisiana charges a single flat rate of 3.00% on taxable income. Unlike the federal system, there are no brackets — every dollar of taxable income is taxed at the same rate. This makes the state tax math simple: $F-1 OPT take-home in Louisiana is dominated by federal tax + FICA, with the flat state component layered on top.
What's different for F-1 OPT holders in Louisiana?
State income tax generally does not distinguish between visa categories — it only looks at where you live and where you work, not your immigration status. A few practical notes for F-1 OPT holders specifically:
- Residency. Most states deem you a tax resident if you are domiciled in the state or spend more than 183 days there during the calendar year, regardless of visa type.
- FICA exemption (federal) ≠ state-tax exemption. Even though you are FICA-exempt at the federal level for 5 years, Louisiana still taxes your wages on its own rules.
- Standard deduction. Many states tie their standard deduction to federal rules — if you can't claim the federal standard deduction as a NRA, you may also be limited at the state level.
Source: revenue.louisiana.gov/