Semiconductor CitiesPay and per diem in Richland Parish
Still building checked 1 Nov 2026
Wages: what we found and what we did not
We found no published wage scale for trades on this site and will not guess. The national yardstick from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) for electricians is a median of $63,190 a year, or $30.38 an hour, with the lowest tenth near $42,640 and the highest tenth near $108,510. Louisiana and data-center-specific figures were not in what we could find, so use the national numbers only as a rough ruler.
Ask the contractor for the hourly rate, the per diem amount and whether per diem is paid on days off. Compare offers on take-home pay after lodging, not on the headline rate.
The federal yardstick
For fiscal year 2026, the standard federal rates are $110 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals. Richland Parish is not confirmed as a special-rate area, so the standard rates likely apply, but check the GSA lookup for your dates. Private employers may pay more or less than the federal rate.
Read Per diem explained for the tax-home test and the one-year rule. Per diem above a qualified rate, or after an assignment becomes indefinite, can be taxable.