Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,740 | $23.91 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $64,400 | $30.96 |
| Mean (average) | $67,050 | $32.24 |
| 90th percentile | $83,440 | $40.12 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,030 | $39,880 | $69,120 | 11,580 | 1.31 |
| Alaska | $80,800 | $62,400 | $96,700 | 290 | 0.21 |
| Arizona | $77,070 | $61,050 | $89,850 | 6,530 | 0.48 |
| Arkansas | $56,620 | $44,670 | $65,020 | 10,010 | 1.84 |
| California | $79,750 | $64,390 | $100,450 | 82,850 | 1.09 |
| Colorado | $73,880 | $50,820 | $84,440 | 4,920 | 0.41 |
| Connecticut | $73,690 | $62,610 | $81,060 | 8,540 | 1.21 |
| Delaware | $68,710 | $59,210 | $77,580 | 2,240 | 1.11 |
| District of Columbia | $75,740 | $62,880 | $87,470 | 1,040 | 0.36 |
| Florida | $61,770 | $50,450 | $74,320 | 38,620 | 0.93 |
| Georgia | $62,030 | $46,010 | $76,690 | 21,060 | 1.03 |
| Guam | $42,870 | $36,600 | $58,980 | 90 | 0.33 |
| Hawaii | $71,140 | $59,620 | $88,340 | 840 | 0.32 |
| Idaho | $63,800 | $47,890 | $77,850 | 1,880 | 0.53 |
| Illinois | $75,000 | $58,880 | $89,810 | 17,440 | 0.69 |
| Indiana | $65,720 | $50,550 | $77,220 | 14,480 | 1.08 |
| Iowa | $62,630 | $50,550 | $77,710 | 5,510 | 0.85 |
| Kansas | $61,760 | $49,780 | $77,290 | 7,530 | 1.26 |
| Kentucky | $60,460 | $48,420 | $73,220 | 8,570 | 1.03 |
| Louisiana | $57,470 | $45,810 | $66,150 | 17,600 | 2.18 |
| Maine | $73,200 | $56,160 | $82,600 | 760 | 0.28 |
| Maryland | $74,660 | $60,720 | $90,010 | 9,560 | 0.83 |
| Massachusetts | $80,220 | $61,690 | $93,980 | 13,210 | 0.87 |
| Michigan | $65,460 | $56,160 | $77,780 | 10,880 | 0.59 |
| Minnesota | $63,750 | $51,700 | $77,380 | 12,840 | 1.04 |
| Mississippi | $50,220 | $39,320 | $60,910 | 9,850 | 2.03 |
| Missouri | $61,530 | $48,580 | $77,120 | 14,700 | 1.2 |
| Montana | $62,210 | $49,230 | $74,330 | 1,620 | 0.76 |
| Nebraska | $62,660 | $50,890 | $77,940 | 4,580 | 1.07 |
| Nevada | $76,160 | $61,750 | $89,420 | 3,350 | 0.52 |
| New Hampshire | $77,110 | $59,860 | $93,660 | 2,220 | 0.78 |
| New Jersey | $75,160 | $63,210 | $85,400 | 17,410 | 0.97 |
| New Mexico | $59,330 | $38,090 | $78,110 | 2,460 | 0.68 |
| New York | $67,180 | $54,480 | $81,530 | 39,400 | 0.98 |
| North Carolina | $63,270 | $50,480 | $74,730 | 18,010 | 0.87 |
| North Dakota | $62,300 | $50,950 | $74,130 | 1,920 | 1.07 |
| Ohio | $61,950 | $50,030 | $74,120 | 39,900 | 1.72 |
| Oklahoma | $58,320 | $45,440 | $66,410 | 11,540 | 1.62 |
| Oregon | $80,470 | $64,000 | $98,990 | 4,260 | 0.52 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,940 | $51,500 | $77,750 | 38,260 | 1.51 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,760 | $23,120 | $62,170 | 2,990 | 0.76 |
| Rhode Island | $80,090 | $65,650 | $94,540 | 1,290 | 0.62 |
| South Carolina | $61,820 | $50,370 | $76,420 | 9,400 | 0.98 |
| South Dakota | $52,750 | $40,770 | $67,700 | 2,050 | 1.08 |
| Tennessee | $58,870 | $41,110 | $67,540 | 20,830 | 1.52 |
| Texas | $62,240 | $48,910 | $76,140 | 57,560 | 0.98 |
| Utah | $63,230 | $37,480 | $77,540 | 1,680 | 0.23 |
| Vermont | $69,930 | $50,230 | $84,710 | 1,130 | 0.89 |
| Virgin Islands | $64,660 | $53,310 | $78,100 | 50 | 0.4 |
| Virginia | $64,920 | $50,580 | $79,170 | 15,550 | 0.91 |
| Washington | $83,150 | $64,230 | $100,950 | 6,780 | 0.46 |
| West Virginia | $55,360 | $45,690 | $70,960 | 6,050 | 2.07 |
| Wisconsin | $63,760 | $51,820 | $78,490 | 7,390 | 0.6 |
| Wyoming | $63,460 | $46,700 | $77,000 | 480 | 0.41 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 51,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.9%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training CIP 51.3901
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other CIP 51.3999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (hot technology)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Zoom (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Diagnostic and procedural coding software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- FaceTime
- Google Drive
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Infusion management software
- Inventory tracking software
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Charge Nurse, Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN), Clinic Nurse, Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Office Nurse, Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse), Private Duty Nurse, Radiation Oncology Nurse, Triage LPN (Triage Licensed Practical Nurse).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make?
The national median annual wage for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses was $64,400 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $49,740 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $83,440. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses need?
BLS lists postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses a growing career?
BLS projects employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses to change +3.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 51,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($83,150), Alaska ($80,800), Oregon ($80,470). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.