Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Salary Guide: Navigating Your Nursing Career
Nurses are critical members of any healthcare team, providing direct patient care and assisting doctors and specialists as they diagnose and treat patients. But ask any nurse why they do what they do, and they’ll likely tell you it’s a calling to help others. Does that sound like you? As a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you could have a long and rewarding career helping patients, families, and professionals across the healthcare industry. And depending on where you live and work, you could see high demand for your skills, good earning potential, and robust employee benefits. If you’re starting out on your nursing career path, check out our comprehensive LPN salary guide to better understand salary trends, regional demand, and career growth opportunities.
What Do LPNs Earn in the United States?
The salary range for licensed practical nurses in the United States varies based on location, experience, and years in the profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for LPNs is $59,730, or $28.72 per hour1 but the highest 10 percent earn more than $77,870 per year2. Your take home pay can be influenced by overtime pay, bonuses, and benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, which can significantly impact overall compensation. Your salary will also be impacted by where you choose to live and work.
Where do Licensed Practical Nurses Earn the Most?
According to BLS data, the top-paying states for LPNs are California, Rhode Island, Washington, Alaska, and Massachusetts3. But states like New Jersey4, Rhode Island5, and Connecticut6 offer salaries above the national average.
LPNs in cities tend to earn more, while nurses in rural areas tend to earn less but often benefit from a lower cost of living that raises your earning power. It’s important that you consider all these factors when you decide where you work. Keep an eye on job availability in your top regions and think about what is most important to you when it comes to salary expectations, expenses, and work-life balance in the state.
What Factors Affect LPN Salaries?
In addition to location and cost of living, your salary as a practical licensed nurse can be affected by the skills, training, and the facility you work for. Settings like home healthcare services, community care facilities, or nursing care facilities may offer higher earnings depending on the training and skills you have.
Where is the Most Demand for LPNs?
Demand for LPNs is steady1, but there are some cities that are expected to show more growth than others. BLS projections say that states like California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio, have higher employment levels than others for LPNs7. Demand above the national average is also predicted for several states, including Pennsylvania8, New Jersey9, and Rhode Island10. And included in the cities and metropolitan areas among the top in terms of employment opportunities are New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD11.
What Career Growth is Available for LPNs?
Along with opportunities for overtime, you can increase your salary as an LPN by further developing your skills and acquiring further certifications. You may also decide to pursue higher education and become a registered nurse.
What Certifications Do LPNs Get?
Certifications may boost your career prospects and salary prospects as an LPN. Once you have received formal education, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination. You can also receive certifications for a variety of nursing areas including:
- Gerontology
- Wound Care
- IV Therapy
- CPR
- Basic Life Support
What LPN Skills Add to Your Marketability?
There are many technical and soft skills that are highly valued by medical facilities. These skills can help you boost your marketability to employers. In addition to clinical skills and experience, patient and customer service, attention to detail, medical terminology knowledge, problem solving and the ability to work on a team are valuable skills to have. Your ability to perform the technical aspects of your job while also having good interpersonal skills can help you in your career growth.
Where Can You Work as an LPN?
Trained, licensed practical nurses are needed across the country and will remain an essential part of the healthcare system. You can look for employment in nursing care facilities, outpatient facilities, urgent care, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and hospitals. Once you gain the needed skills and establish yourself in an area or specialization, you may shift to a specialty for a higher salary.
What are Common Perks and Benefits for LPNs?
For many in the nursing profession, the biggest benefit is keeping their communities happy and healthy through the care they provide. But common employee benefits include health insurance, vision and dental coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, and overtime pay. These benefits contribute to your overall compensation and may enhance your job satisfaction and desire to stay with an employer.
There are many factors you should consider before you step into the nursing field, and much of it will depend on skillset, education, certifications and credentials, and location. Once you have the necessary training for the healthcare space, consider all the factors mentioned in this guide before you decide about where you work and train to become a licensed nurse practitioner.
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm Retrieved August 14, 2024
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm#tab-5 Retrieved August 14, 2024
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: Occupational employment and wages, May 2022. U.S. Department of Labor https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm#st:~:text=%24%2051%2C880-,Top%20paying%20states,-for%20Licensed%20Practical Retrieved August 14, 2024
4 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/29-2061.00?st=NJ Retrieved November 1, 2024
5 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/29-2061.00?st=RI Retrieved November 1, 2024
6 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/29-2061.00?st=CT Retrieved November 1, 2024
7 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm#st:~:text=Customized%20Tables%20function.-,States%20with%20the%20highest,-employment%20level%20in Retrieved September 14, 2024
8 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/29-2061.00?st=PA Retrieved November 1, 2024
9 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/29-2061.00?st=NJ Retrieved November 1, 2024
10 O*NET Online. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/29-2061.00?st=RI Retrieved November 1, 2024
11 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm#st:~:text=%24%2073%2C400-,Metropolitan%20areas,-with%20the%20highest Retrieved September 1, 2024