Licensed Practical Nurse salary
A licensed practical nurse earns about $62,340 a year — roughly $29.97/hour, with most earning between $53,890 and $71,380. This is a verified national figure from official public wage data.
Licensed Practical Nurse — U.S. national
Verified public wage dataMedian annual pay
$62,340
Hourly
$29.97/hr
- Typical range
- $53,890–$71,380
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $77,870
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $48,330
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- State and metro labor market
- Long-term care vs hospital setting
- Years of experience
- Shift differentials
- Specialty certifications (IV, wound care)
About Licensed Practical Nurses
What they do
Licensed Practical Nurses provide basic bedside care — monitoring vitals, administering some medications, dressing wounds, and reporting to RNs and physicians. A large share work in nursing homes, long-term care, and physician offices rather than hospitals.
How to become a Licensed Practical Nurse
LPNs complete a state-approved practical nursing program (typically about one year) and pass the NCLEX-PN exam for licensure. It is the fastest route into licensed nursing.
What drives the pay
Public wage data reports LPNs and LVNs together. Pay is below the RN level because the scope of practice is narrower; setting matters a lot, with hospitals and home health typically paying more than long-term care.
Licensed Practical Nurse pay by state
Where this role tends to pay the most.
| State | Annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $86,030 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $74,810 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $73,560 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $73,560 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $73,560 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $71,690 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $70,440 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $69,820 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Source & confidence— A verified figure from official U.S. public wage data.
BLS OEWS (May 2024, national)
National wage figures for SOC 29-2061 are seeded from published BLS OEWS May 2024 national data. Run `npm run import:oews` to replace seed values with figures parsed directly from official OEWS files.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology