Find out how much does a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) make? This page will show you all of the data covering LPN salary information – remember a Licensed Vocational Nurse LVN salary is the same thing in Texas and California.
Below you’ll find out all sorts of interesting figures and comparisons – highest paying states, cities, industries and total employment numbers. You can go to our Salary by State page for a detailed breakdown of the figures for each U.S. state and see the average nurse salary for each type of nurse in one place.
Again the information is designed to be read quickly and easily.
The U.S. Average Licensed Practical Nurse LPN Salary is $47,710
The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average annual salary for a LPN or LVN working in the United States is $47,710 . This works out at $21.98 per hour, $918 per week and $3,976 per month.
Look at the table below to see how this compares with the national average wage.
Hourly Wage
Weekly Wage
Monthly Salary
Annual Salary
LPN/LVN Average Salary
$21.98
$879
$3,876
$47,710
National Average Salary
$24.34
$973
$4,218
$50,620
Salary Range – LVN/LPN
Earnings for a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse can vary quite widely from state to state and according to experience, service and further training. They are also employed across a variety of “industries” and sectors – influencing the average salaries.
The chart below gives you a good idea of the range between the 10th percentile and the 90th percentile. This is a wide range and can be explained by the higher salaries for LPN’s with further training and education against starting salaries for a LPN / LVN.
Highest Paid States for a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse
Basic supply and demand forces can partially explain the variation in wages across the states. Cost of living differences also have an influence on average state salaries – as is the case with most types of nursing careers.
The highest paid states for a Licensed Practical Nurse are Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut – all earning over $57,000 – well above the national average. At the other end of the scale West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama are the states with the lowest average wages for LPN’s.
Click on the map to view more detailed LPN / LVN salary information for each state in the United States – you can select each state for full details of average earnings, industry and employment rates.
State
Employment Numbers
Hourly Wage
Annual Salary
Alabama
12,860
$17.71
$36,830
Alaska
520
$27.20
$56,580
Arizona
6,610
$25.32
$52,660
Arkansas
12,350
$18.35
$38,180
California
66,350
$25.77
$53,600
Colorado
5,340
$23.91
$49,740
Connecticut
7,750
$27.51
$57,210
Delaware
2,170
$25.14
$52,290
District of Columbia
1,820
$25.50
$53,050
Florida
47,550
$20.90
$43,480
Georgia
26,040
$19.54
$40,650
Guam
110
$16.08
$33,440
Hawaii
1,270
$23.65
$49,200
Idaho
2,420
$20.18
$41,980
Illinois
19,790
$23.71
$49,320
Indiana
15,480
$20.40
$42,440
Iowa
5,990
$20.01
$41,610
Kansas
7,350
$20.32
$42,260
Kentucky
10,140
$19.64
$40,860
Louisiana
20,340
$18.52
$38,530
Maine
1,210
$21.44
$44,590
Maryland
10,630
$25.62
$53,280
Massachusetts
16,680
$27.79
$57,800
Michigan
14,920
$22.92
$47,660
Minnesota
16,840
$21.84
$45,430
Mississippi
8,970
$17.92
$37,280
Missouri
15,850
$19.80
$41,180
Montana
2,470
$20.52
$42,690
Nebraska
5,410
$20.01
$41,620
Nevada
2,630
$26.60
$55,340
New Hampshire
2,200
$24.11
$50,150
New Jersey
17,240
$26.37
$54,840
New Mexico
2,140
$23.11
$48,060
New York
45,950
$22.92
$47,670
North Carolina
17,810
$20.79
$43,250
North Dakota
2,530
$21.68
$45,100
Ohio
40,660
$20.35
$42,340
Oklahoma
11,490
$19.27
$40,090
Oregon
3,090
$24.54
$51,040
Pennsylvania
36,890
$22.63
$47,070
Puerto Rico
4,300
$11.35
$23,610
Rhode Island
1,040
$27.79
$57,800
South Carolina
9,590
$19.42
$40,390
South Dakota
1,770
$18.12
$37,690
Tennessee
24,000
$18.71
$38,910
Texas
72,010
$22.10
$45,980
Utah
2,040
$22.34
$46,470
Vermont
1,260
$23.34
$48,560
Virgin Islands
80
$20.76
$43,190
Virginia
21,920
$20.46
$42,550
Washington
7,380
$25.56
$53,150
West Virginia
5,900
$17.40
$36,190
Wisconsin
7,450
$21.21
$44,120
Wyoming
600
$22.49
$46,780
Highest Paying Cities and Metropolitan Areas LVN / LPN
Californian cities and Metropolitan areas have the highest payscales for Licensed Vocational Nurses – with San Fransisco, San Jose and Oakland at the top end. Boston pays well too for LPN salaries.
Metropolitan Area
Employment Numbers
Hourly Wage
Annual Salary
San Francisco-Redwood City-S San Francisco CA
2,270
$31.25
$65,000
Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA
6,310
$30.49
$63,420
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA
2,920
$29.50
$61,360
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CA
7,230
$29.11
$60,550
Salinas CA
650
$29.00
$60,330
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua MA
11,100
$28.77
$59,850
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk CA
1,530
$28.67
$59,640
Santa Rosa CA
710
$28.57
$59,430
Napa CA
210
$28.49
$59,250
Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead MA
280
$28.19
$58,640
Highest Paid Non Metropolitan Areas
Non Metropolitan Area
Employment Numbers
Hourly Wage
Annual Salary
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area
60
$28.86
$60,030
Nantucket Island Marthas Vineyard nonmetro area
30
$28.25
$58,760
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area
50
$28.12
$58,490
Mother Lode Region California nonmetro area
180
$26.17
$54,430
North Nevada nonmetropolitan area
70
$26.02
$54,130
Upper E Shore of Maryland nonmetro area
180
$25.61
$53,270
SW New Mexico nonmetropolitan area
70
$25.33
$52,680
South Coast Oregon nonmetro area
170
$25.28
$52,580
N Valley Region of California nonmetro area
40
$25.16
$52,340
N Mountains Region California nonmetro area
340
$25.11
$52,230
Numbers Employed – LPN / LVN – United States
The total number of LPN and LVN’s employed in the U.S. currently stands at 702,700. Both Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses are included in this total. Look at the chart below for top ten states with the highest employment figures.
LPN’s are employed in a wide range of industries and services providing a great range of employment for anyone in this career. They are used widely in hospitals (of course!) retirement communities and care facilities.
Industry
Hourly Wage
Annual Wage
Specialty hospitals - Privately owned
$24.39
$50,730
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
$24.23
$50,400
Federal government, including USPS
$23.25
$48,370
Outpatient Care Centers
$23.14
$48,120
Employment Services
$22.69
$47,200
Temporary Help Services
$22.69
$47,190
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
$22.61
$47,030
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities
$22.46
$46,710
Home Health Care Services
$22.27
$46,320
Hospitals - Privately owned
$21.68
$45,090
LPN Salary Video
Outlook for LPN / LVN
The BLS issues figures for the projected employment numbers across many careers – the figures list the estimated rise over 10 years from 2012 to 2022. The average rise across all occupations is 11%. The outlook for a Licensed Practical Nurse is a rise of 25% with the estimated employment numbers for 2022 set to increase by 182,900. Prospects are good for anyone setting out on this career path.
