Licensed Practical Nurse Earnings

The median annual wage for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses was $47,480 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,560, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,360.

In May 2019, the median annual wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

• Nursing and residential care facilities: $48,840
• Government: $48,400
• Home healthcare services: $48,130
• Hospitals; state, local, and private: $45,550
• Offices of physicians: $43,620

Most licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPNs and LVNs) work full time. Many work nights, weekends, and holidays, because medical care takes place at all hours. They may be required to work shifts of longer than 8 hours.

Source: BLS, USDOL