SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-2061.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $49,740 | $4,145 | $957 | $23.91 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $59,000 | $4,917 | $1,135 | $28.37 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $64,400 | $5,367 | $1,238 | $30.96 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $76,030 | $6,336 | $1,462 | $36.55 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $83,440 | $6,953 | $1,605 | $40.12 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is $64,400, which is 26% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 57 by median pay. With 648,410 jobs, it makes up about 42 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($83,150), Alaska ($80,800) and Oregon ($80,470). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,760), Guam ($42,870) and Mississippi ($50,220). The most jobs were in California (82,850), Texas (57,560) and Ohio (39,900). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 6,780 | $83,150 | $83,900 | $39.98 |
| Alaska | 290 | $80,800 | $80,000 | $38.85 |
| Oregon | 4,260 | $80,470 | $81,420 | $38.69 |
| Massachusetts | 13,210 | $80,220 | $79,270 | $38.57 |
| Rhode Island | 1,290 | $80,090 | $80,120 | $38.51 |
| California | 82,850 | $79,750 | $82,340 | $38.34 |
| New Hampshire | 2,220 | $77,110 | $76,570 | $37.07 |
| Arizona | 6,530 | $77,070 | $76,120 | $37.05 |
| Nevada | 3,350 | $76,160 | $74,470 | $36.62 |
| District of Columbia | 1,040 | $75,740 | $74,030 | $36.42 |
| New Jersey | 17,410 | $75,160 | $74,600 | $36.13 |
| Illinois | 17,440 | $75,000 | $73,430 | $36.06 |
| Maryland | 9,560 | $74,660 | $74,170 | $35.89 |
| Colorado | 4,920 | $73,880 | $70,820 | $35.52 |
| Connecticut | 8,540 | $73,690 | $72,580 | $35.43 |
| Maine | 760 | $73,200 | $72,110 | $35.19 |
| Hawaii | 840 | $71,140 | $71,560 | $34.20 |
| Vermont | 1,130 | $69,930 | $70,110 | $33.62 |
| Delaware | 2,240 | $68,710 | $69,500 | $33.03 |
| New York | 39,400 | $67,180 | $69,170 | $32.30 |
| Indiana | 14,480 | $65,720 | $65,840 | $31.60 |
| Michigan | 10,880 | $65,460 | $67,340 | $31.47 |
| Virginia | 15,550 | $64,920 | $66,300 | $31.21 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $64,660 | $65,720 | $31.09 |
| Pennsylvania | 38,260 | $63,940 | $65,930 | $30.74 |
| Idaho | 1,880 | $63,800 | $63,860 | $30.67 |
| Wisconsin | 7,390 | $63,760 | $65,870 | $30.65 |
| Minnesota | 12,840 | $63,750 | $64,900 | $30.65 |
| Wyoming | 480 | $63,460 | $63,300 | $30.51 |
| North Carolina | 18,010 | $63,270 | $63,720 | $30.42 |
| Utah | 1,680 | $63,230 | $62,110 | $30.40 |
| Nebraska | 4,580 | $62,660 | $64,560 | $30.13 |
| Iowa | 5,510 | $62,630 | $63,420 | $30.11 |
| North Dakota | 1,920 | $62,300 | $62,230 | $29.95 |
| Texas | 57,560 | $62,240 | $62,770 | $29.92 |
| Montana | 1,620 | $62,210 | $62,350 | $29.91 |
| Georgia | 21,060 | $62,030 | $61,640 | $29.82 |
| Ohio | 39,900 | $61,950 | $62,020 | $29.78 |
| South Carolina | 9,400 | $61,820 | $63,170 | $29.72 |
| Florida | 38,620 | $61,770 | $62,150 | $29.70 |
| Kansas | 7,530 | $61,760 | $62,660 | $29.69 |
| Missouri | 14,700 | $61,530 | $62,410 | $29.58 |
| Kentucky | 8,570 | $60,460 | $60,460 | $29.07 |
| New Mexico | 2,460 | $59,330 | $58,630 | $28.52 |
| Tennessee | 20,830 | $58,870 | $56,470 | $28.31 |
| Oklahoma | 11,540 | $58,320 | $56,800 | $28.04 |
| Louisiana | 17,600 | $57,470 | $56,590 | $27.63 |
| Alabama | 11,580 | $57,030 | $55,310 | $27.42 |
| Arkansas | 10,010 | $56,620 | $55,690 | $27.22 |
| West Virginia | 6,050 | $55,360 | $56,190 | $26.61 |
| South Dakota | 2,050 | $52,750 | $54,990 | $25.36 |
| Mississippi | 9,850 | $50,220 | $51,450 | $24.14 |
| Guam | 90 | $42,870 | $46,630 | $20.61 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,990 | $30,760 | $37,640 | $14.79 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other$65,790 a year
- Hearing Aid Specialists$65,160 a year
- Surgical Technologists$64,650 a year
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930 a year
- Athletic Trainers$62,520 a year
- Recreational Therapists$61,960 a year
Common questions
How much do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn in the United States?
The median pay was $64,400 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $83,440.
How many people work as Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?
About 648,410 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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