29 Series · SOC 29-2061
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $64,400
- Median / year
- +3.3%
- 2024→2025
- $83,440
- Top 10% earn
- +2.6%
- Growth '24–'34
- 648,410
- Estimated US jobs
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn a median of $64,400 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $64,400, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $49,740 (10th percentile) to $83,440 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 648,410 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Washington ($83,150).
The pay verdict
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn a median of $64,400, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 56% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #57 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.6% by 2034.
- $64,400
- Median annual wage
- Top 44%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #57 of 71
- in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- 1.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $83,150. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses moved from $47,480 in May 2019 to $64,400 in May 2025 (+35.6%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses sits +11.2 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061) has a national median of $64,400 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $49,740 to $83,440, and the published mean is $67,050. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 648,410 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 54 state or territory areas and 528 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $62,340 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $64,400 in May 2025, a rise of $2,060 (+3.3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 54,400 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $83,150, which is +29% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $95,320. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$64,400
per year
Median Hourly
$30.96/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$67,050
average
Employment
648,410
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$64,400 Top 44% higher than 56% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$64,400 · 56th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 29-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Registered Nurses: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $97550
- Licensed Practical a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $64400
- Pharmacy Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $45750
- Physicians, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $265930
- Clinical Laboratory …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $62930
- Nurse Practitioners: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 40.1%, Median annual wage $132300
- Pharmacists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $140910
- Physical Therapists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10.9%, Median annual wage $102760
- Radiologic Technolog…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $80110
- Dental Hygienists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7%, Median annual wage $98100
- Medical Records Spec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.1%, Median annual wage $51140
- Speech-Language Path…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15%, Median annual wage $97870
- Health Technologists…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.2%, Median annual wage $50290
- Emergency Medical Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.1%, Median annual wage $44470
- Occupational Therapi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 13.8%, Median annual wage $100330
- Physician Assistants: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 20.4%, Median annual wage $135880
- Psychiatric Technici…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 20%, Median annual wage $45130
- Respiratory Therapists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.1%, Median annual wage $82280
- Veterinary Technolog…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.1%, Median annual wage $47380
- Dentists, General: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $170950
- Surgical Technologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $64650
- Family Medicine Phys…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.7%, Median annual wage $244180
- Paramedics: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $60600
- Diagnostic Medical S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 13%, Median annual wage $96590
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
54,400
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+17,100
651,400 (2024) → 668,500 (2034)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.7/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- ▸ Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- ▸ Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- ▸ Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- ▸ Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- ▸ Provide medical treatment or personal care to patients in private home settings, such as cooking, keeping rooms orderly, seeing that patients are comfortable and in good spirits, or instructing family members in simple nursing tasks.
- ▸ Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
- ▸ Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave.
- ▸ Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- ▸ Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $43,170 |
| 2016 | $44,090 |
| 2017 | $45,030 |
| 2018 | $46,240 |
| 2019 | $47,480 |
| 2020 | $48,820 |
| 2021 | $48,070 |
| 2022 | $54,620 |
| 2023 | $59,730 |
| 2024 | $62,340 |
| 2025 | $64,400 |
2015 median
$43,170
2025 median
$64,400
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$16,920 (+35.6%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+5.2%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $43,170 | First banked release | 697,250 |
| May 2016 | $44,090 | +2.1% | 702,400 |
| May 2017 | $45,030 | +2.1% | 702,700 |
| May 2018 | $46,240 | +2.7% | 701,690 |
| May 2019 | $47,480 | Classification break | 697,510 |
| May 2020 | $48,820 | +2.8% | 676,440 |
| May 2021 | $48,070 | -1.5% | 641,240 |
| May 2022 | $54,620 | +13.6% | 632,020 |
| May 2023 | $59,730 | +9.4% | 630,250 |
| May 2024 | $62,340 | +4.4% | 632,430 |
| May 2025 | $64,400 | +3.3% | 648,410 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $43,170 in May 2015 to $64,400 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +5.2% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 697,510 in May 2019 to 648,410 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 54 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,150 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Alaska | $80,800 | +25% above national |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,470 | +25% above national |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $80,220 | +25% above national |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $80,090 | +24% above national |
| 6 | California | $79,750 | +24% above national |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $77,110 | +20% above national |
| 8 | Arizona | $77,070 | +20% above national |
| 9 | Nevada | $76,160 | +18% above national |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $75,740 | +18% above national |
| 11 | New Jersey | $75,160 | +17% above national |
| 12 | Illinois | $75,000 | +16% above national |
| 13 | Maryland | $74,660 | +16% above national |
| 14 | Colorado | $73,880 | +15% above national |
| 15 | Connecticut | $73,690 | +14% above national |
| 16 | Maine | $73,200 | +14% above national |
| 17 | Hawaii | $71,140 | +10% above national |
| 18 | Vermont | $69,930 | +9% above national |
| 19 | Delaware | $68,710 | +7% above national |
| 20 | New York | $67,180 | +4% above national |
| 21 | Indiana | $65,720 | +2% above national |
| 22 | Michigan | $65,460 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Virginia | $64,920 | +1% above national |
| 24 | Virgin Islands | $64,660 | same as national |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $63,940 | 1% below national |
| 26 | Idaho | $63,800 | 1% below national |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $63,760 | 1% below national |
| 28 | Minnesota | $63,750 | 1% below national |
| 29 | Wyoming | $63,460 | 1% below national |
| 30 | North Carolina | $63,270 | 2% below national |
| 31 | Utah | $63,230 | 2% below national |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,660 | 3% below national |
| 33 | Iowa | $62,630 | 3% below national |
| 34 | North Dakota | $62,300 | 3% below national |
| 35 | Texas | $62,240 | 3% below national |
| 36 | Montana | $62,210 | 3% below national |
| 37 | Georgia | $62,030 | 4% below national |
| 38 | Ohio | $61,950 | 4% below national |
| 39 | South Carolina | $61,820 | 4% below national |
| 40 | Florida | $61,770 | 4% below national |
| 41 | Kansas | $61,760 | 4% below national |
| 42 | Missouri | $61,530 | 4% below national |
| 43 | Kentucky | $60,460 | 6% below national |
| 44 | New Mexico | $59,330 | 8% below national |
| 45 | Tennessee | $58,870 | 9% below national |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $58,320 | 9% below national |
| 47 | Louisiana | $57,470 | 11% below national |
| 48 | Alabama | $57,030 | 11% below national |
| 49 | Arkansas | $56,620 | 12% below national |
| 50 | West Virginia | $55,360 | 14% below national |
| 51 | South Dakota | $52,750 | 18% below national |
| 52 | Mississippi | $50,220 | 22% below national |
| 53 | Guam | $42,870 | 33% below national |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $30,760 | 52% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 393 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,320 | +48% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,310 | +46% above national |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $92,580 | +44% above national |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $85,690 | +33% above national |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | $85,430 | +33% above national |
| 6 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $83,940 | +30% above national |
| 7 | Napa, CA | $83,690 | +30% above national |
| 8 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $83,510 | +30% above national |
| 9 | Bend, OR | $83,260 | +29% above national |
| 10 | Grants Pass, OR | $82,410 | +28% above national |
| 11 | Anchorage, AK | $82,330 | +28% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $82,190 | +28% above national |
| 13 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $81,580 | +27% above national |
| 14 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $81,570 | +27% above national |
| 15 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $81,350 | +26% above national |
| 16 | Barnstable Town, MA | $81,250 | +26% above national |
| 17 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $81,000 | +26% above national |
| 18 | Salinas, CA | $80,910 | +26% above national |
| 19 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $79,940 | +24% above national |
| 20 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $79,720 | +24% above national |
| 21 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $79,630 | +24% above national |
| 22 | Albany, OR | $79,610 | +24% above national |
| 23 | Salem, OR | $79,600 | +24% above national |
| 24 | Flagstaff, AZ | $79,540 | +24% above national |
| 25 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,310 | +23% above national |
| 26 | Medford, OR | $79,160 | +23% above national |
| 27 | Worcester, MA | $79,060 | +23% above national |
| 28 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $79,020 | +23% above national |
| 29 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $79,010 | +23% above national |
| 30 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $78,990 | +23% above national |
| 31 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $78,950 | +23% above national |
| 32 | Carson City, NV | $78,790 | +22% above national |
| 33 | Chico, CA | $78,750 | +22% above national |
| 34 | Bellingham, WA | $78,740 | +22% above national |
| 35 | Walla Walla, WA | $78,690 | +22% above national |
| 36 | Reno, NV | $78,600 | +22% above national |
| 37 | Pittsfield, MA | $78,480 | +22% above national |
| 38 | Yuba City, CA | $78,260 | +22% above national |
| 39 | Modesto, CA | $78,200 | +21% above national |
| 40 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $78,080 | +21% above national |
| 41 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $78,080 | +21% above national |
| 42 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $78,070 | +21% above national |
| 43 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $77,940 | +21% above national |
| 44 | Springfield, MA | $77,850 | +21% above national |
| 45 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $77,830 | +21% above national |
| 46 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $77,800 | +21% above national |
| 47 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $77,790 | +21% above national |
| 48 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $77,650 | +21% above national |
| 49 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $76,970 | +20% above national |
| 50 | Boulder, CO | $76,800 | +19% above national |
| 51 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $76,690 | +19% above national |
| 52 | Yakima, WA | $76,290 | +18% above national |
| 53 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $76,130 | +18% above national |
| 54 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $76,090 | +18% above national |
| 55 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $75,950 | +18% above national |
| 56 | Tucson, AZ | $75,940 | +18% above national |
| 57 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $75,920 | +18% above national |
| 58 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $75,920 | +18% above national |
| 59 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,910 | +18% above national |
| 60 | Merced, CA | $75,890 | +18% above national |
| 61 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $75,860 | +18% above national |
| 62 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $75,810 | +18% above national |
| 63 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $75,610 | +17% above national |
| 64 | Fresno, CA | $75,580 | +17% above national |
| 65 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $75,560 | +17% above national |
| 66 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $75,380 | +17% above national |
| 67 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $75,180 | +17% above national |
| 68 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $74,860 | +16% above national |
| 69 | Lexington Park, MD | $74,860 | +16% above national |
| 70 | El Centro, CA | $74,710 | +16% above national |
| 71 | Niles, MI | $74,530 | +16% above national |
| 72 | Corvallis, OR | $74,160 | +15% above national |
| 73 | Redding, CA | $74,140 | +15% above national |
| 74 | New Haven, CT | $73,820 | +15% above national |
| 75 | Visalia, CA | $73,540 | +14% above national |
| 76 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $72,800 | +13% above national |
| 77 | Santa Fe, NM | $72,750 | +13% above national |
| 78 | Greeley, CO | $72,720 | +13% above national |
| 79 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $72,650 | +13% above national |
| 80 | Bangor, ME | $72,370 | +12% above national |
| 81 | Peoria, IL | $72,270 | +12% above national |
| 82 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $71,850 | +12% above national |
| 83 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,840 | +12% above national |
| 84 | Vineland, NJ | $71,410 | +11% above national |
| 85 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $70,710 | +10% above national |
| 86 | Rockford, IL | $70,090 | +9% above national |
| 87 | Pueblo, CO | $70,080 | +9% above national |
| 88 | Yuma, AZ | $69,840 | +8% above national |
| 89 | Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $69,640 | +8% above national |
| 90 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $69,300 | +8% above national |
| 91 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $69,150 | +7% above national |
| 92 | Colorado Springs, CO | $68,360 | +6% above national |
| 93 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $68,240 | +6% above national |
| 94 | Bloomington, IL | $67,270 | +4% above national |
| 95 | Kokomo, IN | $67,240 | +4% above national |
| 96 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $67,200 | +4% above national |
| 97 | Charlottesville, VA | $67,120 | +4% above national |
| 98 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $66,970 | +4% above national |
| 99 | Boise City, ID | $66,950 | +4% above national |
| 100 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $66,950 | +4% above national |
| 101 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $66,900 | +4% above national |
| 102 | Decatur, IL | $66,750 | +4% above national |
| 103 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $66,680 | +4% above national |
| 104 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $66,440 | +3% above national |
| 105 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $66,360 | +3% above national |
| 106 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $66,320 | +3% above national |
| 107 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $66,140 | +3% above national |
| 108 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $66,130 | +3% above national |
| 109 | Kankakee, IL | $65,910 | +2% above national |
| 110 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $65,860 | +2% above national |
| 111 | Salisbury, MD | $65,730 | +2% above national |
| 112 | Flint, MI | $65,670 | +2% above national |
| 113 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $65,660 | +2% above national |
| 114 | Kingston, NY | $65,650 | +2% above national |
| 115 | Ames, IA | $65,610 | +2% above national |
| 116 | Asheville, NC | $65,470 | +2% above national |
| 117 | Lebanon, PA | $65,430 | +2% above national |
| 118 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,410 | +2% above national |
| 119 | Battle Creek, MI | $65,360 | +1% above national |
| 120 | Kenosha, WI | $65,350 | +1% above national |
| 121 | Appleton, WI | $65,300 | +1% above national |
| 122 | Fond du Lac, WI | $65,270 | +1% above national |
| 123 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $65,250 | +1% above national |
| 124 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $65,240 | +1% above national |
| 125 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $65,230 | +1% above national |
| 126 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $65,160 | +1% above national |
| 127 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $65,140 | +1% above national |
| 128 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $65,120 | +1% above national |
| 129 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $65,060 | +1% above national |
| 130 | Reading, PA | $64,950 | +1% above national |
| 131 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $64,850 | +1% above national |
| 132 | Cheyenne, WY | $64,800 | +1% above national |
| 133 | Ithaca, NY | $64,730 | +1% above national |
| 134 | Evansville, IN | $64,700 | same as national |
| 135 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $64,680 | same as national |
| 136 | Ann Arbor, MI | $64,670 | same as national |
| 137 | Fayetteville, NC | $64,670 | same as national |
| 138 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $64,590 | same as national |
| 139 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $64,580 | same as national |
| 140 | Madison, WI | $64,550 | same as national |
| 141 | Grand Junction, CO | $64,480 | same as national |
| 142 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $64,460 | same as national |
| 143 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $64,420 | same as national |
| 144 | Mankato, MN | $64,400 | same as national |
| 145 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $64,370 | same as national |
| 146 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $64,370 | same as national |
| 147 | Muncie, IN | $64,330 | same as national |
| 148 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $64,320 | same as national |
| 149 | Gettysburg, PA | $64,310 | same as national |
| 150 | Jackson, MI | $64,290 | same as national |
| 151 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $64,280 | same as national |
| 152 | Saginaw, MI | $64,280 | same as national |
| 153 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $64,270 | same as national |
| 154 | Midland, TX | $64,240 | same as national |
| 155 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $64,180 | same as national |
| 156 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $64,130 | same as national |
| 157 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $64,100 | same as national |
| 158 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $64,100 | same as national |
| 159 | Midland, MI | $64,100 | same as national |
| 160 | Gainesville, GA | $64,080 | same as national |
| 161 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $64,080 | same as national |
| 162 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $64,050 | 1% below national |
| 163 | Richmond, VA | $64,030 | 1% below national |
| 164 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $64,000 | 1% below national |
| 165 | Chambersburg, PA | $63,960 | 1% below national |
| 166 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $63,950 | 1% below national |
| 167 | Cleveland, OH | $63,900 | 1% below national |
| 168 | Bozeman, MT | $63,790 | 1% below national |
| 169 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $63,770 | 1% below national |
| 170 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $63,760 | 1% below national |
| 171 | Dubuque, IA | $63,750 | 1% below national |
| 172 | Rochester, MN | $63,750 | 1% below national |
| 173 | Helena, MT | $63,690 | 1% below national |
| 174 | Iowa City, IA | $63,690 | 1% below national |
| 175 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $63,670 | 1% below national |
| 176 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $63,670 | 1% below national |
| 177 | Fort Wayne, IN | $63,640 | 1% below national |
| 178 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $63,610 | 1% below national |
| 179 | Omaha, NE-IA | $63,540 | 1% below national |
| 180 | York-Hanover, PA | $63,460 | 1% below national |
| 181 | Burlington, NC | $63,450 | 1% below national |
| 182 | Elmira, NY | $63,390 | 2% below national |
| 183 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $63,390 | 2% below national |
| 184 | Spartanburg, SC | $63,390 | 2% below national |
| 185 | Wilmington, NC | $63,390 | 2% below national |
| 186 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $63,370 | 2% below national |
| 187 | Lancaster, PA | $63,290 | 2% below national |
| 188 | Monroe, MI | $63,240 | 2% below national |
| 189 | Bloomington, IN | $63,200 | 2% below national |
| 190 | Missoula, MT | $63,130 | 2% below national |
| 191 | Lincoln, NE | $63,070 | 2% below national |
| 192 | Pittsburgh, PA | $63,060 | 2% below national |
| 193 | Ogden, UT | $63,010 | 2% below national |
| 194 | Winston-Salem, NC | $62,970 | 2% below national |
| 195 | Syracuse, NY | $62,880 | 2% below national |
| 196 | Sheboygan, WI | $62,820 | 2% below national |
| 197 | Savannah, GA | $62,810 | 2% below national |
| 198 | Farmington, NM | $62,690 | 3% below national |
| 199 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $62,680 | 3% below national |
| 200 | Sumter, SC | $62,640 | 3% below national |
| 201 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $62,610 | 3% below national |
| 202 | Sandusky, OH | $62,520 | 3% below national |
| 203 | Binghamton, NY | $62,490 | 3% below national |
| 204 | Odessa, TX | $62,490 | 3% below national |
| 205 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $62,490 | 3% below national |
| 206 | Terre Haute, IN | $62,460 | 3% below national |
| 207 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $62,430 | 3% below national |
| 208 | Columbus, IN | $62,400 | 3% below national |
| 209 | Lawrence, KS | $62,400 | 3% below national |
| 210 | St. George, UT | $62,400 | 3% below national |
| 211 | Casper, WY | $62,370 | 3% below national |
| 212 | Fargo, ND-MN | $62,300 | 3% below national |
| 213 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $62,290 | 3% below national |
| 214 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $62,280 | 3% below national |
| 215 | Toledo, OH | $62,280 | 3% below national |
| 216 | Traverse City, MI | $62,260 | 3% below national |
| 217 | Topeka, KS | $62,210 | 3% below national |
| 218 | Owensboro, KY | $62,180 | 3% below national |
| 219 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $62,150 | 3% below national |
| 220 | Dover, DE | $62,140 | 4% below national |
| 221 | Glens Falls, NY | $62,120 | 4% below national |
| 222 | Columbia, SC | $62,110 | 4% below national |
| 223 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $62,110 | 4% below national |
| 224 | Lima, OH | $62,080 | 4% below national |
| 225 | Rocky Mount, NC | $62,080 | 4% below national |
| 226 | Akron, OH | $62,070 | 4% below national |
| 227 | Jacksonville, FL | $62,070 | 4% below national |
| 228 | Waco, TX | $62,070 | 4% below national |
| 229 | Paducah, KY-IL | $62,060 | 4% below national |
| 230 | Rochester, NY | $62,060 | 4% below national |
| 231 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $61,970 | 4% below national |
| 232 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $61,960 | 4% below national |
| 233 | State College, PA | $61,960 | 4% below national |
| 234 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $61,940 | 4% below national |
| 235 | Twin Falls, ID | $61,920 | 4% below national |
| 236 | Columbus, OH | $61,910 | 4% below national |
| 237 | St. Cloud, MN | $61,900 | 4% below national |
| 238 | Utica-Rome, NY | $61,880 | 4% below national |
| 239 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $61,840 | 4% below national |
| 240 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $61,770 | 4% below national |
| 241 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $61,740 | 4% below national |
| 242 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $61,730 | 4% below national |
| 243 | Rome, GA | $61,710 | 4% below national |
| 244 | Bismarck, ND | $61,690 | 4% below national |
| 245 | Columbia, MO | $61,670 | 4% below national |
| 246 | Las Cruces, NM | $61,670 | 4% below national |
| 247 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $61,600 | 4% below national |
| 248 | Greenville, NC | $61,600 | 4% below national |
| 249 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $61,530 | 4% below national |
| 250 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $61,480 | 5% below national |
| 251 | Manhattan, KS | $61,430 | 5% below national |
| 252 | Bay City, MI | $61,380 | 5% below national |
| 253 | Lynchburg, VA | $61,370 | 5% below national |
| 254 | Springfield, MO | $61,350 | 5% below national |
| 255 | Springfield, OH | $61,350 | 5% below national |
| 256 | Amarillo, TX | $61,330 | 5% below national |
| 257 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $61,300 | 5% below national |
| 258 | Roanoke, VA | $61,210 | 5% below national |
| 259 | Williamsport, PA | $61,200 | 5% below national |
| 260 | Minot, ND | $61,110 | 5% below national |
| 261 | Grand Island, NE | $61,090 | 5% below national |
| 262 | Elizabethtown, KY | $61,080 | 5% below national |
| 263 | Birmingham, AL | $61,040 | 5% below national |
| 264 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $61,030 | 5% below national |
| 265 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $61,000 | 5% below national |
| 266 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $60,990 | 5% below national |
| 267 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $60,960 | 5% below national |
| 268 | Abilene, TX | $60,950 | 5% below national |
| 269 | Eau Claire, WI | $60,950 | 5% below national |
| 270 | Duluth, MN-WI | $60,930 | 5% below national |
| 271 | Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $60,900 | 5% below national |
| 272 | Bowling Green, KY | $60,830 | 6% below national |
| 273 | Harrisonburg, VA | $60,830 | 6% below national |
| 274 | Green Bay, WI | $60,790 | 6% below national |
| 275 | Jacksonville, NC | $60,770 | 6% below national |
| 276 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $60,720 | 6% below national |
| 277 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $60,640 | 6% below national |
| 278 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $60,620 | 6% below national |
| 279 | Erie, PA | $60,510 | 6% below national |
| 280 | Billings, MT | $60,500 | 6% below national |
| 281 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $60,500 | 6% below national |
| 282 | Goldsboro, NC | $60,470 | 6% below national |
| 283 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $60,460 | 6% below national |
| 284 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $60,440 | 6% below national |
| 285 | Punta Gorda, FL | $60,380 | 6% below national |
| 286 | Wausau, WI | $60,360 | 6% below national |
| 287 | Jefferson City, MO | $60,340 | 6% below national |
| 288 | Wichita Falls, TX | $60,330 | 6% below national |
| 289 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $60,320 | 6% below national |
| 290 | Wichita, KS | $60,310 | 6% below national |
| 291 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $60,280 | 6% below national |
| 292 | Idaho Falls, ID | $60,270 | 6% below national |
| 293 | Longview, TX | $60,190 | 7% below national |
| 294 | Springfield, IL | $60,110 | 7% below national |
| 295 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $60,100 | 7% below national |
| 296 | Winchester, VA-WV | $60,090 | 7% below national |
| 297 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $60,020 | 7% below national |
| 298 | Great Falls, MT | $60,020 | 7% below national |
| 299 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $59,990 | 7% below national |
| 300 | Gainesville, FL | $59,970 | 7% below national |
| 301 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $59,950 | 7% below national |
| 302 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $59,940 | 7% below national |
| 303 | Huntsville, AL | $59,860 | 7% below national |
| 304 | Oklahoma City, OK | $59,860 | 7% below national |
| 305 | Tulsa, OK | $59,820 | 7% below national |
| 306 | Corpus Christi, TX | $59,810 | 7% below national |
| 307 | Pocatello, ID | $59,720 | 7% below national |
| 308 | Baton Rouge, LA | $59,700 | 7% below national |
| 309 | Florence, SC | $59,700 | 7% below national |
| 310 | Altoona, PA | $59,680 | 7% below national |
| 311 | Tyler, TX | $59,550 | 8% below national |
| 312 | Homosassa Springs, FL | $59,510 | 8% below national |
| 313 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $59,500 | 8% below national |
| 314 | San Angelo, TX | $59,340 | 8% below national |
| 315 | Columbus, GA-AL | $59,330 | 8% below national |
| 316 | Enid, OK | $59,300 | 8% below national |
| 317 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $59,240 | 8% below national |
| 318 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $59,210 | 8% below national |
| 319 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $59,200 | 8% below national |
| 320 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $59,140 | 8% below national |
| 321 | Ocala, FL | $59,070 | 8% below national |
| 322 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $59,060 | 8% below national |
| 323 | Tallahassee, FL | $59,040 | 8% below national |
| 324 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $58,930 | 8% below national |
| 325 | Joplin, MO-KS | $58,920 | 9% below national |
| 326 | El Paso, TX | $58,770 | 9% below national |
| 327 | Mansfield, OH | $58,730 | 9% below national |
| 328 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $58,590 | 9% below national |
| 329 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $58,580 | 9% below national |
| 330 | Lubbock, TX | $58,510 | 9% below national |
| 331 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $58,340 | 9% below national |
| 332 | Sebring, FL | $58,320 | 9% below national |
| 333 | Albany, GA | $58,310 | 9% below national |
| 334 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $58,280 | 10% below national |
| 335 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $58,260 | 10% below national |
| 336 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $58,200 | 10% below national |
| 337 | Victoria, TX | $58,130 | 10% below national |
| 338 | Decatur, AL | $58,010 | 10% below national |
| 339 | Knoxville, TN | $57,960 | 10% below national |
| 340 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $57,960 | 10% below national |
| 341 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $57,460 | 11% below national |
| 342 | Albuquerque, NM | $57,370 | 11% below national |
| 343 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $57,370 | 11% below national |
| 344 | Johnstown, PA | $57,320 | 11% below national |
| 345 | Lawton, OK | $57,260 | 11% below national |
| 346 | Eagle Pass, TX | $57,250 | 11% below national |
| 347 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $57,090 | 11% below national |
| 348 | Mobile, AL | $57,030 | 11% below national |
| 349 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $57,030 | 11% below national |
| 350 | Laredo, TX | $56,850 | 12% below national |
| 351 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $56,430 | 12% below national |
| 352 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $56,250 | 13% below national |
| 353 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $56,250 | 13% below national |
| 354 | Hot Springs, AR | $56,120 | 13% below national |
| 355 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $56,120 | 13% below national |
| 356 | Gadsden, AL | $56,040 | 13% below national |
| 357 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $55,880 | 13% below national |
| 358 | Hammond, LA | $55,840 | 13% below national |
| 359 | Montgomery, AL | $55,410 | 14% below national |
| 360 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $55,360 | 14% below national |
| 361 | Monroe, LA | $55,360 | 14% below national |
| 362 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $55,360 | 14% below national |
| 363 | Logan, UT-ID | $55,290 | 14% below national |
| 364 | Morristown, TN | $55,140 | 14% below national |
| 365 | Alexandria, LA | $54,880 | 15% below national |
| 366 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $54,540 | 15% below national |
| 367 | Beckley, WV | $54,510 | 15% below national |
| 368 | Dalton, GA | $54,380 | 16% below national |
| 369 | Charleston, WV | $54,370 | 16% below national |
| 370 | Warner Robins, GA | $54,280 | 16% below national |
| 371 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $54,050 | 16% below national |
| 372 | Hinesville, GA | $53,930 | 16% below national |
| 373 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $53,520 | 17% below national |
| 374 | Jackson, MS | $53,510 | 17% below national |
| 375 | Lake Charles, LA | $53,300 | 17% below national |
| 376 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $53,240 | 17% below national |
| 377 | Cleveland, TN | $52,350 | 19% below national |
| 378 | Rapid City, SD | $52,220 | 19% below national |
| 379 | Lafayette, LA | $51,580 | 20% below national |
| 380 | Johnson City, TN | $51,480 | 20% below national |
| 381 | Jonesboro, AR | $50,980 | 21% below national |
| 382 | Jackson, TN | $50,670 | 21% below national |
| 383 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $50,630 | 21% below national |
| 384 | Morgantown, WV | $50,400 | 22% below national |
| 385 | Valdosta, GA | $49,860 | 23% below national |
| 386 | Hattiesburg, MS | $48,350 | 25% below national |
| 387 | Dothan, AL | $47,820 | 26% below national |
| 388 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $32,770 | 49% below national |
| 389 | Mayaguez, PR | $30,970 | 52% below national |
| 390 | Guayama, PR | $26,280 | 59% below national |
| 391 | Ponce, PR | $24,900 | 61% below national |
| 392 | Arecibo, PR | $24,890 | 61% below national |
| 393 | Aguadilla, PR | $23,450 | 64% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 29 (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Acupuncturists
SOC 29-1291
Anesthesiologists
SOC 29-1211
Athletic Trainers
SOC 29-9091
Audiologists
SOC 29-1181
Cardiologists
SOC 29-1212
Showing 5 of 70 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($64,400 here) and reported employment (648,410 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses make? ▼
Where does Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses the most? ▼
What education do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses? ▼
Is Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses a good career? ▼
How does Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $76,030/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $83,150/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.