How Much Does a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Make?

If you've found yourself on a page about how much do licensed practical nurses (LPNs) make, you may be entertaining the thought of becoming one in the future. This article takes an in-depth look at what job growth and salaries of these healthcare professionals will look like for the coming years.

Licensed practical nurses play a fundamental role in providing high-quality healthcare. They are responsible for taking vital signs, providing treatment for bedsores, preparing and administering medications, applying dressings, alcohol rubs, monitoring catheters, feeding patients, and many other tasks needed to ensure patients receive the care they require.

If you’re considering a career in healthcare, nursing can be a very attractive option due to the above-average salaries and growth rates over the coming decade.

How Much Do Licensed Practical Nurses Make?

How much an licensed practical nurses can make via salary can vary depending on the location of the job, corporate vs. private practice, experience of the individual, and demand for nursing, which is expected to rise due to the impending nursing shortage.

Use the table at the end of this article to find out whether your state, or the state you eventually want to work in, pays its LPNs above or below the national average.

As represented in the graph below, licensed practical nurses can expect to earn a median hourly wage of $21.39, or $44,488 per year:

Return on Investment

Becoming a licensed practical nurse requires that you complete the required training offered by a community college, technical, or vocational school, and pass the National Council Licensure Examination.

Due to the low bar-of-entry to becoming a LPN, it is often a desirable career path for those that want to avoid unnecessary education debts and get a start on their career as fast as possible. Becoming a LPN can be a great position to start from while building your career and acquiring additional training further down the line.

Best States for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Salaries

A major factor in determining what your salary may look like is the location in which you plan to work. However, this principle applies to nearly all occupations largely due to the varying cost-of-living rates across the country.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects salary and employment data for nearly all positions, nationwide. The following table includes all data compiled from the BLS from each state including total number of jobs and wages as of May 2016.

Search or sort the table to find out what you can expect to make if becoming a licensed practical nurse is in your future:

*Location quotients serve as a statistical representation of the concentration of a resource, like jobs, with a broader base area.