Are you interested in a career in nursing and wondering what the average LPN salary is? As with all professions, there are many influencing factors, the most significant being location (state, city and neighborhood), the relative cost of living in the area, experience, training, and even the specialty within a given profession. An LPN in a lower cost of living state such as Ohio won’t make as much as one in California for instance.
If a job candidate has a credential of some kind, they have an advantage over those who don’t regardless of the location. As with credentials or training, work experience is another important factor when determining salary. Beginning licensed practical nurses start at around $30,000 per year, and can earn up to roughly $40,000 after gaining sufficient experience. And after years of experience, LPNs can expect a ceiling of around $55,000 to $60,000 depending on location.
Two of the best resources for finding salary information on any profession or job are the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Salary.com. So let’s take a look at the following data from both of those sources so you don’t have to go digging around for it.
According to the BLS, median annual wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were around $39,030 in May 2008, which is the latest BLS data. The 10th percentile (lowest 10%) of LPN salary earners made less than $28,260, while the 50th percentile made between $33,360 and $46,71. Finally, the highest 10 percentile of salary earners made more than $53,580.
Below is a breakdown of mean annual wages in the industries employing the largest number of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in 2010 from highest to lowest.
| LPN Employment Industries | Hourly Mean Wage | Annual Mean Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing care facilities | $20.48 | $42,590 |
| Home health care services | $20.46 | $42,550 |
| Community care facilities | $20.32 | $42,270 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $19.35 | $40,250 |
| Offices of physicians | $18.02 | $37,480 |
Geographic LPN Salary Data
Here are some more salary figures provided by the May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wages study data provided by the BLS:
Highest State Employment Numbers
The states with the highest employment numbers, presumably due to the size and/or population density of these states are: Texas (70,630), California (62,850), New York (45,100), Florida (42,520), and Ohio (40,980).
Highest Paying States
The states with the highest annual mean salaries for LPNs and LVNs are: Conneticut ($53,280), New Jersey ($50,950), Rhode Island ($50,900), California ($50,490), Nevada ($50,150).
Highest Metro Area Employment Numbers
The highest metro area employment numbers for LPNs and LVNs include: Los Angenles, Long Beach, Glendale CA (19,410), New York, White Plains, Wayne, NY, NJ (17,670), Houston, Sugar Land, Baytown TX (12,420), Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, IL (11,240), Dallas, Plano, Irving, TX (10,970), Philadelphia, PA (10,590), Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta, GA (10,100), Minneapolis, St Paul, Bloomington, MN WI (8,750), Cleveland, Elyria, Mentor OH (8,370), Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, MA (7460).
Highest Paid Metro Areas
The highest paid metro areas for LPNs and LVNs include: Santa Rosa, Petaluma, CA ($58,460), Salinas, CA ($58,330), San Francisco, San Mateo, Redwood City, CA (58,000), San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, CA ($57,550), Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, CA ($57,320), Brideport, Stamford, Norwalk, CT ($55,160), Danbury, CT ($53,410), New Haven, CT ($53,210), Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, CA ($53,130), Worcester, MA CT ($53,040).
Additional LPN Salary Figures
As stated above, there are two primary sources of salary data online, and other than the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Salary.com provides their own figures for most occupations. According to Salary.com, the median salary for an LPN in the U.S. is $41,273. Salary.com uses their Certified Compensation Professionals’ analysis of survey data collected from thousands of HR departments at employers of all sizes, industries and geographies.
Below is a table with the Salary.com figures for LPNs employed in different service areas:
| LPN Service Area | Lowest 25% | Median Salary | Highest 25% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term Care | $37,956 – $40,720 | $40,720 – $48,016 | $48,016 – $51,895 |
| Nursing Home | $37,592 – $39,856 | $39,856 – $44,848 | $44,848 – $47,130 |
| Home Care | $35,345 – $39,631 | $39,631 – $48,015 | $48,015 – $51,362 |
| Outpatient Clinic | $31,351 – $34,374 | $34,374 – $41,227 | $41,227 – $44,442 |
| Occupational Health | $31,973 – $37,604 | $37,604 – $52,062 | $52,062 – $59,596 |
Salary Increase and Advancement Opportunities
Since LPN positions are entry level jobs within the nursing field, there is plenty of opportunity for advancement, both with salary and position. Usually the two coincide, so as one advances throughout the ranks of the nursing field, so will their salary. But without improving your knowledge, skills and value to employers, there is very little one can do to raise their LPN salary, other than simply working hard and asking for a raise, or by obtaining modest pay raises after years of work.
However most LPNs choose to further their career by going back to school to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, or by taking advantage of the various LPN to RN programs available today. They view being an LPN as a stepping stone to more lucrative and personally rewarding careers within the nursing field, such as a registered nurse, or even a specialty nurse, such as a nurse anesthetist, traveling nurse, or psychiatric nurse.
