Average Salary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
SOC 29-2061 · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the United States is $62,340 ($29.97/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $47,960 at the 10th percentile to $80,510 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 632,430 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 46.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$62,340
Mean Annual
$64,150
10th Pct
$47,960
75th Pct
$73,160
Employment
632,430
Salary Distribution
$48k
10th
$55k
25th
$62k
Median
$73k
75th
$81k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $92,840 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,810 |
| Napa, CA | $81,820 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $80,880 |
| Salinas, CA | $80,600 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $80,480 |
| Vallejo, CA | $80,380 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $80,180 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $79,810 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $79,580 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $79,580 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $79,460 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $79,220 |
| Bend, OR | $79,040 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,870 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Washington | $79,700 |
| Rhode Island | $77,940 |
| Alaska | $77,670 |
| California | $77,170 |
| Oregon | $76,570 |
| Massachusetts | $76,560 |
| New Hampshire | $74,660 |
| Arizona | $74,020 |
| Nevada | $73,820 |
| New Jersey | $71,180 |
| Maine | $70,870 |
| District of Columbia | $70,420 |
| Maryland | $69,870 |
| Connecticut | $69,130 |
| Colorado | $67,480 |
| Delaware | $66,090 |
| Illinois | $66,030 |
| Hawaii | $65,560 |
| Vermont | $64,560 |
| New York | $64,030 |
| Michigan | $63,810 |
| Indiana | $63,690 |
| Virginia | $62,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,010 |
| Wyoming | $61,880 |
| Idaho | $61,720 |
| Utah | $61,710 |
| North Carolina | $61,380 |
| Wisconsin | $61,040 |
| Ohio | $60,990 |
| Minnesota | $60,870 |
| North Dakota | $60,820 |
| New Mexico | $60,760 |
| Nebraska | $60,740 |
| Texas | $60,150 |
| Florida | $60,080 |
| Kansas | $59,920 |
| Montana | $59,750 |
| Iowa | $59,460 |
| South Carolina | $59,050 |
| Missouri | $59,030 |
| Georgia | $58,490 |
| Kentucky | $58,450 |
| Virgin Islands | $56,670 |
| Oklahoma | $55,870 |
| Tennessee | $54,530 |
| Louisiana | $53,930 |
| Arkansas | $51,030 |
| Alabama | $50,100 |
| West Virginia | $49,850 |
| South Dakota | $49,170 |
| Mississippi | $48,850 |
| Guam | $36,150 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,920 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Temporary Help Services | $76,400 |
| Employment Services | $75,930 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $75,730 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $75,730 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $73,060 |
| Insurance Carriers | $72,480 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $71,590 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $71,590 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $70,370 |
| Office Administrative Services | $67,690 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $67,030 |
| Finance and Insurance | $67,030 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $66,490 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $66,490 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $66,490 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $66,370 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $66,370 |
| Religious Organizations | $65,810 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $65,090 |
| Facilities Support Services | $64,990 |
| Junior Colleges | $64,910 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $64,890 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $64,620 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $64,450 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $64,340 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $64,170 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $63,770 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $63,610 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $63,470 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $63,450 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $63,450 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $63,450 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,150 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $62,830 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $62,820 |
| Offices of Dentists | $62,710 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $62,630 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Retailers | $62,400 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $62,390 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $62,250 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $62,240 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $62,130 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $61,990 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $61,430 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $61,390 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $61,360 |
| Retail Trade | $61,360 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $61,360 |
| Home Health Care Services | $61,300 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $61,090 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $60,830 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $60,830 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $60,830 |
| Educational Support Services | $60,760 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $60,760 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $60,720 |
| Manufacturing | $60,650 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $60,590 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $60,580 |
| Food Manufacturing | $60,500 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $60,130 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $60,070 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $59,950 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $59,950 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $59,810 |
| Individual and Family Services | $59,710 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $59,710 |
| Hospitals | $59,490 |
| Educational Services | $59,260 |
| Social Assistance | $59,110 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $58,920 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $58,710 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $58,650 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $58,650 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $58,460 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $58,170 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $57,860 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $57,810 |
| Offices of Physicians | $57,660 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $57,210 |
| Wholesale Trade | $56,380 |
| Personal Care Services | $56,260 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $56,260 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $56,170 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,300 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $52,610 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $52,580 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $52,220 |
| Educational Services | $52,160 |
| Ambulance Services | $50,600 |
| Child Care Services | $50,450 |
| Offices of Chiropractors | $49,770 |
| Offices of Optometrists | $48,410 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $41,220 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $62,340 |
| 2023 | $59,730 |
| 2022 | $54,620 |
| 2021 | $48,070 |
| 2020 | $48,820 |
| 2019 | $47,480 |
| 2018 | $46,240 |
| 2017 | $45,030 |
| 2016 | $44,090 |
| 2015 | $43,170 |
| 2014 | $42,490 |