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The national median salary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is $62,338 per year ($29.97/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $55,224 and $73,154 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $80,517 per year. There are approximately 632,430 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
54K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
651K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
179K
$64,450
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
87K
$58,420
Home Health Care Services
NAICS 621600
77K
$61,300
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
76K
$57,660
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
41K
$63,610
Wage range across top 5 industries: $57,660 to $64,450 (12% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.06
$47,965
P25
$26.55
$55,224
P50MEDIAN
$29.97
$62,338
P75
$35.17
$73,154
P90
$38.71
$80,517
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary?
The national median salary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is $62,338 per year ($29.97/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $55,224 and $73,154 annually.
How much do top-earning licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make?
The 90th percentile salary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is $80,517 per year ($38.71/hr). The 75th percentile is $73,154 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Entry-level Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (10th percentile) earn approximately $47,965 per year ($23.06/hr). The 25th percentile is $55,224 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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