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Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$40,490
25th Percentile Wage
$47,800
50th Percentile Wage
$54,620
75th Percentile Wage
$62,110
90th Percentile Wage
$72,650

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses is $72,650. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $54,620. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $40,490. It is noted that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 79% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$54,620
11.99% 23.95%
2021
$48,070
-1.56% -
2020
$48,820
2.74% -
2019
$47,480
2.61% -
2018
$46,240
2.62% -
2017
$45,030
2.09% -
2016
$44,090
2.09% -
2015
$43,170
1.58% -
2014
$42,490
1.34% -
2013
$41,920
0.91% -
2012
$41,540
- -

Table 2. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in 15 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses occupations is the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector with an annual salary $61,890. The lowest paying sector is the accommodation and food services sector (annual salary $43,370).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$61,890
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$59,290
Retail Trade
$58,820
Finance and Insurance
$57,260
Federal, State, and Local Government
$57,200
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$56,410
Health Care and Social Assistance
$54,190
Manufacturing
$52,540
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$51,950
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$49,330
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$47,930
Educational Services
$47,630
Wholesale Trade
$44,720
Information
$43,970
Accommodation and Food Services
$43,370

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $23,120 to $68,370. The highest paying state for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses is Washington with a median annual salary of $68,370. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $23,120. For more salary information of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Washington
$68,370
California
$66,090
Oregon
$64,990
Massachusetts
$64,680
Alaska
$64,340
New Hampshire
$63,170
Rhode Island
$62,810
District of Columbia
$62,540
Arizona
$61,840
Connecticut
$61,770
Colorado
$61,700
New Jersey
$61,460
Nevada
$60,920
Maryland
$60,890
New Mexico
$60,210
Vermont
$59,940
Illinois
$59,310
Delaware
$58,880
Michigan
$58,010
New York
$57,670
Indiana
$56,980
Maine
$56,050
Hawaii
$55,920
Utah
$55,290
Pennsylvania
$54,370
Minnesota
$54,270
Wyoming
$54,180
Montana
$51,740
North Carolina
$51,300
Virginia
$51,150
Texas
$50,910
Idaho
$50,850
Wisconsin
$50,760
North Dakota
$50,710
Nebraska
$50,680
Ohio
$50,590
Florida
$50,200
Georgia
$50,050
South Carolina
$50,020
Virgin Islands
$49,400
Iowa
$49,350
Kansas
$49,250
Kentucky
$49,210
Missouri
$48,450
Oklahoma
$47,860
Louisiana
$47,590
South Dakota
$47,500
Tennessee
$46,930
Arkansas
$46,190
Alabama
$46,000
Mississippi
$45,730
West Virginia
$44,410
Guam
$39,440
Puerto Rico
$23,120