If you’re thinking of becoming an LPN, you might be wondering about how much money LPNs make. Whether you are considering traditional nursing classes, or LPN programs online, you’ll want to have the compensation information for your specific state, prior to enrolling in a course. There are a variety of factors that come into play when looking at LPN salaries such as experience, geographical location, and many other things. We outline these below.
There’s no guarantee of any specific wages when looking at any type of profession, but there are some statistics that may give you a basic idea of what LPNs can potentially earn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the government organization in the U.S. that is responsible for keeping track of these statistics. Below, you’ll find a large amount of data that has been aggregated from the BLS and sorted by state to help people get an idea of what kind of money LPNs may be able to earn. It’s important to keep in mind that this BLS data is just a statistical estimate, and you could earn less than these figures; it’s also important to understand that regardless of any degree, certification, or school attended, there’s never any guarantee of employment anywhere.
Lastly, the BLS data is calculated based on full-time workers who work an average of 2,080 hours per year, or 40 hours per week. LPNs who work part time could be paid less as full time workers sometimes are paid higher wages. Keep reading to see some of the statistics aggregated from the BLS.
Median LPN Pay in the U.S.: $41,540 per year (2012)
Median LPN Hourly Rate in the U.S.: $19.97 per hour (2012)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics – U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Below is a list of the mean (average) and median (middle) pay rates broken down by the hourly rate, and then by the annual wage. Again, these wages are based off of an employee who works 2,080 hours per year, which is considered full time.
LPN pay estimates calculated by national percentile (aggregated from BLS data as of May 2014)
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $15.21 | $17.20 | $20.43 | $23.78 | $28.22 |
| Annual Wage (2,080 Hours) | $31,640 | $35,780 | $42,490 | $49,450 | $58,710 |
The next table, aggregated from BLS data, shows the most common industries where LPNs are employed. Attached to the employment data are the hourly mean wage rates, the approximate number of employed LPNs, the percentage of those employed LPNs compared to the entire range of LPN employers, and also the annual mean wage based on 2080 hours.
| Industry | Employment | Percent of Industry Employment |
Hourly Mean Wage | Annual Mean Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Care Facilities | 212,760 | 12.84% | $21.39 | $44,500 |
| Hospitals | 101,580 | 1.94% | $20.35 | $42,330 |
| Physician’s Offices | 91,870 | 3.74% | $19.20 | $39,930 |
| Home Health Care Services | 78,810 | 6.28% | $21.81 | $45,370 |
| Assisted Living Facilities | 46,400 | 5.53% | $21.30 | $44,310 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics – www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292061.htm
LPN pay estimates by state (aggregated from BLS data as of May 2014):
| State | Median (Hourly) |
Mean (Hourly) |
Annual Mean (2,080 Hours) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $26.08 | $26.14 | $54,830 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ak.htm#29-0000 |
| Arizona | $23.83 | $24.40 | $50,760 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_az.htm#29-0000 |
| Arkansas | $17.25 | $17.33 | $36,040 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ar.htm#29-0000 |
| California | $24.86 | $24.86 | $51,700 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ca.htm#29-0000 |
| Colorado | $22.04 | $22.49 | $46,780 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_co.htm#29-0000 |
| Connecticut | $26.61 | $26.53 | $55,170 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ct.htm#29-0000 |
| Delaware | $22.74 | $22.93 | $47,000 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_de.htm#29-0000 |
| Florida | $19.77 | $19.97 | $41,540 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_fl.htm#29-0000 |
| Georgia | $18.08 | $18.28 | $38,010 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ga.htm#29-0000 |
| Hawaii | $22.05 | $22.36 | $46,520 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_hi.htm#29-0000 |
| Idaho | $18.68 | $18.96 | $39,430 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_id.htm#29-0000 |
| Illinois | $21.44 | $21.57 | $44,870 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_il.htm#29-0000 |
| Indiana | $19.43 | $19.51 | $40,580 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_in.htm#29-0000 |
| Iowa | $18.31 | $18.63 | $38,750 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ia.htm#29-0000 |
| Kansas | $18.61 | $18.97 | $39,460 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ks.htm#29-0000 |
| Kentucky | $18.01 | $18.31 | $38,090 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ky.htm#29-0000 |
| Louisiana | $17.92 | $18.18 | $37,810 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_la.htm#29-0000 |
| Maine | $20.32 | $20.07 | $41,750 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_me.htm#29-0000 |
| Maryland | $24.05 | $24.25 | $50,440 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_md.htm#29-0000 |
| Massachusetts | $25.79 | $25.88 | $53,820 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ma.htm#29-0000 |
| Michigan | $21.27 | $21.30 | $44,310 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mi.htm#29-0000 |
| Minnesota | $20.08 | $20.19 | $42,000 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mn.htm#29-0000 |
| Mississippi | $17.19 | $17.50 | $36,400 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ms.htm#29-0000 |
| Missouri | $17.78 | $18.10 | $37,660 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mo.htm#29-0000 |
| Montana | $18.53 | $18.64 | $38,760 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mt.htm#29-0000 |
| Nebraska | $18.25 | $18.63 | $38,760 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ne.htm#29-0000 |
| Nevada | $25.21 | $25.36 | $52,760 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nv.htm#29-0000 |
| New Hampshire | $22.58 | $22.88 | $47,590 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nh.htm#29-0000 |
| New Jersey | $25.79 | $25.46 | $52,950 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nj.htm#29-0000 |
| New Mexico | $22.26 | $22.29 | $46,360 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nm.htm#29-0000 |
| New York | $21.66 | $21.95 | $46,660 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ny.htm#29-0000 |
| North Carolina | $20.13 | $20.06 | $41,730 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nc.htm#29-0000 |
| North Dakota | $19.08 | $19.13 | $39,790 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nd.htm#29-0000 |
| Ohio | $19.41 | $19.61 | $40,790 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_oh.htm#29-0000 |
| Oklahoma | $18.06 | $18.42 | $38,320 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ok.htm#29-0000 |
| Oregon | $23.20 | $23.34 | $48,550 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_or.htm#29-0000 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.74 | $20.94 | $43,550 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_pa.htm#29-0000 |
| Rhode Island | $25.78 | $25.05 | $52,110 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ri.htm#29-0000 |
| South Carolina | $18.75 | $18.78 | $39,070 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_sc.htm#29-0000 |
| South Dakota | $16.81 | $16.93 | $35,210 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_sd.htm#29-0000 |
| Tennessee | $17.31 | $17.51 | $36,420 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tn.htm#29-0000 |
| Texas | $21.13 | $21.58 | $44,880 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tx.htm#29-0000 |
| Utah | $20.49 | $20.71 | $43,080 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ut.htm#29-0000 |
| Vermont | $21.18 | $21.36 | $44,420 | hwww.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_vt.htm#29-0000 |
| Virginia | $18.98 | $19.47 | $40,500 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_va.htm#29-0000 |
| Washington | $23.09 | $23.66 | $49,220 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wa.htm#29-0000 |
| Washington D.C. | $24.67 | $25.33 | $52,680 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_dc.htm#29-0000 |
| West Virginia | $16.58 | $16.84 | $35,020 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wv.htm#29-0000 |
| Wisconsin | $20.50 | $20.59 | $42,820 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wi.htm#29-0000 |
| Wyoming | $20.86 | $20.82 | $43,300 | www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wy.htm#29-0000 |
As you can probably see, wage rates (both hourly and annual) vary quite a bit according to the geographical location where an LPN works. This may have to do with a variety of things such as the cost of living in that area, and also the demand of LPNs, as well as other factors. Again, it’s important to be mindful of the fact that wage rates listed here are just statistical estimates and aren’t guarantees of what a person will earn; they could earn more, and they could also earn less. There are a variety of factors that go into wage rates, but hopefully the information here paints a general picture of the statistical estimates for LPN wages across all 50 states.
If you found this information helpful in your career planning, see our additional guides to LPN salary information here.