Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for licensed practical and licensed vocational nursess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$83,900
- California$82,340
- Oregon$81,420
- Rhode Island$80,120
- Alaska$80,000
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$51,450
- South Dakota$54,990
- Alabama$55,310
- Arkansas$55,690
- West Virginia$56,190
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,900 | $83,150 | $40 | +25.1% | 6,780 |
| 2 | California | $82,340 | $79,750 | $40 | +22.8% | 82,850 |
| 3 | Oregon | $81,420 | $80,470 | $39 | +21.4% | 4,260 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $80,120 | $80,090 | $39 | +19.5% | 1,290 |
| 5 | Alaska | $80,000 | $80,800 | $38 | +19.3% | 290 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $79,270 | $80,220 | $38 | +18.2% | 13,210 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $76,570 | $77,110 | $37 | +14.2% | 2,220 |
| 8 | Arizona | $76,120 | $77,070 | $37 | +13.5% | 6,530 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $74,600 | $75,160 | $36 | +11.3% | 17,410 |
| 10 | Nevada | $74,470 | $76,160 | $36 | +11.1% | 3,350 |
| 11 | Maryland | $74,170 | $74,660 | $36 | +10.6% | 9,560 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $74,030 | $75,740 | $36 | +10.4% | 1,040 |
| 13 | Illinois | $73,430 | $75,000 | $35 | +9.5% | 17,440 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $72,580 | $73,690 | $35 | +8.2% | 8,540 |
| 15 | Maine | $72,110 | $73,200 | $35 | +7.5% | 760 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $71,560 | $71,140 | $34 | +6.7% | 840 |
| 17 | Colorado | $70,820 | $73,880 | $34 | +5.6% | 4,920 |
| 18 | Vermont | $70,110 | $69,930 | $34 | +4.6% | 1,130 |
| 19 | Delaware | $69,500 | $68,710 | $33 | +3.7% | 2,240 |
| 20 | New York | $69,170 | $67,180 | $33 | +3.2% | 39,400 |
| 21 | Michigan | $67,340 | $65,460 | $32 | +0.4% | 10,880 |
| 22 | Virginia | $66,300 | $64,920 | $32 | -1.1% | 15,550 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $65,930 | $63,940 | $32 | -1.7% | 38,260 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $65,870 | $63,760 | $32 | -1.8% | 7,390 |
| 25 | Indiana | $65,840 | $65,720 | $32 | -1.8% | 14,480 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $64,900 | $63,750 | $31 | -3.2% | 12,840 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $64,560 | $62,660 | $31 | -3.7% | 4,580 |
| 28 | Idaho | $63,860 | $63,800 | $31 | -4.8% | 1,880 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $63,720 | $63,270 | $31 | -5% | 18,010 |
| 30 | Iowa | $63,420 | $62,630 | $30 | -5.4% | 5,510 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $63,300 | $63,460 | $30 | -5.6% | 480 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $63,170 | $61,820 | $30 | -5.8% | 9,400 |
| 33 | Texas | $62,770 | $62,240 | $30 | -6.4% | 57,560 |
| 34 | Kansas | $62,660 | $61,760 | $30 | -6.5% | 7,530 |
| 35 | Missouri | $62,410 | $61,530 | $30 | -6.9% | 14,700 |
| 36 | Montana | $62,350 | $62,210 | $30 | -7% | 1,620 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $62,230 | $62,300 | $30 | -7.2% | 1,920 |
| 38 | Florida | $62,150 | $61,770 | $30 | -7.3% | 38,620 |
| 39 | Utah | $62,110 | $63,230 | $30 | -7.4% | 1,680 |
| 40 | Ohio | $62,020 | $61,950 | $30 | -7.5% | 39,900 |
| 41 | Georgia | $61,640 | $62,030 | $30 | -8.1% | 21,060 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $60,460 | $60,460 | $29 | -9.8% | 8,570 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $58,630 | $59,330 | $28 | -12.6% | 2,460 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $56,800 | $58,320 | $27 | -15.3% | 11,540 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $56,590 | $57,470 | $27 | -15.6% | 17,600 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $56,470 | $58,870 | $27 | -15.8% | 20,830 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $56,190 | $55,360 | $27 | -16.2% | 6,050 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $55,690 | $56,620 | $27 | -16.9% | 10,010 |
| 49 | Alabama | $55,310 | $57,030 | $27 | -17.5% | 11,580 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $54,990 | $52,750 | $26 | -18% | 2,050 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $51,450 | $50,220 | $25 | -23.3% | 9,850 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,320 | $94,420 | 3,290 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,310 | $93,470 | 8,800 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $92,580 | $90,480 | 870 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $85,690 | $87,360 | 3,470 |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | $85,430 | $87,980 | 870 |
| 6 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $85,040 | $83,320 | 330 |
| 7 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $83,940 | $83,360 | 120 |
| 8 | Napa, CA | $83,690 | $89,950 | 280 |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $83,510 | $84,440 | 2,250 |
| 10 | Bend, OR | $83,260 | $81,410 | 150 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing licensed practical and licensed vocational nursess (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $79,980 | $78,130 | — |
| 2 | Temporary Help Services | $77,800 | $76,060 | 23,600 |
| 3 | Employment Services | $77,680 | $75,800 | 27,950 |
| 4 | Administrative and Support Services | $77,310 | $74,990 | 29,790 |
| 5 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $77,310 | $74,990 | 29,790 |
| 6 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $77,100 | $81,470 | 40 |
| 7 | Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $74,990 | $74,290 | 940 |
| 8 | Insurance Carriers | $74,060 | $74,020 | 970 |
| 9 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $73,750 | $71,850 | 830 |
| 10 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $73,550 | $73,840 | 17,050 |
| 11 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $73,550 | $73,840 | 17,050 |
| 12 | Ambulance Services | $73,290 | $72,810 | 60 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in the U.S.?
The median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary in the United States is $64,400 per year (mean $67,050), and about 80% earn between $49,740 and $83,440.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $67,050 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses at $83,900 per year (median $83,150).
What is the job outlook for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Employment is projected to change +2.6% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 54,400 openings per year.