SOC 29-2061.00

    Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

    Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions.

    Median pay
    $64,400
    Growth
    +3.0%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    51,800
    Typical education
    Postsecondary certificate

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $49,740
    Median
    $64,400
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $83,440
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    648,410 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses care for sick, injured, or convalescing patients and people with disabilities. The career offers a median annual pay of $64,400, with opportunities available in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and private homes.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    These nurses provide essential care to patients in various settings, often working under the supervision of a registered nurse. Daily activities center around assisting and caring for others, gathering information, and monitoring surroundings and medical processes. They document patient information, make clinical decisions, and solve problems while organizing and prioritizing their daily tasks.

    This role is highly social and requires strong service orientation, social perceptiveness, and active listening skills to understand patient needs. To perform their duties safely, practitioners must apply knowledge of medicine, psychology, therapy, and customer service. They need to communicate clearly with supervisors and peers, resolve conflicts, and use critical thinking to make sound judgments. Success in this field relies on work styles such as dependability, attention to detail, empathy, and high stress tolerance.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires medium preparation, which generally involves earning a postsecondary certificate. Students often pursue vocational training, an associate degree, or gain related experience. Relevant college majors that lead to this profession include practical nursing, vocational nursing, and nursing assistants.

    Licensing is required to practice, and some states list specific licenses for this work. Candidates can pursue certifications to demonstrate their expertise, such as the Bloodborne Pathogens certification from the American Red Cross, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc., or the Vascular Access-Board Certified credential from the Vascular Access Certification Corporation.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these nurses is $64,400. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $49,740 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $83,440. Currently, there are 648,410 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 3 percent, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth and turnover are expected to result in 51,800 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    60 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    45 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    1 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    75 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    19 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    60 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SRC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    89
    Documenting/Recording Information
    87
    Getting Information
    86
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    80
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    80
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    79
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    79
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    78
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    75
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    70
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Service Orientation
    • Coordination
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Psychology
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Administration and Management
    • Education and Training
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Speech Clarity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Empathy
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Social Orientation
    • Self-Control
    • Sincerity
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Charge Nurse · Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN) · Clinic Nurse · Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN) · Licensed Care Coordinator (LCC) · Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) · Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) · Long Term Care LPN (Long Term Care Licensed Practical Nurse) · Medical LPN (Medical Licensed Practical Nurse) · Nursing Home LPN (Nursing Home Licensed Practical Nurse)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Carrington College-Sacramento

      Sacramento, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $70,686
      4 yrs after
      $112,176
      Median debt
      $19,872
    2. 2
      Unitek College

      Fremont, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $72,818
      4 yrs after
      $108,612
      Median debt
      $14,273
    3. 3Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts logo
      Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts

      San Mateo, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $66,307
      4 yrs after
      $85,529
      Median debt
      $23,410
    4. 4Green River College logo
      Green River College

      Auburn, WA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $76,656
      Median debt
      $9,257
    5. 5
      San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia

      Visalia, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $57,680
      4 yrs after
      $76,313
      Median debt
      $21,000
    6. 6
      San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

      Bakersfield, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $57,680
      4 yrs after
      $76,313
      Median debt
      $21,000
    7. 7Dickinson State University logo
      Dickinson State University

      Dickinson, ND · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $69,015
      Median debt
      $13,000
    8. 8Pacific College-California logo
      Pacific College-California

      Costa Mesa, CA · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Associate

      1 yr after
      $54,755
      4 yrs after
      $67,162
      Median debt
      $25,250

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training
    • Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    53 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are also known as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN). Depending on their work setting, they may be called Clinic LPNs, Home Health LPNs, Charge Nurses, or Nursing Home LPNs.

    What is the job outlook for this profession?

    Employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. There are expected to be 51,800 job openings each year during this period.

    What are some related careers in healthcare?

    People interested in this field might also consider roles such as Registered Nurses, Paramedics, Nurse Practitioners, Acute Care Nurses, Nursing Assistants, or Critical Care Nurses.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.