# 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. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses
- SOC code: 29-2061.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $64,400 (10th percentile $49,740, 90th percentile $83,440)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.0%
- Openings a year: 51,800
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SRC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 60 |
| Investigative (I) | 45 |
| Artistic (A) | 1 |
| Social (S) | 75 |
| Enterprising (E) | 19 |
| Conventional (C) | 60 |

## What you'd do

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

## 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

## 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)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5139) (CIP 5139, 880 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carrington College-Sacramento](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carrington-college-sacramento-420) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $70,686 | $112,176 | $19,872 |
| [Unitek College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/unitek-college-2855) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $72,818 | $108,612 | $14,273 |
| [Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts](https://www.collegesref.com/college/gurnick-academy-of-medical-arts-1131) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $66,307 | $85,529 | $23,410 |
| [Green River College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/green-river-college-1120) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | not reported | $76,656 | $9,257 |
| [San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-joaquin-valley-college-visalia-2362) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $57,680 | $76,313 | $21,000 |
| [San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-joaquin-valley-college-bakersfield-2353) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $57,680 | $76,313 | $21,000 |
| [Dickinson State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dickinson-state-university-818) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | not reported | $69,015 | $13,000 |
| [Pacific College-California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-college-california-2055) | Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $54,755 | $67,162 | $25,250 |

## Related careers

- [Registered Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/registered-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Paramedics](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/paramedics): $60,600 median pay
- [Nurse Practitioners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners): $132,300 median pay
- [Acute Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/acute-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Nursing Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nursing-assistants): $42,260 median pay
- [Critical Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/critical-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.