Licensed Practical Nurse Salary by State (May 2025 BLS Data)
By The College Match Editorial Team · Data: May 2025 · Updated October 2026
Licensed practical and vocational nurses earn a median of $64,400 a year nationally, but pay depends heavily on location: from $50,220 in Mississippi to $83,150 in Washington.
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPNs and LVNs) provide basic nursing care under the direction of registered nurses and doctors. The table below covers all 50 states and Washington, DC, using the latest wage survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. median
$64,400
Highest: Washington
$83,150
Lowest: Mississippi
$50,220
Employed in the U.S.
648,410
Licensed Practical Nurse pay in every state
Sorted by median annual wage. "Typical range" is the 10th to 90th percentile: 80% of licensed practical and vocational nurses in the state earn within it.
| Rank | State | Median | Average | Typical range | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,150 | $83,900 | $64,230 – $100,950 | 6,780 |
| 2 | Alaska | $80,800 | $80,000 | $62,400 – $96,700 | 290 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,470 | $81,420 | $64,000 – $98,990 | 4,260 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $80,220 | $79,270 | $61,690 – $93,980 | 13,210 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $80,090 | $80,120 | $65,650 – $94,540 | 1,290 |
| 6 | California | $79,750 | $82,340 | $64,390 – $100,450 | 82,850 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $77,110 | $76,570 | $59,860 – $93,660 | 2,220 |
| 8 | Arizona | $77,070 | $76,120 | $61,050 – $89,850 | 6,530 |
| 9 | Nevada | $76,160 | $74,470 | $61,750 – $89,420 | 3,350 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $75,740 | $74,030 | $62,880 – $87,470 | 1,040 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $75,160 | $74,600 | $63,210 – $85,400 | 17,410 |
| 12 | Illinois | $75,000 | $73,430 | $58,880 – $89,810 | 17,440 |
| 13 | Maryland | $74,660 | $74,170 | $60,720 – $90,010 | 9,560 |
| 14 | Colorado | $73,880 | $70,820 | $50,820 – $84,440 | 4,920 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $73,690 | $72,580 | $62,610 – $81,060 | 8,540 |
| 16 | Maine | $73,200 | $72,110 | $56,160 – $82,600 | 760 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $71,140 | $71,560 | $59,620 – $88,340 | 840 |
| 18 | Vermont | $69,930 | $70,110 | $50,230 – $84,710 | 1,130 |
| 19 | Delaware | $68,710 | $69,500 | $59,210 – $77,580 | 2,240 |
| 20 | New York | $67,180 | $69,170 | $54,480 – $81,530 | 39,400 |
| 21 | Indiana | $65,720 | $65,840 | $50,550 – $77,220 | 14,480 |
| 22 | Michigan | $65,460 | $67,340 | $56,160 – $77,780 | 10,880 |
| 23 | Virginia | $64,920 | $66,300 | $50,580 – $79,170 | 15,550 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $63,940 | $65,930 | $51,500 – $77,750 | 38,260 |
| 25 | Idaho | $63,800 | $63,860 | $47,890 – $77,850 | 1,880 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $63,760 | $65,870 | $51,820 – $78,490 | 7,390 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $63,750 | $64,900 | $51,700 – $77,380 | 12,840 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $63,460 | $63,300 | $46,700 – $77,000 | 480 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $63,270 | $63,720 | $50,480 – $74,730 | 18,010 |
| 30 | Utah | $63,230 | $62,110 | $37,480 – $77,540 | 1,680 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $62,660 | $64,560 | $50,890 – $77,940 | 4,580 |
| 32 | Iowa | $62,630 | $63,420 | $50,550 – $77,710 | 5,510 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $62,300 | $62,230 | $50,950 – $74,130 | 1,920 |
| 34 | Texas | $62,240 | $62,770 | $48,910 – $76,140 | 57,560 |
| 35 | Montana | $62,210 | $62,350 | $49,230 – $74,330 | 1,620 |
| 36 | Georgia | $62,030 | $61,640 | $46,010 – $76,690 | 21,060 |
| 37 | Ohio | $61,950 | $62,020 | $50,030 – $74,120 | 39,900 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $61,820 | $63,170 | $50,370 – $76,420 | 9,400 |
| 39 | Florida | $61,770 | $62,150 | $50,450 – $74,320 | 38,620 |
| 40 | Kansas | $61,760 | $62,660 | $49,780 – $77,290 | 7,530 |
| 41 | Missouri | $61,530 | $62,410 | $48,580 – $77,120 | 14,700 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $60,460 | $60,460 | $48,420 – $73,220 | 8,570 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $59,330 | $58,630 | $38,090 – $78,110 | 2,460 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $58,870 | $56,470 | $41,110 – $67,540 | 20,830 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $58,320 | $56,800 | $45,440 – $66,410 | 11,540 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $57,470 | $56,590 | $45,810 – $66,150 | 17,600 |
| 47 | Alabama | $57,030 | $55,310 | $39,880 – $69,120 | 11,580 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $56,620 | $55,690 | $44,670 – $65,020 | 10,010 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $55,360 | $56,190 | $45,690 – $70,960 | 6,050 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $52,750 | $54,990 | $40,770 – $67,700 | 2,050 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $50,220 | $51,450 | $39,320 – $60,910 | 9,850 |
| United States | $64,400 | $67,050 | $49,740 – $83,440 | 648,410 |
Common questions
How much do licensed practical and vocational nurses make in the U.S.?
The national median annual wage for licensed practical and vocational nurses was $64,400 in May 2025, with an average of $67,050. The middle 80% earned between $49,740 and $83,440.
Which state pays licensed practical and vocational nurses the most?
Washington has the highest median wage at $83,150 a year. Of the 51 areas (states plus DC) with published figures, 23 pay above the national median.
Which state pays licensed practical and vocational nurses the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median wage at $50,220 a year. Lower pay often comes with a lower cost of living, so compare against local living costs.
Which state employs the most licensed practical and vocational nurses?
California employs the most, about 82,850.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 29-2061. Figures are annual wages for employed licensed practical and vocational nurses and exclude the self-employed. Some states' figures are not published by BLS and show as n/a. See our editorial standards for how we build these pages.