Licensed Practical Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does a Licensed Practical Nurse make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Licensed Practical Nurse in the United States is $57,410 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, a Licensed Practical Nurse's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $63,665
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,133 to $60,684
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $51,149
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View as table View as graph 25% $54,133 10% $51,149 90% $63,665 75% $60,684 $57,410 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $60,684 $5,057 $1,167 $29
Average $57,410 $4,784 $1,104 $28
25th Percentile $54,133 $4,511 $1,041 $26
Check out Licensed Practical Nurse Job Openings in the United States
Licensed Practical Nurse

Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City - KANSAS CITY, MO

Licensed Practical Nurse

Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City - KANSAS CITY, MO

Licensed Practical Nurse

Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City - KANSAS CITY, MO

Licensed Practical Nurse

Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City - KANSAS CITY, MO

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Key Factors That Influence Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries

A Licensed Practical Nurse's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Licensed Practical Nurse's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $56,334
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $56,432
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $57,654
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $59,023
  • Expert (over 8 years): $59,120
Levels Salary
Entry Level Licensed Practical Nurse$56,334
Intermediate Level Licensed Practical Nurse$56,432
Senior Level Licensed Practical Nurse$57,654
Specialist Level Licensed Practical Nurse$59,023
Expert Level Licensed Practical Nurse$59,120
$56,334 0 yr
$56,432 < 2 yrs
$57,654 2-4 yrs
$59,023 5-8 yrs
$59,120 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Licensed Practical Nurses

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $72,411
  • San Francisco: $71,699
  • Oakland: $70,109

What Skills Can Increase a Licensed Practical Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 4.06% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Long Term Care (Mentioned in 4.14% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.35% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 4.06%
Long Term Care 4.14%
Acute Care 2.35%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Licensed Practical Nurse's salary.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Delegation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Communication Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Leadership
$59,706
4%
Delegation
$59,132
3%
Communication Skills
$59,132
3%
Attention to Detail
$59,132
3%
Time Management
$59,132
3%
Infection Control
$59,132
3%
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How Education impacts a Licensed Practical Nurse's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Licensed Practical Nurses enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Licensed Practical Nurse with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $51,625 and $54,559).

Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Licensed Practical Nurse
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 65.0%
Associates 26.9%
Bachelors 6.1%
Masters 0.9%
Doctorate 0.1%
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Licensed Practical Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Licensed Practical Nurse's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on March 01, 2026

Most common benefits for Licensed Practical Nurse

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Licensed Practical Nurse

Here are companies hiring for Licensed Practical Nurse and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Licensed Practical Nurse Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Licensed Practical Nurse job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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FAQ about Licensed Practical Nurse

1. Where can a Licensed Practical Nurse earn the most?

A Licensed Practical Nurse's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Licensed Practical Nurse earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Licensed Practical Nurse is $72,411.

2. What is the highest pay for Licensed Practical Nurse?

The highest pay for Licensed Practical Nurse is $63,665.

3. What is the lowest pay for Licensed Practical Nurse?

The lowest pay for Licensed Practical Nurse is $51,149.

4. What are the responsibilities of Licensed Practical Nurse?

Administers nursing care under the supervision of a registered nurse or other medical supervisor. Provides basic medical care, including changing bandages, administering medication, and collecting specimens. Ensures the health, comfort and safety of patients by assisting with bathing, feeding, and dressing. Monitors and reports changes in patient's condition to supervisor. Requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a registered nurse or supervisor. Requires graduation from approved LPN educational program. Requires a state license to practice. Years of experience may be unspecified. Certification and/or licensing in the position's specialty is the main requirement.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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