Registered Nurse/LPN Salary in the United States

How much does a Registered Nurse/LPN make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Registered Nurse/LPN in the United States is $59,276 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, a Registered Nurse/LPN's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $65,799
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,979 to $62,690
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,978
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View as table View as graph 25% $55,979 10% $52,978 90% $65,799 75% $62,690 $59,276 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Registered Nurse/LPN Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $62,690 $5,224 $1,206 $30
Average $59,276 $4,940 $1,140 $28
25th Percentile $55,979 $4,665 $1,077 $27
Check out Registered Nurse/LPN Job Openings in the United States
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eviCore healthcare - Columbus, OH

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MD Staff, LLC - Columbus, OH

Local CDL

C.R. England - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Registered Nurse/LPN Salaries

A Registered Nurse/LPN'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 Registered Nurse/LPN Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Registered Nurse/LPN'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): $57,926
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $58,026
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $59,276
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $60,682
  • Expert (over 8 years): $60,782
Levels Salary
Entry Level Registered Nurse/LPN$57,926
Intermediate Level Registered Nurse/LPN$58,026
Senior Level Registered Nurse/LPN$59,276
Specialist Level Registered Nurse/LPN$60,682
Expert Level Registered Nurse/LPN$60,782
$57,926 0 yr
$58,026 < 2 yrs
$59,276 2-4 yrs
$60,682 5-8 yrs
$60,782 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Registered Nurse/LPN Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Registered Nurse/LPNs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $65,630.
  • California: $65,381.
  • Massachusetts: $64,510.

Top Paying Cities for Registered Nurse/LPNs

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: $74,764
  • San Francisco: $73,946
  • Oakland: $72,387

What Skills Can Increase a Registered Nurse/LPN'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 Registered Nurse/LPN'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
$61,647
4%
Delegation
$61,054
3%
Communication Skills
$61,054
3%
Attention to Detail
$61,054
3%
Time Management
$61,054
3%
Infection Control
$61,054
3%
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Registered Nurse/LPN Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Registered Nurse/LPN roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Business Services and Healthcare sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Registered Nurse/LPN positions in Biotechnology or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Registered Nurse/LPN as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Registered Nurse/LPN

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Business Services$74,094$36.025%
Healthcare$65,203$31.010%

How Education impacts a Registered Nurse/LPN's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Registered Nurse/LPNs 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 Registered Nurse/LPN with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $51,625 and $54,559).

Registered Nurse/LPN Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Registered Nurse/LPN
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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Registered Nurse/LPN Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Registered Nurse/LPN'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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Registered Nurse/LPN

Salaries for a Registered Nurse/LPN can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $65,940 in 2023 to around $65,462 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Registered Nurse/LPN salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Registered Nurse/LPN Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$65,940
2024
$66,432
2025
$65,462
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $65,940
2024 $66,432
2025 $65,462
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Registered Nurse/LPN

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Registered Nurse/LPN

Here are companies hiring for Registered Nurse/LPN and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Registered Nurse/LPN Job

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

United States
  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • XPO

    Columbus, OH

    CDL

    XPO | Columbus, OH

    XPO is Hiring Driver Teams. XPO Teams. As an XPO Team, you’ll run dedicated routes between XPO facilities in. new sleeper. trucks equipped with microwaves ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    14 Days Ago

  • Summit Recruiting Group

    Columbus, OH

    Summit Recruiting Group | Columbus, OH

    NP/PA Dermatology job opening in Columbus, OHPosition Details. Full-time, permanent opening. Experience required. Well-Established Practice. Seeking a NP/P... more

    15 Days Ago

  • Family Dollar

    Columbus, OH

    Family Dollar | Columbus, OH

    Customer Service Associate. We're seeking a Customer Service Associate to join our team and deliver a great shopping experience for every customer. Duties ... more

    16 Days Ago

  • GO Staffing

    Columbus, OH

    GO Staffing | Columbus, OH

    Locums - A well respected group has a Trauma Surgery APP opportunity available in Columbus, Ohio. Certified Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. 1/1/... more

    16 Days Ago

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FAQ about Registered Nurse/LPN

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Registered Nurse/LPN?

The Business Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Registered Nurse/LPN roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

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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