License Practical Nurse Salary in the United States

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

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a License Practical Nurse in the United States is $55,706 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,432
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,300 to $58,703
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49,198
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View as table View as graph 25% $52,300 10% $49,198 90% $61,432 75% $58,703 $55,706 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

License Practical Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $58,703 $4,892 $1,129 $28
Average $55,706 $4,642 $1,071 $27
25th Percentile $52,300 $4,358 $1,006 $25
Check out License Practical Nurse Job Openings in the United States
License Practical Nurse

Careers Integrated Resources Inc - Columbus, OH

Licensed Practical Nurse

Iannarino Fullen Group - Columbus, OH

Licensed Practical Nurse

BoldAge PACE - Columbus, OH

Licensed Practical Nurse

StoryPoint - Columbus, OH

Search More License Practical Nurse Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence License Practical Nurse Salaries

A License 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 License Practical Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a License 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): $54,902
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $54,997
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $56,181
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $57,513
  • Expert (over 8 years): $57,608
Levels Salary
Entry Level License Practical Nurse$54,902
Intermediate Level License Practical Nurse$54,997
Senior Level License Practical Nurse$56,181
Specialist Level License Practical Nurse$57,513
Expert Level License Practical Nurse$57,608
$54,902 0 yr
$54,997 < 2 yrs
$56,181 2-4 yrs
$57,513 5-8 yrs
$57,608 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do License Practical Nurse 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 License Practical Nurses. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $61,678.
  • California: $61,444.
  • Massachusetts: $60,625.

Top Paying Cities for License 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: $70,262
  • San Francisco: $69,493
  • Oakland: $68,028

What Skills Can Increase a License 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 License 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
$57,934
4%
Delegation
$57,377
3%
Communication Skills
$57,377
3%
Attention to Detail
$57,377
3%
Time Management
$57,377
3%
Infection Control
$57,377
3%
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License Practical Nurse Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For License Practical Nurse 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, License Practical Nurse positions in Biotechnology or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view License Practical Nurse as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a License Practical Nurse

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Business Services$69,633$33.025%
Healthcare$61,277$29.010%

How Education impacts a License Practical Nurse's Salary?

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

License Practical Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for License 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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License Practical Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a License 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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for License Practical Nurse

Salaries for a License Practical Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $62,497 in 2023 to around $62,044 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of License Practical Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of License Practical Nurse Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$62,497
2024
$62,963
2025
$62,044
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $62,497
2024 $62,963
2025 $62,044
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for License Practical Nurse

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

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

Find Your Next License Practical Nurse Job

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

United States
  • Paramount Senior Living

    Columbus, OH

    Paramount Senior Living | Columbus, OH

    Licensed Practical Nurse. Are you looking for a stable job with good pay and room to grow. As a licensed practical nurse, you will build strong relationshi... more

    1 Day Ago

  • Sono Bello

    Columbus, OH

    Sono Bello | Columbus, OH

    Licensed Vocational Nurse. OH - Columbus. Sono Bello is America's top cosmetic surgery specialist, with 185+ board-certified surgeons who have performed ov... more

    1 Day Ago

  • Trilogy Healthcare Services

    Columbus, OH

    Trilogy Healthcare Services | Columbus, OH

    Join Team Trilogy. At Trilogy, you'll experience a caring, supportive community that values each team member. We prioritize meaningful relationships, genui... more

    2 Days Ago

  • Worthington Enterprises

    Columbus, OH

    Worthington Enterprises | Columbus, OH

    Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). We are seeking a dedicated and skilled Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to join the Worthington Enterprises Medical and Welln... more

    2 Days Ago

  • Sonida Senior Living

    Columbus, OH

    Sonida Senior Living | Columbus, OH

    Job Opportunity At The Woodlands Of Columbus. Find your joy here, at The Woodlands of Columbus, a Sonida Senior Living community. We offer a comprehensive ... more

    2 Days Ago

  • Optum

    Columbus, OH

    Optum | Columbus, OH

    Explore opportunities with Caretenders, a part of LHC Group, a leading post-acute care partner for hospitals, physicians and families nationwide. As member... more

    3 Days Ago

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FAQ about License Practical Nurse

1. What industry pays the highest salary for License Practical Nurse?

The Business Services industry offers the highest average compensation for License Practical Nurse 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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