As 2019 comes to an end, the pay for Licensed Vocational Nurses continues to climb! While it's true that LVNs don't make as much as Registered Nurses and some other allied healthcare professionals, vocational nursing is still very rewarding, with lots of room for advancement with more education or specialty certifications.
The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) last updated their OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook) nearly 1 year ago, at the end of 2018. The average annual salary was $46,240. The true pay varies widely depending upon location, experience, nursing specialty, and more.
We're always hearing, "Location, Location, Location" aren't we? Well, just like many other professions, the pay of a Licensed Vocational Nurse has a lot to do with where they are employed. Nursing positions in larger metropolitan areas will often pay more than smaller cities. Almost without exception, nurses working in hospitals make more than those working in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.
As with most other professions, experience counts for a LOT! Generally, the more years of experience, the higher the salary.
Many LVNs, both experienced and those who are relatively new to the job, make the decision to return to school to earn their Registered Nurse license. Most LVN to RN programs only take a couple of semesters to complete. Of course, there are many of us who enjoy working as LVNs and focus more on specialty certifications to increase our pay.
The bottom line is, 2020 is a great year for becoming an LVN!
Metro Area | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate | TOP 10% HOURLY |
---|---|---|---|
Abilene | $46,546 | $22.37 | $28.75 |
Amarillo | $48,908 | $23.51 | $29.45 |
Austin-San Marcos-Round Rock | $48,166 | $23.13 | $29.05 |
Port Arthur-Beaumont | $47,500 | $22.83 | $28.85 |
Brownsville | $48,196 | $25.75 | $29.71 |
Bryan-College Station | $43,254 | $23.10 | $29.57 |