LPN Salary in 2019
The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the national average LPN Salary as $46,240, with the average hourly earnings $22.23. The top 10% of LPNs earn over $62,160 per year, and the bottom 10% make under $33,680 per year. The average LPN salary, just like any other salary, varies greatly based upon where one works and how much experience one has.
LPN Salary by Industry
Nursing Care Facilities are where LPNs make the most money on average. The average LPN salary at such a facility is $47,470. Of all LPN jobs, Nursing Care Facilities employ the greatest percentage of LPNs. A full 13.1% of all LPNs work in nursing care facilities.
Home Health Care Services claim the second highest wages for LPNs, with an average LPN salary of $46,510. The home health industry employs 6.48% of all LPNs.
Community Care Facilities for the Elderly, or Nursing Homes as they are better known, have the third highest wages for LPNs, with an average LPN salary of $42,270. Nursing homes employ 5.5% of all LPNs.
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals provide the average LPN salary of $44,960. Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals employ 3.95% of all LPNs.
Offices of Physicians provide the average LPN Salary of $42,520. Doctor’s offices employ 3.9% of LPNs.
Advancement Potential
LPNs may advance to become charge nurses who supervise nurses’ aids and other LPNs.
LPNs often become specialists and earn credentials in long-term care, pharmacology, and IV therapy.
Also, it is very popular for LPNs to complete their RN training while working as LPNs. This is a great way for someone to have an income while working to further their career.
Why choose to be an LPN?
So, you want to know the average LPN salary? First, know that the nursing field has been expanding rapidly for years, and this expansion will continue in the years ahead. LPNs, specifically, are in high demand, and that demand grows daily, so does the overall earning power of LPNs. The following will discuss the earnings, but readers should realize that nothing is as valuable as job security in tough economic times, and LPNs enjoy job security which is much higher than the norm.
What is an LPN?
LPNs, or Licensed Practical Nurses, are nurses who have been licensed by the state to provide routine care for the sick. As LPNs assist doctors and nurses with basic medical needs, they also play a large role in taking care of a patients physical needs. LPNs often find work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and retirement centers.
What is the difference between an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and an LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse)?
There is no difference. The only difference is in the terminology which specific states use. Texas and California both use the terminology “LVN”, where every other state uses “LPN.” Each specific state requires you to to take the state licensing exam for the state in which you wish to work. The qualifications and skills are the same, but if you become licensed in Texas or California, you will be referred to as an LVN, where if you become licensed in any of the other 48 states, you will be referred to as an LPN.