If you’re thinking about becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse, you’ll be interested to know that the average LVN salary in San Diego is almost 10% higher than elsewhere in California, according to www.BLS.gov.
Of course, this number is skewed somewhat by the comparatively high salaries earned by experienced LVNs in metropolitan areas. Even the average entry-level pay in San Diego County is significantly higher than in other parts of California. Given the state’s rapidly increasing demand for vocational nurses, this should be great news to anyone who is hoping to break into the profession. There are more than a dozen LVN programs in San Diego as of 2017.
What Is the Average LVN Salary in California?
In August 2011, the average LVN salary in California was estimated at $50,490 per year (or $24.27 per hour) by the U.S. Board of Labor Statistics. That pay is projected to climb steadily over the next decade.
Depending on where you work, the data is even more encouraging. For example, BLS.gov data shows that LVNs in Chula Vista earn the highest average salary of anywhere in San Diego County at $59,670 per year. This is just ahead of vocational nurses in the Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland in particular) who also average close to $60,000 annually.
For entry-level vocational nurses, salaries are substantially lower but still among the highest in the U.S. Recent graduates from LVN programs in California can expect to earn approximately $29,815 ($14.43 per hour) within their first couple of years out of school, which is well ahead of the national average of $27,246 ($13.07 per hour) for LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses – the position title used in states other than California and Texas). All of these stated figures are courtesy of www.BLS.gov.
How Can I Increase My LVN Salary in San Diego?
It is important to remember, that an LVN’s exact salary is influenced by several factors. These include your location in the state, your level of experience, the kind of facility you work at, and whether or not you hold any certifications as a specialist. While putting in time is the only way to gain experience, there are things you can do to influence the other variables that affect your pay. There are also 9 LVN to RN programs in San Diego.
Become Certified as a Specialist
Specialists are always in great demand, and there are few better ways of increasing your earning potential as an LVN than earning a specialized certification. Some of the most popular fields that LVNs choose to become certified in include: acute care, cardiovascular, delivery nursing, geriatric, intensive care, labor, oncology, pediatric and women’s health. By becoming a specialist in one of these areas, you can not only dramatically increase your salary, but also guarantee yourself of working in a position that you will enjoy and find rewarding.
Look for Employers Other Than Hospitals
The experience of working in a hospital is certainly a valuable one that new vocational nurses are encouraged to take advantage of. Advancing your career as an LVN may eventually require moving to another type of facility, however. Nursing homes, private practices, physician’s offices and health clinics all tend to pay higher salaries than hospitals, and provide working environments that are better suited to some LVN’s tastes than the hectic pace and irregular schedule demanded by hospital work.
Location, Location, Location
If you are concerned that LVN salaries are too low in your part of San Diego County, you may want to consider relocating to one of the state’s metropolitan centers. On average, the closer you work to the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego, the more money you will earn. In most cases, LVNs in these cities earn anywhere from 5% to 20% more than their peers in other California cities.
On the other hand, the flip side to this equation is that you will also run into far more competition for jobs, and need to account for a higher cost of living in those areas. Higher living expenses alone generally account for this difference in LVN salary in California, so it’s important to factor this into your decision before packing your bags and moving.