A licensed practical nurse in Washington earns, on average, more than $32,000 a year above one in Mississippi for the same license. This guide ranks every state and the District of Columbia by what licensed practical nurses (called licensed vocational nurses, or LVNs, in California and Texas) actually earn, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, the newest state-level wage data the government publishes. Every figure is a BLS estimate; nothing here is self-reported or blended from salary sites.
National estimates for LPNs and LVNs (May 2025)
The BLS counts 648,410 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses employed in the United States. The mean annual wage is $67,050 ($32.24 an hour) and the median is $64,400 ($30.96 an hour). Half of LPNs earn between $59,000 and $76,030; the top 10% earn more than $83,440.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (median) | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | $23.91 | $28.37 | $30.96 | $36.55 | $40.12 |
| Annual wage | $49,740 | $59,000 | $64,400 | $76,030 | $83,440 |
Which states pay LPNs the most?
Washington pays licensed practical nurses the most, with a mean annual wage of $83,900: $16,850 above the national mean. California, Oregon, Rhode Island and Alaska round out the top five, and every state in the top ten averages more than $74,000 a year. The ten highest-paying states:
- Washington: $83,900 a year ($40.34 an hour)
- California: $82,340 a year ($39.59 an hour)
- Oregon: $81,420 a year ($39.15 an hour)
- Rhode Island: $80,120 a year ($38.52 an hour)
- Alaska: $80,000 a year ($38.46 an hour)
- Massachusetts: $79,270 a year ($38.11 an hour)
- New Hampshire: $76,570 a year ($36.81 an hour)
- Arizona: $76,120 a year ($36.60 an hour)
- New Jersey: $74,600 a year ($35.86 an hour)
- Nevada: $74,470 a year ($35.81 an hour)
Which states pay LPNs the least?
At the other end, Mississippi has the lowest mean LPN wage at $51,450, which is below the national 25th percentile. The five lowest-paying states:
- Mississippi: $51,450 a year ($24.74 an hour)
- South Dakota: $54,990 a year ($26.44 an hour)
- Alabama: $55,310 a year ($26.59 an hour)
- Arkansas: $55,690 a year ($26.77 an hour)
- West Virginia: $56,190 a year ($27.02 an hour)
These are means, not offers. An LPN with ten years in a skilled nursing facility in Alabama can out-earn a new graduate in Oregon, and the cost of housing in the highest-paying states eats into the gap (more on that below).
LPN salaries in all 50 states (and D.C.)
Ranked by mean annual wage. "Median" is the annual wage at the midpoint of the state's LPNs, and "LPNs employed" is the BLS employment estimate for the state. Each state's name links to our guide to nursing jobs and pay in that state.
| # | State | Mean hourly wage | Mean annual wage | Median annual wage | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $40.34 | $83,900 | $83,150 | 6,780 |
| 2 | California | $39.59 | $82,340 | $79,750 | 82,850 |
| 3 | Oregon | $39.15 | $81,420 | $80,470 | 4,260 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $38.52 | $80,120 | $80,090 | 1,290 |
| 5 | Alaska | $38.46 | $80,000 | $80,800 | 290 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $38.11 | $79,270 | $80,220 | 13,210 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $36.81 | $76,570 | $77,110 | 2,220 |
| 8 | Arizona | $36.60 | $76,120 | $77,070 | 6,530 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $35.86 | $74,600 | $75,160 | 17,410 |
| 10 | Nevada | $35.81 | $74,470 | $76,160 | 3,350 |
| 11 | Maryland | $35.66 | $74,170 | $74,660 | 9,560 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $35.59 | $74,030 | $75,740 | 1,040 |
| 13 | Illinois | $35.30 | $73,430 | $75,000 | 17,440 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $34.89 | $72,580 | $73,690 | 8,540 |
| 15 | Maine | $34.67 | $72,110 | $73,200 | 760 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $34.41 | $71,560 | $71,140 | 840 |
| 17 | Colorado | $34.05 | $70,820 | $73,880 | 4,920 |
| 18 | Vermont | $33.71 | $70,110 | $69,930 | 1,130 |
| 19 | Delaware | $33.42 | $69,500 | $68,710 | 2,240 |
| 20 | New York | $33.26 | $69,170 | $67,180 | 39,400 |
| 21 | Michigan | $32.37 | $67,340 | $65,460 | 10,880 |
| 22 | Virginia | $31.88 | $66,300 | $64,920 | 15,550 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $31.70 | $65,930 | $63,940 | 38,260 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $31.67 | $65,870 | $63,760 | 7,390 |
| 25 | Indiana | $31.66 | $65,840 | $65,720 | 14,480 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $31.20 | $64,900 | $63,750 | 12,840 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $31.04 | $64,560 | $62,660 | 4,580 |
| 28 | Idaho | $30.70 | $63,860 | $63,800 | 1,880 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $30.64 | $63,720 | $63,270 | 18,010 |
| 30 | Iowa | $30.49 | $63,420 | $62,630 | 5,510 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $30.44 | $63,300 | $63,460 | 480 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $30.37 | $63,170 | $61,820 | 9,400 |
| 33 | Texas | $30.18 | $62,770 | $62,240 | 57,560 |
| 34 | Kansas | $30.12 | $62,660 | $61,760 | 7,530 |
| 35 | Missouri | $30.00 | $62,410 | $61,530 | 14,700 |
| 36 | Montana | $29.98 | $62,350 | $62,210 | 1,620 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $29.92 | $62,230 | $62,300 | 1,920 |
| 38 | Florida | $29.88 | $62,150 | $61,770 | 38,620 |
| 39 | Utah | $29.86 | $62,110 | $63,230 | 1,680 |
| 40 | Ohio | $29.82 | $62,020 | $61,950 | 39,900 |
| 41 | Georgia | $29.64 | $61,640 | $62,030 | 21,060 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $29.07 | $60,460 | $60,460 | 8,570 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $28.19 | $58,630 | $59,330 | 2,460 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $27.31 | $56,800 | $58,320 | 11,540 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $27.21 | $56,590 | $57,470 | 17,600 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $27.15 | $56,470 | $58,870 | 20,830 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $27.02 | $56,190 | $55,360 | 6,050 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $26.77 | $55,690 | $56,620 | 10,010 |
| 49 | Alabama | $26.59 | $55,310 | $57,030 | 11,580 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $26.44 | $54,990 | $52,750 | 2,050 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $24.74 | $51,450 | $50,220 | 9,850 |
In several states the median sits above the mean (Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts, Alaska), which means pay there is clustered near the top of the range rather than pulled up by a few high earners. In New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan the opposite is true: a typical LPN earns about $2,000 less than the state mean.
Where the LPN jobs are
Pay and headcount rarely line up. California is the only state that is both a top-five payer and a top-five employer. The six states with the most licensed practical nurses:
- California: 82,850 LPNs, mean $82,340
- Texas: 57,560 LPNs, mean $62,770
- Ohio: 39,900 LPNs, mean $62,020
- New York: 39,400 LPNs, mean $69,170
- Florida: 38,620 LPNs, mean $62,150
- Pennsylvania: 38,260 LPNs, mean $65,930
Texas, Ohio, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania together employ more than 213,000 LPNs, a third of the country's total, at means between $62,000 and $69,200. Browse the openings on our board for LPN jobs in Texas, Florida, New York and California, or every LPN and LVN job we list.
Top-paying industries for LPNs
Setting matters as much as geography. National mean annual wages for licensed practical nurses by industry, May 2025:
| Industry | Mean annual wage | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|
| Employment services (staffing and agency work) | $75,800 | 27,950 |
| Federal executive branch | $73,840 | 17,050 |
| Outpatient care centers | $73,600 | 38,950 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $70,600 | 188,210 |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities | $67,820 | 44,100 |
| Home health care services | $67,590 | 80,990 |
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals | $67,010 | 8,370 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $61,070 | 89,620 |
| Offices of physicians | $59,440 | 69,250 |
Skilled nursing facilities are the largest LPN employer by far and pay above the national mean. Hospitals and physician offices, where many new LPNs start, pay the least of the major settings; staffing agencies, outpatient centers and the federal government pay the most but hire far fewer.
Job outlook for LPNs and LVNs
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook counts 666,900 LPN and LVN jobs in 2025 and projects employment to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations, adding 19,700 jobs. Growth is the smaller number, though: the BLS projects about 51,800 openings a year over the decade, most of them to replace nurses who move into RN roles, change occupations or retire. The typical entry-level education is a postsecondary nondegree award, usually a one-year practical nursing program, followed by the NCLEX-PN.
What the numbers don't tell you
- Cost of living. BLS wages are gross pay, not adjusted for housing or taxes. Washington, California, Oregon, Massachusetts and Alaska lead the pay table and are also among the most expensive places to live; Arizona, Nevada and Illinois sit in the top 15 with cheaper housing. Compare what is left after rent or a mortgage, not the headline figure.
- Setting and shift. The industry table above is national; the same spread between a skilled nursing facility and a physician office exists inside every state, and shift differentials, overtime and agency work are inside these averages. A night-shift LPN in a mid-ranked state can land well above the state mean.
- Experience. The 10th-to-90th percentile spread at the national level is $49,740 to $83,440. Where you fall in that range depends more on years in the role, setting and shift than on the state line.
- Compact licensure. LPNs and LVNs are covered by the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from a compact home state lets you take work in other compact states without a new license. Washington, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Arizona and New Jersey are in the compact; California, Oregon, Alaska and Nevada are not, and Massachusetts has enacted it but is still awaiting implementation, so three of the five highest-paying states still need their own license. See our compact nursing states list.
- The next step up. The gap between the national LPN median ($64,400) and the registered nurse median ($97,550) is the main reason LPN-to-RN bridge programs stay full. Our state guides, for example how to become a nurse in Texas and in California, cover both licenses.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (29-2061), May 2025, national and state estimates, read 7 October 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, 2025 pay and 2025-35 projections, read 7 October 2026.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Nurse Licensure Compact member states map, current status, read 7 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which state pays LPNs the most?
Washington. The BLS May 2025 mean annual wage for licensed practical nurses in Washington is $83,900 ($40.34 an hour), followed by California ($82,340) and Oregon ($81,420).
What is the average LPN salary in the United States?
The BLS May 2025 mean annual wage for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses is $67,050 ($32.24 an hour); the median is $64,400. The top 10% of LPNs earn more than $83,440 a year.
Which state pays LPNs the least?
Mississippi, with a mean annual LPN wage of $51,450 in May 2025, followed by South Dakota ($54,990) and Alabama ($55,310).
Is LPN the same as LVN?
Yes. California and Texas call the role licensed vocational nurse (LVN); every other state says licensed practical nurse (LPN). The license, the NCLEX-PN exam and the BLS occupation (29-2061) are the same.
Is demand for LPNs growing?
Slowly. The BLS projects LPN and LVN employment to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations, but it expects about 51,800 openings a year as nurses retire, move into RN roles or change occupations.