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How Much Does a Licensed Practical Nurse Make?

A licensed practical nurse in the US earns a median salary of $64,400 a year, or $30.96 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $67,050, and the middle half earn between $59,000 and $76,030.

Median a year $64,400
Median an hour $30.96
Median a month $5,367
Average a year $67,050

Licensed practical nurse pay range

What licensed practical nurses earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $49,740 $23.91
25th $59,000 $28.37
Median (50th) $64,400 $30.96
75th $76,030 $36.55
90th (top 10%) $83,440 $40.12

The median is 26% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 648,410 people work as licensed practical nurses in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,238
Every two weeks
$2,477
Twice a month
$2,683
A month
$5,367

At the median salary, before tax.

Licensed practical nurse salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Washington pays licensed practical nurses the most, at $83,900 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Washington $83,900 $83,150 6,780 After tax
California $82,340 $79,750 82,850 After tax
Oregon $81,420 $80,470 4,260 After tax
Rhode Island $80,120 $80,090 1,290 After tax
Alaska $80,000 $80,800 290 After tax
Massachusetts $79,270 $80,220 13,210 After tax
New Hampshire $76,570 $77,110 2,220 After tax
Arizona $76,120 $77,070 6,530 After tax
New Jersey $74,600 $75,160 17,410 After tax
Nevada $74,470 $76,160 3,350 After tax
Maryland $74,170 $74,660 9,560 After tax
District of Columbia $74,030 $75,740 1,040 After tax
Illinois $73,430 $75,000 17,440 After tax
Connecticut $72,580 $73,690 8,540 After tax
Maine $72,110 $73,200 760 After tax
Hawaii $71,560 $71,140 840 After tax
Colorado $70,820 $73,880 4,920 After tax
Vermont $70,110 $69,930 1,130 After tax
Delaware $69,500 $68,710 2,240 After tax
New York $69,170 $67,180 39,400 After tax
Michigan $67,340 $65,460 10,880 After tax
Virginia $66,300 $64,920 15,550 After tax
Pennsylvania $65,930 $63,940 38,260 After tax
Wisconsin $65,870 $63,760 7,390 After tax
Indiana $65,840 $65,720 14,480 After tax
Virgin Islands $65,720 $64,660 50
Minnesota $64,900 $63,750 12,840 After tax
Nebraska $64,560 $62,660 4,580 After tax
Idaho $63,860 $63,800 1,880 After tax
North Carolina $63,720 $63,270 18,010 After tax
Iowa $63,420 $62,630 5,510 After tax
Wyoming $63,300 $63,460 480 After tax
South Carolina $63,170 $61,820 9,400 After tax
Texas $62,770 $62,240 57,560 After tax
Kansas $62,660 $61,760 7,530 After tax
Missouri $62,410 $61,530 14,700 After tax
Montana $62,350 $62,210 1,620 After tax
North Dakota $62,230 $62,300 1,920 After tax
Florida $62,150 $61,770 38,620 After tax
Utah $62,110 $63,230 1,680 After tax
Ohio $62,020 $61,950 39,900 After tax
Georgia $61,640 $62,030 21,060 After tax
Kentucky $60,460 $60,460 8,570 After tax
New Mexico $58,630 $59,330 2,460 After tax
Oklahoma $56,800 $58,320 11,540 After tax
Louisiana $56,590 $57,470 17,600 After tax
Tennessee $56,470 $58,870 20,830 After tax
West Virginia $56,190 $55,360 6,050 After tax
Arkansas $55,690 $56,620 10,010 After tax
Alabama $55,310 $57,030 11,580 After tax
South Dakota $54,990 $52,750 2,050 After tax
Mississippi $51,450 $50,220 9,850 After tax
Guam $46,630 $42,870 90
Puerto Rico $37,640 $30,760 2,990

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses” (SOC 29-2061). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a licensed practical nurse make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a licensed practical nurse is $30.96, and the average is $32.24. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $23.91 an hour and the top 10% over $40.12.

How much does a licensed practical nurse make a month?

At the median salary of $64,400, a licensed practical nurse earns about $5,367 a month before tax, or $2,477 every two weeks.

Which state pays licensed practical nurses the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for a licensed practical nurse, at $83,900 a year. Next are California and Oregon. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a licensed practical nurse?

The lowest-paid 10% of licensed practical nurses earn less than $49,740 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $59,000. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid licensed practical nurses make?

The top 10% earn more than $83,440 a year, and the top 25% more than $76,030.