What Does a Licensed Practical Nurse Do?
Whether working in a nursing home, a doctor's office, or a patient's home, licensed practical nurses need to be able to give basic care safely, such as checking vital signs, giving medications and changing dressings. In the case of a long-term care facility, it might be something as routine as a morning medication pass for a whole hallway of residents. California and Texas call the same job licensed vocational nurse.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Charge Nurse, Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN), Clinic Nurse, Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Office Nurse, Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse), Private Duty Nurse.
Licensed Practical Nurse Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a licensed practical nurse include:
- Check and record vital signs, weight, pain levels and changes in condition.
- Give oral and injected medications and document each dose in the medication record.
- Change dressings, care for wounds and insert or maintain urinary catheters where permitted.
- Collect blood, stool and urine samples for testing as ordered.
- Help patients bathe, dress, eat and move safely, alongside nursing assistants.
- Report changes in a patient's condition to the registered nurse or physician right away.
- Chart care in the electronic health record before the end of each shift.
- Start or monitor IV lines where state rules and training allow.
- Explain care plans and home instructions to patients and families in plain terms.
- Supervise nursing assistants on the unit in states that permit LPNs to do so.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a licensed practical nurse, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- LPN or LVN license (NCLEX-PN)
- CPR certification
- Medication administration and dosage checks
- Wound care and infection control
- Electronic health records such as PointClickCare or Epic
- Careful observation of small changes in patients
- Stamina for long shifts on your feet
- Compassion with older and chronically ill patients
Education and Training
Every state requires LPNs to be licensed. Once you have finished a state-approved practical nursing program you will need to pass the NCLEX-PN exam before any state will license you. With experience, you could progress from LPN to charge nurse in long-term care, or bridge to an RN degree.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $59,000 - $76,030 per year, with a median of $64,400.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses.
BLS projects employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses to grow about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. That still means roughly 51,800 openings a year, many of them in nursing homes and home health. And, as long as there are older adults who need daily nursing care, LPNs will be needed to make sure medications, wounds and changes in condition are handled on time.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses.
Licensed Practical Nurse Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $49,740 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $59,000 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $64,400 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $76,030 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $83,440 |
Highest-Paying States for Licensed Practical Nurses
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Washington ($83,150), Alaska ($80,800), Oregon ($80,470), Massachusetts ($80,220), Rhode Island ($80,090). Pay is lowest in West Virginia ($55,360), South Dakota ($52,750), Mississippi ($50,220).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,030 |
| Alaska | $80,800 |
| Arizona | $77,070 |
| Arkansas | $56,620 |
| California | $79,750 |
| Colorado | $73,880 |
| Connecticut | $73,690 |
| Delaware | $68,710 |
| District of Columbia | $75,740 |
| Florida | $61,770 |
| Georgia | $62,030 |
| Hawaii | $71,140 |
| Idaho | $63,800 |
| Illinois | $75,000 |
| Indiana | $65,720 |
| Iowa | $62,630 |
| Kansas | $61,760 |
| Kentucky | $60,460 |
| Louisiana | $57,470 |
| Maine | $73,200 |
| Maryland | $74,660 |
| Massachusetts | $80,220 |
| Michigan | $65,460 |
| Minnesota | $63,750 |
| Mississippi | $50,220 |
| Missouri | $61,530 |
| Montana | $62,210 |
| Nebraska | $62,660 |
| Nevada | $76,160 |
| New Hampshire | $77,110 |
| New Jersey | $75,160 |
| New Mexico | $59,330 |
| New York | $67,180 |
| North Carolina | $63,270 |
| North Dakota | $62,300 |
| Ohio | $61,950 |
| Oklahoma | $58,320 |
| Oregon | $80,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,940 |
| Rhode Island | $80,090 |
| South Carolina | $61,820 |
| South Dakota | $52,750 |
| Tennessee | $58,870 |
| Texas | $62,240 |
| Utah | $63,230 |
| Vermont | $69,930 |
| Virginia | $64,920 |
| Washington | $83,150 |
| West Virginia | $55,360 |
| Wisconsin | $63,760 |
| Wyoming | $63,460 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 99% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 90% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 84% are on the phone every day
- 80% are exposed to disease or infection every day
- 79% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 73% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
- 68% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Some college | 38% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 35% |
| Associate's degree | 16% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11% |
Tools and Software Licensed Practical Nurses Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy helping, teaching or caring for people as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Psychology, Medicine and Dentistry, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Licensed Practical Nurse Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 29-2061.00 (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.