Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$49,740
To
$59,000
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$64,400
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$59,000
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$76,030
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$67,050
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected estimate
Intermediate range for Licensed Practical Nurse in USA
$59,000 to $76,030
This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$64,400
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$59,000
To
$76,030
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$76,030
To
$83,440
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare licensed practical nurse offers in United States against $49,740 to $59,000.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare licensed practical nurse offers in United States against $59,000 to $76,030.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare licensed practical nurse offers in United States against $76,030 to $83,440.
How USA Salaries Compare With Major Cities for This Role
USA is the national BLS estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, so candidates can compare national pay with city hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$93,470
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$87,360
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$80,810
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$80,770
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$77,430
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$75,020
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$74,560
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$73,050
USA
United States estimate
$67,050
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$66,110
How Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares licensed practical nurse pay in USA with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$262,040
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$262,040
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$262,040
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$192,160
CTO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$192,160
Engineering Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$192,160
IT Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$192,160
VP of Engineering
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$192,160
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$191,350
Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, SOC 29-2061
$67,050
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for licensed practical nurses in United States is $64,400. The middle market range runs from $59,000 at the 25th percentile to $76,030 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $49,740to $83,440.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,740 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $59,000 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $64,400 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $76,030 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $83,440 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Licensed Practical Nurse to BLS occupation Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, SOC 29-2061. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, SOC 29-2061, as the public wage source for Licensed Practical Nurse.
- BLS area
- United States
- Employment estimate
- 648,410
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median licensed practical nurse salary in United States?
The median annual salary for licensed practical nurses in United States is $64,400, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses.
How much can fresher licensed practical nurse candidates expect in United States?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For licensed practical nurses in United States, that range is $49,740 to $59,000. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate licensed practical nurse salary range in United States?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For licensed practical nurses in United States, that range is $59,000 to $76,030.
What do senior licensed practical nurse candidates earn in United States?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For licensed practical nurses in United States, that range is $76,030 to $83,440.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses instead of only Licensed Practical Nurse?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Licensed Practical Nurse to Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, SOC 29-2061, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
How fresh is this USA salary data?
The snapshot uses BLS OEWS 2025, generated from public BLS series. Refresh the snapshot when BLS publishes a newer annual release.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 20 Apr 2026|Last updated: 9 Jul 2026
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