BLS LPN and LVN hourly pay at every level and in every state, shift differentials, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earned a median of $30.96 an hour in May 2025 — $64,400 a year full time — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 648,410 LPNs and LVNs. The bottom tenth earned under $23.91 and the top tenth over $40.12. Overtime and the night and weekend differentials many LPNs earn are not included.
This is the BLS line for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (SOC 29-2061) on employers' payrolls. Registered nurses and nursing assistants each have their own line and calculator on this site. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.91 | $49,740 | $4,145 | $42,146 |
| 25th percentile | $28.37 | $59,000 | $4,917 | $49,587 |
| Median | $30.96 | $64,400 | $5,367 | $53,925 |
| 75th percentile | $36.55 | $76,030 | $6,336 | $62,317 |
| 90th percentile | $40.12 | $83,440 | $6,953 | $67,530 |
Washington pays LPNs the most at $39.98 an hour, then Alaska ($38.85) and Oregon ($38.69); Mississippi pays least at $24.14. California, where the job is called LVN, employs the most, 82,850, at $38.34; Texas, also LVN, has 57,560 at $29.92.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $39.98 | $83,150 | 6,780 |
| Alaska | $38.85 | $80,800 | 290 |
| Oregon | $38.69 | $80,470 | 4,260 |
| Massachusetts | $38.57 | $80,220 | 13,210 |
| Rhode Island | $38.51 | $80,090 | 1,290 |
| California | $38.34 | $79,750 | 82,850 |
| New Hampshire | $37.07 | $77,110 | 2,220 |
| Arizona | $37.05 | $77,070 | 6,530 |
| Nevada | $36.62 | $76,160 | 3,350 |
| District of Columbia | $36.42 | $75,740 | 1,040 |
| New Jersey | $36.13 | $75,160 | 17,410 |
| Illinois | $36.06 | $75,000 | 17,440 |
| Maryland | $35.89 | $74,660 | 9,560 |
| Colorado | $35.52 | $73,880 | 4,920 |
| Connecticut | $35.43 | $73,690 | 8,540 |
| Maine | $35.19 | $73,200 | 760 |
| Hawaii | $34.20 | $71,140 | 840 |
| Vermont | $33.62 | $69,930 | 1,130 |
| Delaware | $33.03 | $68,710 | 2,240 |
| New York | $32.30 | $67,180 | 39,400 |
| Indiana | $31.60 | $65,720 | 14,480 |
| Michigan | $31.47 | $65,460 | 10,880 |
| Virginia | $31.21 | $64,920 | 15,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $30.74 | $63,940 | 38,260 |
| Idaho | $30.67 | $63,800 | 1,880 |
| Minnesota | $30.65 | $63,750 | 12,840 |
| Wisconsin | $30.65 | $63,760 | 7,390 |
| Wyoming | $30.51 | $63,460 | 480 |
| North Carolina | $30.42 | $63,270 | 18,010 |
| Utah | $30.40 | $63,230 | 1,680 |
| Nebraska | $30.13 | $62,660 | 4,580 |
| Iowa | $30.11 | $62,630 | 5,510 |
| North Dakota | $29.95 | $62,300 | 1,920 |
| Texas | $29.92 | $62,240 | 57,560 |
| Montana | $29.91 | $62,210 | 1,620 |
| Georgia | $29.82 | $62,030 | 21,060 |
| Ohio | $29.78 | $61,950 | 39,900 |
| South Carolina | $29.72 | $61,820 | 9,400 |
| Florida | $29.70 | $61,770 | 38,620 |
| Kansas | $29.69 | $61,760 | 7,530 |
| Missouri | $29.58 | $61,530 | 14,700 |
| Kentucky | $29.07 | $60,460 | 8,570 |
| New Mexico | $28.52 | $59,330 | 2,460 |
| Tennessee | $28.31 | $58,870 | 20,830 |
| Oklahoma | $28.04 | $58,320 | 11,540 |
| Louisiana | $27.63 | $57,470 | 17,600 |
| Alabama | $27.42 | $57,030 | 11,580 |
| Arkansas | $27.22 | $56,620 | 10,010 |
| West Virginia | $26.61 | $55,360 | 6,050 |
| South Dakota | $25.36 | $52,750 | 2,050 |
| Mississippi | $24.14 | $50,220 | 9,850 |
Government facilities pay LPNs the most ($68,970), just ahead of nursing and residential care ($68,020), which employs 37% of them. Home health pays $63,580, hospitals $61,160 and physicians' offices $59,520 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $68,970 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | $68,020 |
| Home healthcare services | $63,580 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $61,160 |
| Offices of physicians | $59,520 |
Most LPNs and LVNs work full time. Because care happens at all hours, some work nights, weekends and holidays, and shifts can run longer than 8 hours. Nursing and residential care facilities employ 37% of them, hospitals 16%, home health 12% and physicians' offices 11%; home health LPNs travel to patients' homes (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
LPNs are generally owed overtime: the learned-professional exemption doesn't cover them, because an advanced academic degree isn't a standard requirement for the job (29 CFR 541.301). Hospitals and residential care facilities may use the 8-and-80 system by agreement — time and a half after 8 hours in a day and 80 in 14 days — instead of the 40-hour week (DOL Fact Sheet #54). Shift differentials come on top of BLS's figures.
BLS's wage figures leave out shift differentials. The table adds a night or weekend differential to the median $30.96 an hour for 12 hours a week (one 12-hour shift) over 52 weeks. Differentials vary by employer and contract; these amounts are examples to show the arithmetic, not typical rates.
| Differential | Extra a year | Average hourly over 40 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00/hour | $624 | $31.26 |
| $2.00/hour | $1,248 | $31.56 |
| $3.00/hour | $1,872 | $31.86 |
| $5.00/hour | $3,120 | $32.46 |
LPNs and LVNs complete a state-approved practical nursing program, usually about a year at a community college or technical school, then pass the licensing exam. The title depends on the state — Texas and California say LVN — but the work is nearly identical. Optional certifications cover areas such as gerontology, wound care and IV therapy, and many go on to an LPN-to-RN program (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your LPN pay:
$30.96 an hour ($64,400 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $28.37 to $36.55 an hour.
Washington ($39.98 an hour, $83,150 a year), then Alaska and Oregon; Mississippi pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Yes, generally. Federal rules say LPNs don't qualify for the learned-professional exemption (29 CFR 541.301), so they're owed time and a half after 40 hours, or after 8 in a day and 80 in two weeks where a hospital or care facility uses the 8-and-80 system (DOL Fact Sheet #54).
They're the same BLS occupation: the title depends on the state. California and Texas, which say LVN, are both in the state table here.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.