Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse

Employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 54,400 openings for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Education: Postsecondary nondegree award Details

Education Details

38%

Some College Courses

35%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

16%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

11%

Bachelor's Degree

Salary

High: $72,650.00

Average: $55,860.00

Hourly

Average: $26.86

Summary of What they do:

Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

Responsibilities

Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
Record patient medical histories.
Record patient medical histories.
Administer intravenous medications.
Measure the physical or physiological attributes of patients.
Record patient medical histories.
Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
Supervise patient care personnel.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Record patient medical histories.
Analyze quantitative data to determine effectiveness of treatments or therapies.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
Collect biological specimens from patients.
Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
Manage preparation of special meals or diets.
Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
Clean medical equipment or facilities.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Order medical supplies or equipment.
Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
Maintain medical facility records.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.

What Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Do

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic medical care to ill, injured, or convalescing patients or to persons with disabilities. Responsibilities for LPNs and LVNs are nearly identical; their title depends on the state in which they work.

Duties

In some states, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can give medication or start intravenous (IV) drips.

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically do the following:

Monitor patients’ health by checking their blood pressure, body temperature, and other vital signs
Provide basic patient care and comfort, including changing bandages and helping with bathing or dressing
Discuss care with patients and listen to their concerns
Report patients’ status and concerns to registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, or physicians
Document patient care and maintain health records

Responsibilities of LPNs and LVNs vary by work setting. For example, in private homes, they may reinforce registered nurses’ instruction regarding how family members should care for a relative. In hospitals, they might collect samples for testing and do routine laboratory tests. In nursing and residential care facilities, they may feed patients who need help eating.

LPN and LVN duties also may depend on the state in which they work. For example, in some states, LPNs with proper training may give medication or start intravenous (IV) drips.

LPNs and LVNs typically work under the supervision of registered nurses and doctors. States determine the extent to which LPNs and LVNs must be directly supervised. Some states allow experienced LPNs and LVNs to oversee other LPNs and LVNs or unlicensed medical staff.

Important Qualities

Compassion. LPNs and LVNs must be empathetic and caring toward the people they serve.

Communication skills. LPNs and LVNs must be able to convey information effectively. For example, they may need to relay a patient’s test results to a registered nurse.

Detail oriented. LPNs and LVNs need to pay attention to minutiae because they must ensure that patients get the correct care at the right time.

Interpersonal skills. LPNs and LVNs must be able to build a rapport to interact with patients and other healthcare providers.

Multitasking skills. LPNs and LVNs often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs. They must ensure that each patient receives appropriate care and attention.

Physical stamina. LPNs and LVNs should be able to perform physical tasks, such as bending over patients for a long time.

Tasks On The Job

Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.
Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers.
Assist in delivery, care, or feeding of infants.
Clean rooms and make beds.
Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.
Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.
Inventory and requisition supplies and instruments.
Make appointments, keep records, or perform other clerical duties in doctors' offices or clinics.
Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
Prepare or examine food trays for conformance to prescribed diet.
Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures.
Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
Provide medical treatment or personal care to patients in private home settings, such as cooking, keeping rooms orderly, seeing that patients are comfortable and in good spirits, or instructing family members in simple nursing tasks.
Record food and fluid intake and output.
Set up equipment and prepare medical treatment rooms.
Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave.
Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
Wash and dress bodies of deceased persons.
Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.

PERSONALITY

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		CAREER CHARACTERISTICS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	90%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	85%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	84%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Your Assessment Results		IMPORTANT STRENGTHS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		100%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		67%	Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Your Assessment Results		WORK VALUES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

APTITUDES

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		ABILITIES \| SKILLS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Your Assessment Results		TASKS \| ACTIVITIES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	62%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	58%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	58%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Your Assessment Results		CONTEXT \| ATTRIBUTES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	96%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	93%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	93%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	92%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	92%	Exposed to Disease or Infections - How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	92%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	91%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	85%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	71%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	62%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body - How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?

Work Environment

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses held about 655,000 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were as follows:

Nursing and residential care facilities	35%
Hospitals; state, local, and private	15
Home healthcare services	13
Offices of physicians	12
Government	6

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) may spend a lot of time walking, bending, stretching, and standing. Because they often move or lift patients, LPNs and LVNs must use proper lifting techniques to guard against back injury.

The work of LPNs and LVNs may put them in close contact with people who have infectious diseases, and they frequently come into contact with potentially harmful and hazardous drugs and other substances. Therefore, LPNs and LVNs must follow strict guidelines to guard against diseases and other dangers, such as accidental needle sticks and exposure to radiation or to chemicals used in creating a sterile environment.

Work Schedules

Most licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPNs and LVNs) work full time. Some work nights, weekends, and holidays, because medical care takes place at all hours. They may be required to work shifts of longer than 8 hours.

Getting Started

How to Become a Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses need compassion in caring for patients.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) must complete a state-approved educational program, which typically takes about 1 year. They also must have a license.

Education

LPNs and LVNs must complete an approved educational program. Certificate and diploma programs are commonly found in community colleges and technical schools, including some high schools, and typically take about 1 year to complete.

Practical nursing programs include subjects such as nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. All programs also include supervised clinical experience.

For a list of approved programs, contact your state board of nursing.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

After completing a state-approved educational program, prospective LPNs and LVNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN). For more information on the NCLEX-PN, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Optional certifications for LPNs and LVNs are available through professional associations in areas such as gerontology, wound care, and intravenous (IV) therapy. Certifications show that an LPN or LVN has an advanced level of knowledge about a specific subject.

Some employers require or prefer that candidates have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic life support (BLS) certification.

Advancement

With experience, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses may advance to supervisory positions. Some LPNs and LVNs transfer into other healthcare occupations. For example, an LPN may complete an LPN-to-RN education program to become a registered nurse.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses, visit

National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses

For more information about the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) and a list of individual state boards of nursing, visit

National Council of State Boards of Nursing

Occupational Requirements Survey

For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (PDF)

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Nursing Assistants and Orderlies	Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with activities of daily living. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas.	See How to Become One	$35,740
Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides	Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.	See How to Become One	$63,450
Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides	Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.	See How to Become One	$57,240
Psychiatric Technicians and Aides	Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental conditions or developmental disabilities.	See How to Become One	$37,330
Registered Nurses	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.	Bachelor's degree	$81,220
Surgical Assistants and Technologists	Surgical assistants and technologists help with surgical operations.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$56,350
Medical Assistants	Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and taking patients’ vital signs.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$38,270