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Licensed Practical Nursing
- LPN training programs about 1 year
- Vocational and community colleges
- Board of Nursing license required
- LPN nursing job prospects very good
Registered Nursing
- RN nursing programs 2 to 4 years
- College nursing schools and online
- Board of Nursing license required
- RN nursing job prospects excellent
Nurse salary for Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN) in the United States of America are displayed in the tables below. Our RN and LPN nurse salary tables were created to summarize employment and salary data in a way that answers important questions fast. These nurse salary wages and pay statistics are for Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and Nursing Aides (NA). Below each nursing job and nurse salary table are explanations. Visit our nursing jobs web page to search job listings.
The table below displays Nursing Jobs and Average Salary statistics for three major nursing job titles. Registered Nurse jobs are the most numerous with 2,468,340 nursing jobs as of May 2007. The average annual salary for a RN in the United States of America is $62,480. Registered Nurses in the highest 10% earned a salary above $87,310. Registered Nurses in the lowest 10% earned an average annual salary below $42,020. Years of experience, specialty, state of employment, and industry are factors which allow some registered nurses to earn more than others.
| Nursing Job Title | Nursing Jobs | Average Salary | Lowest 10% Below | Highest 10% Above |
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 2,468,340 | $62,480 | $42,020 | $87,310 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse and Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN, LVN) |
719,240 | $38,940 | $27,370 | $52,160 |
| Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants (NA, O, A) |
1,390,260 | $23,920 | $16,850 | $32,270 |
Nursing Aid, Orderly, and Attendant jobs are 1,390,260 nursing jobs as of May 2007. The average annual salary for these job titles in the United States of America is $23,920. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants in the highest 10% earned a salary above $32,270. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants in the lowest 10% earned an average annual salary below $16,850. Years of experience, specialty, state of employment, and industry are factors which allow some employees to earn more than others.
Licensed Practical Nurse and Licensed Vocational Nurse jobs are 719,240 nursing jobs as of May 2007. The average annual salary for a LPN and LVN in the United States of America is $38,940. Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the highest 10% earned a salary above $52,160. Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the lowest 10% earned an average annual salary below $27,370. Years of experience, specialty, state of employment, and industry are factors which allow some licensed practical and vocational nurses to earn more than others.
| Nursing Industry | RN | LPN, LVN | NA, O, A | Nursing Jobs * |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1,409,220 | 166,930 | 388,850 | 1,965,000 |
| Nursing Care Facilities | 123,480 | 199,390 | 589,260 | 912,130 |
| Offices of Physicians | 209,870 | 89,830 | 14,500 | 314,200 |
| Home Health Care Services | 127,230 | 58,010 | 35,610 | 220,850 |
| Community Care Facilities for the Elderly | 24,380 | 35,050 | 130,440 | 189,870 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 72,690 | 16,760 | 15,730 | 105,180 |
| Specialty Hospitals | 43,300 | 7,490 | 18,890 | 69,680 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | 32,620 | 9,530 | 10,070 | 52,220 |
| Residential Mental Retardation Facilities | 6,350 | 7,050 | 23,660 | 37,060 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | 9,270 | 3,800 | 11,680 | 24,750 |
| * Nursing Jobs is the summation of RN, LPN, LVN, NA, O, A jobs. | ||||
The table above displays the top 10 industries for nursing jobs. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals employ the most Registered Nurses with 1,409,220 jobs as of May 2007. Adding the three columns of job titles across, General Medical and Surgical Hospitals also employ the most nurses with 1,965,000 jobs. Nursing Care Facilities or Nursing Homes employ the second largest number of nurses with 912,130 total nursing jobs, many of which are not licensed or certified as RN, LPN, or LVN.
| Nursing Industry | RN | LPN, LVN | NA, O, A | Nursing Jobs * |
| Specialty Hospitals | $64,310 | $40,000 | $25,340 | 69,680 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $63,820 | $37,790 | $25,210 | 1,965,000 |
| Offices of Physicians | $61,740 | $34,820 | $25,780 | 314,200 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $61,510 | $39,030 | $27,090 | 105,180 |
| Home Health Care Services | $59,140 | $40,440 | $22,560 | 220,850 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $58,450 | $37,420 | $22,610 | 52,220 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $57,930 | $37,080 | $20,740 | 24,750 |
| Nursing Care Facilities | $56,410 | $40,550 | $22,990 | 912,130 |
| Residential Mental Retardation Facilities | $54,750 | $38,880 | $22,260 | 37,060 |
| Community Care Facilities for the Elderly | $54,490 | $39,860 | $22,300 | 189,870 |
| * Nursing Jobs is the summation of RN, LPN, LVN, NA, O, A jobs. | ||||
The table above uses the same top 10 nursing industries and is sorted from highest to lowest RN salary. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals are second in salary only to Specialty Hospitals. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals pay RN salaries on average of $63,820, compared to that of $37,790 for LPN / LVN, and $25,210 on average for Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals pay well compared to other nursing industries, and employ almost half of the total nursing jobs with 1,965,000 jobs.
| State | RN | LPN, LVN | NA, O, A | Nursing Jobs* |
| Alabama | $54,370 | $31,560 | $19,920 | 77,060 |
| Alaska | $70,300 | $46,330 | $32,150 | 7,330 |
| Arizona | $60,670 | $41,170 | $23,390 | 64,850 |
| Arkansas | $52,600 | $32,290 | $19,240 | 50,040 |
| California | $78,550 | $46,990 | $26,470 | 390,210 |
| Colorado | $61,890 | $39,880 | $25,700 | 60,180 |
| Connecticut | $66,890 | $50,950 | $29,430 | 66,650 |
| Delaware | $65,550 | $45,110 | $26,930 | 16,020 |
| District of Columbia | $66,750 | $49,620 | $27,200 | 13,010 |
| Florida | $59,450 | $38,570 | $22,890 | 286,530 |
| Georgia | $57,350 | $34,700 | $20,080 | 121,350 |
| Hawaii | $74,220 | $40,040 | $26,870 | 16,470 |
| Idaho | $53,960 | $36,250 | $21,770 | 19,000 |
| Illinois | $61,060 | $39,980 | $23,240 | 189,100 |
| Indiana | $54,990 | $37,220 | $23,180 | 103,820 |
| Iowa | $49,140 | $34,450 | $22,830 | 57,570 |
| Kansas | $52,420 | $34,950 | $21,680 | 5,0670 |
| Kentucky | $55,800 | $35,130 | $21,420 | 74,270 |
| Louisiana | $55,670 | $33,750 | $17,540 | 82,210 |
| Maine | $58,010 | $37,940 | $22,830 | 25,290 |
| Maryland | $70,480 | $46,760 | $28,060 | 87,400 |
| Massachusetts | $74,940 | $48,790 | $27,920 | 136,650 |
| Michigan | $61,030 | $40,400 | $25,270 | 151,990 |
| Minnesota | $67,510 | $38,010 | $26,260 | 101,710 |
| Mississippi | $53,400 | $31,370 | $18,410 | 50,430 |
| Missouri | $54,710 | $33,170 | $20,820 | 110,050 |
| Montana | $53,320 | $32,590 | $20,800 | 14,750 |
| Nebraska | $52,520 | $34,520 | $22,520 | 36,980 |
| Nevada | $67,430 | $43,610 | $27,120 | 22,210 |
| New Hampshire | $58,900 | $42,230 | $27,350 | 22,600 |
| New Jersey | $70,900 | $48,750 | $25,990 | 141,060 |
| New Mexico | $59,570 | $45,810 | $21,730 | 23,310 |
| New York | $69,620 | $40,150 | $29,520 | 312,650 |
| North Carolina | $55,920 | $37,900 | $22,860 | 117,950 |
| North Dakota | $53,610 | $33,410 | $22,490 | 16,300 |
| Ohio | $57,320 | $38,630 | $23,310 | 229,130 |
| Oklahoma | $50,330 | $31,680 | $19,350 | 58,380 |
| Oregon | $67,250 | $42,150 | $25,090 | 44,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,280 | $39,490 | $24,590 | 235,850 |
| Rhode Island | $65,190 | $47,090 | $27,170 | 20,900 |
| South Carolina | $55,820 | $35,860 | $19,790 | 64,670 |
| South Dakota | $50,830 | $31,290 | $21,360 | 17,390 |
| Tennessee | $55,910 | $34,540 | $21,830 | 108,830 |
| Texas | $59,720 | $37,360 | $20,690 | 314,940 |
| Utah | $56,180 | $35,890 | $20,800 | 27,690 |
| Vermont | $58,950 | $38,700 | $24,350 | 10,150 |
| Virginia | $59,350 | $36,610 | $22,420 | 108,960 |
| Washington | $67,430 | $42,290 | $25,570 | 82,510 |
| West Virginia | $51,020 | $30,680 | $19,610 | 32,210 |
| Wisconsin | $59,980 | $39,460 | $25,190 | 96,360 |
| Wyoming | $52,800 | $36,310 | $23,670 | 8,030 |
| * Nursing Jobs is the summation of RN, LPN, LVN, NA, O, A jobs. | ||||
The table above lists each state in alphabetical order. The larger the state the more nursing jobs you may find there. California pays the highest average annual registered nurse salary of $78,550 and has the most nursing jobs with 390,210. While Texas has the second most nursing jobs with 314,940 jobs as of May 2007, a registered nurse in Texas earns an average salary of $59,720, much less than that of registered nurses in California.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2007 Edition
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