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How to Become an LPN: Licensed Practical Nurse Education & Licensing

Learn what it takes to prepare for a career as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

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Home » Specialties » Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse At a Glance

  • What you’ll do: You’ll provide basic bedside care for the sick, injured, and convalescent, under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. You’ll do such tasks as give injections, take vital signs, perform diagnostic tests, dress wounds, and administer medication.
  • Where you’ll work: Health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, mental health institutions, private homes, community health clinics, and public health departments
  • Degree you’ll need: Graduation from an accredited LPN program and pass the National Council Licensure Exam
  • Median annual salary: $54,620
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Education Requirements

In order to become a practicing LPN, you’ll need a high school diploma or GED, and then you’ll need to graduate from an accredited LPN program. LPN programs generally include one year of coursework and practical application at a hospital, vocational technical school or community college.

Standard coursework in an LPN program—in addition to supervised clinical practice in patient care—covers the following studies:

LPN Program Coursework

  • Biology
  • First aid
  • Chemistry
  • Physical education
  • Anatomy
  • Foods and nutrition
  • Psychology
  • Child growth and development
  • Emergency medical technology

LPN to RN

Licensed practical nurses often transition into registered nursing. You can go back to the technical school or community college for an additional year to earn an associate’s degree, which will qualify you to become a Registered Nurse after taking the NCLEX exam in your state. Another way to become an RN is to enter an LPN to Baccalaureate program. Some colleges have special LPN programs which will allow you to get credit for some of your prior courses, and then go on to earn a BSN degree and RN. These are called LPN-to-BSN Programs.

Median Annual Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual salaries for LPNs rest at $54,620. You can find your state’s median annual pay below.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

National data

Median Salary: $54,620

Projected job growth: 5.3%

10th Percentile: $40,490

25th Percentile: $47,800

75th Percentile: $62,110

90th Percentile: $72,650

Projected job growth: 5.3%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $46,000 $31,090 $58,500
Alaska $64,340 $50,270 $81,400
Arizona $61,840 $50,990 $72,920
Arkansas $46,190 $36,690 $57,380
California $66,090 $52,000 $88,140
Colorado $61,700 $47,730 $73,060
Connecticut $61,770 $51,970 $72,000
Delaware $58,880 $48,120 $70,260
District of Columbia $62,540 $52,000 $73,350
Florida $50,200 $39,920 $64,960
Georgia $50,050 $38,680 $61,030
Hawaii $55,920 $46,750 $65,880
Idaho $50,850 $41,100 $72,530
Illinois $59,310 $47,490 $72,230
Indiana $56,980 $45,410 $65,880
Iowa $49,350 $40,620 $61,960
Kansas $49,250 $39,200 $62,150
Kentucky $49,210 $38,430 $59,090
Louisiana $47,590 $37,920 $57,740
Maine $56,050 $44,720 $71,810
Maryland $60,890 $48,720 $72,340
Massachusetts $64,680 $58,710 $79,000
Michigan $58,010 $46,450 $64,720
Minnesota $54,270 $47,150 $63,140
Mississippi $45,730 $36,260 $55,790
Missouri $48,450 $38,220 $59,590
Montana $51,740 $38,860 $61,980
Nebraska $50,680 $40,190 $61,280
Nevada $60,920 $50,450 $81,950
New Hampshire $63,170 $50,360 $75,770
New Jersey $61,460 $51,390 $72,340
New Mexico $60,210 $45,500 $74,570
New York $57,670 $46,240 $71,610
North Carolina $51,300 $43,670 $61,780
North Dakota $50,710 $46,800 $61,530
Ohio $50,590 $40,720 $60,850
Oklahoma $47,860 $38,270 $58,000
Oregon $64,990 $52,580 $76,580
Pennsylvania $54,370 $44,910 $64,700
Rhode Island $62,810 $57,500 $81,390
South Carolina $50,020 $39,100 $61,780
South Dakota $47,500 $37,190 $55,190
Tennessee $46,930 $36,360 $57,140
Texas $50,910 $41,550 $63,610
Utah $55,290 $40,930 $70,010
Vermont $59,940 $46,220 $69,430
Virginia $51,150 $39,640 $63,910
Washington $68,370 $54,700 $83,060
West Virginia $44,410 $37,120 $57,660
Wisconsin $50,760 $41,610 $61,990
Wyoming $54,180 $45,880 $64,440

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 median salary; projected job growth through 2032. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

LPN Licensing

To earn an LPN license, you must pass a state administered nursing examination, called the NCLEX-PN. To qualify to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam, you must first complete a LPN/LVN education program that is approved by your state’s Board of Nursing.