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Hospitals
HCA Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
LPNs and LVNs provide hands-on nursing care under the direction of registered nurses and doctors. They check vital signs, give routine treatments and medications, collect samples, help patients with bathing and mobility, and watch closely for small changes that could signal a bigger problem. The work is direct and steady, but it also means frequent physical lifting, high attention to detail, and less pay and autonomy than a registered nurse role.
Also known as Practical NurseLicensed Practical NurseLicensed Vocational NurseLPNLVN
Median Salary
$62,340
Mean $64,150
U.S. Workforce
~632K
54.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.6%
651.4K to 668.5K
Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~632K workers, with a median annual pay of $62,340 and roughly 54.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 651.4 K in 2024 to 668.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Practical nursing certificate or diploma, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Nursing Assistant and can progress toward Nurse Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Vital Signs Monitoring & Bedside Assessment, Epic, Cerner & Nursing Documentation, and Medication Administration & Pyxis/Omnicell Safety Checks, paired with soft skills such as Service Orientation, Coordination, and Social Perceptiveness.
Core Responsibilities
- Collect blood, urine, or other samples and run simple tests when needed.
- Take blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight, and other basic measurements, then record them in the chart.
- Watch patients for side effects or worsening symptoms and report concerning changes right away.
- Help patients bathe, get dressed, move in bed, and walk safely when they need support.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Collect blood, urine, or other samples and run simple tests when needed.
02 Take blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight, and other basic measurements, then record them in the chart.
03 Watch patients for side effects or worsening symptoms and report concerning changes right away.
04 Help patients bathe, get dressed, move in bed, and walk safely when they need support.
05 Set up and use equipment such as oxygen supplies, catheters, and tracheostomy tubes.
06 Check meal trays against ordered diets and use cold or hot packs for basic comfort care.
Industries That Hire
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Nursing and Residential Care
Brookdale Senior Living, Genesis HealthCare, Atria Senior Living
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Home Health Care
BAYADA Home Health Care, Amedisys, Enhabit
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Outpatient Clinics and Physician Offices
Kaiser Permanente, One Medical, CVS MinuteClinic
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Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing
Select Medical, Encompass Health, Life Care Centers of America
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can enter the field with a postsecondary nondegree award instead of a full college degree, which keeps the training path shorter.
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The median pay of $62,340 and mean pay of $64,150 are solid for a role that does not require years of school.
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There are 54.4K annual openings, so employers keep hiring even though growth is modest.
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The work is tangible and fast-moving: you measure vitals, give care, and see the results of your work right away.
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Your skills can transfer across hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and outpatient clinics.
Challenges
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Projected growth is only 2.6% from 2024 to 2034, so this is not a fast-expanding field.
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The job is physically demanding; lifting, bathing, repositioning, and long periods on your feet can wear you down.
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The pay ceiling is lower than in registered nursing, and moving up often means going back to school.
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A lot of openings are replacements for people who leave or retire, not brand-new jobs created by rapid growth.
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The work can be emotionally draining because you spend your day around pain, decline, and sudden changes in a patient's condition.
Career Progression
Nursing Assistant
0-2 years
$31K-$38K
This entry point focuses on basic bedside help, taking simple observations, and learning how a patient care unit runs.
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse
1-4 years
$55K-$66K
You handle routine nursing care, medication tasks, charting, and close patient monitoring under an RN or physician's direction.
Senior LPN/LVN THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$67K-$79K
At this stage, you usually take a heavier patient load, handle more complex cases, and help newer staff stay organized and safe.
Nurse Supervisor
8-12 years
$80K-$95K
This role adds shift coordination, task delegation, and quick decisions when staffing or patient needs become more complicated.
Education Paths
Practical nursing certificate or diploma
A practical nursing program is one of the main routes into the job, and post-secondary certificate holders make up 34.77% of workers in this role.
Some college courses plus a nursing program
Some college coursework is the single largest background category at 38.24%, often followed by a state-approved practical nursing program.
Associate degree in nursing or health science
An associate's degree is another path, but it is less common at 15.9%.
Bachelor's degree with practical nursing training or licensure
A bachelor's degree appears for 11.09% of workers, but it is usually more schooling than the role requires.
Key Skills
Technical
Vital Signs Monitoring & Bedside Assessment 78%
Epic, Cerner & Nursing Documentation 76%
Medication Administration & Pyxis/Omnicell Safety Checks 75%
Specimen Collection & Point-of-Care Testing 74%
Patient Transfers, Wheelchairs & Hoyer Lifts 73%
Oxygen, Catheters & Tracheostomy Care Equipment 72%
Infection Control, PPE & Sterile Technique 71%
Soft Skills
Service OrientationCoordinationSocial PerceptivenessActive ListeningMonitoringSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+2.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
54.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 651.4K to 668.5 K over the next decade, representing 2.6% growth. Around 54.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.