Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Salary Report 2023

Medscape has released their LPN Salary Report for 2023. Below is a breakdown of the results from their online survey. The methodology for this LPN salary report is derived from a 7 – 9 minute online survey from 1,477 U.S. Licensed Practical Nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there are about 632,020 licensed practical nurses in the industry.

Licensed Practical Nurse Compensation:

Below is the breakdown from Medscape’s results including both LPN gross income and income after taxes.

• Base: $52,000
• Total Compensation: $55,000

With these results, we can conclude that the average salary (before taxes) for Licensed Practical Nurses is around $55,000 and after taxes is an average of $52,000. Since our last post regarding the LPN Salary Report in 2015, the average salary of LPNs have raised by about $9,000.

Pay Differences Between Male and Female Licensed Practical Nurses:

• LPN Females vs Males
  • Female: $55,000
  • Male: $61,000

Male LPNs make an average of $6,000 more yearly than female LPNs. Since the healthcare industry is majority females, typically males are offered more money for the same position. The gender pay gap still persists, even in the healthcare industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are paid an average of 83.7% as much as men which amounts to a difference of almost $10,000 per year.

Which Regions do LPNs Make the Most?

• LPN Salary by region
  • Pacific: $64,000
  • Mid-Atlantic: $57,000
  • West South Central: $53,000
  • South Atlantic: $53,000
  • West North Central: $53,000
  • East North Central: $51,000

The region that averages the lowest salary for LPNs is the East North Central region at $51,000 per year. If you’re looking to move and want to get the highest paid salary, you will want to move somewhere within the Pacific region which pays $64,000 per year. The difference in the highest paying region and the lowest paying region is $13,000 per year.

Licensed Practical Nurse Salary by Community Type:

• LPN Income by community type
  • Urban: $57,000
  • Suburban: $56,000
  • Rural: $51,000

According to these results, there isn’t much of a difference in salary between Urban and Suburban communities. However, there is a $6,000 jump if you were to move from a rural community to an urban community.

Which Work Setting Do LPNs Make the Most?

• LPN Incomes per setting
  • Skilled nursing facility/Long term care: $60,000
  • Non-hospital based medical office/urgent care clinic: $55,000
  • Hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic: $51,000

The highest paying LPN work setting is in a skilled nursing facility or a long term care facility. Working in either of those settings LPNs should expect to make an average of $60,000 per year. The lowest paying work setting is a hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic. In this work setting, LPNs make $51,000 per year. The range of salaries determined by work setting is from $51,000 – $60,000.

Do LPNs Make More in a Non-Union or Union Setting?

• Union: $58,000
• Non-union: $55,000

Working for a union facility means receiving higher salaries. Unions advocate and protect their rights through collective negotiations and action. Nurse unions are organizations of workers that is formed to protect and advocate for its members’ best interests. As a union, this gives nurses the legal right to fight for and ensure safe working conditions, adequate wages and benefits.

Licensed Practical Nurse Income By Years of Practice:

• Less than 5 years: $52,000
• 6 – 10 years: $53,000
• 11 – 20 years: $55,000
• 21 years+ : $56,000

In any industry you can expect to make more money with more experience. However according to Medscape’s survey results, the difference in salary from a first year LPN to having over 21 years of experience is only $4,000 more per year. Once you hit your 6th year as an LPN, the average salary is $56,000 per year.

If you’re looking for LPN jobs in New Jersey or New York, take a look at our current hot job openings! Apply online and one of our dedicated recruiters will walk you through the process. We are always looking for LPNs to fill open jobs in numerous work settings for our clients in the tri-state area.