LPN Salary 2026: What Licensed Practical Nurses Actually Earn

The national mean LPN salary is $67,050 per year ($32.24/hour) as of the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release for May 2025 — the most recent federal data. The median is $64,400. With 648,410 LPNs and LVNs employed nationally, the role is one of the largest in US healthcare, and its compensation story is more nuanced than any single number suggests.

Location, work setting, and specialization can move that number by $20,000 or more in either direction. An LPN in a Washington state hospital union contract earns a different life than one in a Mississippi physician office — and both are listed under the same SOC code. This guide uses federal BLS data to show where those differences come from and which levers actually move LPN pay.

The National Numbers

BLS OEWS May 2025 is the federal government's primary occupational wage dataset, drawn from a survey of over 1.1 million establishments. For LPNs and LVNs (SOC 29-2061):

• Mean annual wage: $67,050 ($32.24/hr)
• Median annual wage: $64,400 ($30.96/hr)
• 25th percentile: ~$51,000
• 75th percentile: ~$77,000
• 90th percentile: ~$87,000
• Employment: 648,410 LPNs/LVNs

The $2,650 gap between mean ($67,050) and median ($64,400) signals a modestly right-skewed distribution. LPNs in union-heavy states, correctional facilities, and urban healthcare systems pull the average up. Most working LPNs cluster between $51,000 and $77,000 — the interquartile range — with outliers above $87,000 concentrated in high-COL coastal states.

LPN Salary by State

State-level data below is sourced from BLS OEWS May 2025 where published. States marked with (*) reflect Salary.com 2026 aggregator data where BLS suppressed the state estimate due to small sample size. The spread from top to bottom is nearly $42,000 — wider than many LPNs realize when evaluating a move.

Top 10 Highest-Paying States

Bottom 5 States

Full State Table

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-2061). Salary.com 2026 used where BLS suppressed state-level estimate (Colorado). All figures represent mean annual wages. State-level LPN data is not broken down by setting in BLS state tables.

Salary by Work Setting

Where you work as an LPN matters almost as much as which state you're in. BLS OEWS May 2025 breaks LPN employment into four major settings, each with a distinct pay profile and headcount share.

Salary by Experience

Experience rewards in LPN pay follow a curve that flattens earlier than in RN careers. The steepest gains come in years 1–5; after year 10, incremental raises slow unless you move into charge LPN, staff development, or a specialized clinical role.

Specialization accelerates the curve at every tier. LPNs who acquire IV therapy certification (PICC care), wound care certification (WCC), or behavioral health specialization can command $4,000–$10,000 annual premium over peers at the same tenure. Charge LPN roles in hospital or SNF settings typically add $2–$4/hour to base pay, translating to $4,160–$8,320/year at 40 hours.

The LPN vs. RN Pay Gap

The national RN mean is $101,420 (BLS May 2025). The LPN mean is $67,050 — a gap of $34,370 per year, or roughly 66 cents on the dollar. That ratio varies significantly by state:

• Narrowest gap: Washington state — LPN $83,900 vs. RN $121,540 (69% ratio)
• Widest gap: Iowa — LPN $47,000 vs. RN $80,540 (58% ratio)
• National average: LPN earns 66% of RN pay in the same state

For LPNs weighing an RN bridge program, the math is usually straightforward. A 12–18 month LPN-to-RN bridge program at a community college costs $6,000–$18,000. The annual pay increase upon becoming an RN typically starts at $20,000–$30,000 in the same state and setting. Payback period is 6–18 months, with a compounding lifetime return. The RN career path guide covers the bridge program options in detail.

What's Moving LPN Pay in 2026

Three forces are reshaping LPN compensation this year, independent of the baseline BLS anchors:

CMS SNF staffing minimums: The 2024 final rule requires 0.55 RN hours and 2.45 total nursing aide hours per resident per day by 2029, with interim milestones. SNFs that are short on RNs are using LPNs in supervisory roles to bridge compliance gaps — with corresponding pay increases. Facilities in rural areas with no nearby RN pipeline are accelerating LPN-to-RN tuition benefits to convert existing staff.

Home health expansion: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased home health reimbursement rates in CY2026, making home health agencies more competitive employers. LPN demand in home health is growing at roughly 5% annually as post-acute care shifts from SNFs to home settings. Home health LPNs in urban markets are seeing $2–$4/hour signing bonuses alongside base pay increases.

IV therapy expansion: Thirteen states added or expanded LPN IV therapy authority between 2023 and 2026, allowing LPNs to initiate peripheral IVs, administer IV push medications, or perform PICC care without RN supervision. Each scope expansion creates a new pay tier within LPN employment and makes LPNs more competitive in hospital and infusion clinic settings where IV competency commands higher pay.

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