Sort by any column. Employment is the number of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salary by State (2026)
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn the most in Washington at $83,150 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $30,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $64,400. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $83,150
- National median
- $64,400
- Lowest median
- $30,760
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- 1. Washington$83,150 median · $77,701 adjusted · 6,780 employed
- 2. Alaska$80,800 median · $78,938 adjusted · 290 employed
- 3. Oregon$80,470 median · $77,853 adjusted · 4,260 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$80,220 median · $75,853 adjusted · 13,210 employed
- 5. Rhode Island$80,090 median · $78,305 adjusted · 1,290 employed
Lowest-paying states for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- 54. Puerto Rico$30,760 median · no price parity · 2,990 employed
- 53. Guam$42,870 median · no price parity · 90 employed
- 52. Mississippi$50,220 median · $57,755 adjusted · 9,850 employed
- 51. South Dakota$52,750 median · $59,547 adjusted · 2,050 employed
- 50. West Virginia$55,360 median · $61,857 adjusted · 6,050 employed
Licensed Practical Nurse salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,150 | $76,920 | $93,970 | 6,780 | $77,701 |
| 2 | Alaska | $80,800 | $70,490 | $87,380 | 290 | $78,938 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,470 | $73,040 | $90,690 | 4,260 | $77,853 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $80,220 | $72,610 | $84,570 | 13,210 | $75,853 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $80,090 | $77,890 | $81,170 | 1,290 | $78,305 |
| 6 | California | $79,750 | $74,840 | $93,720 | 82,850 | $72,029 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $77,110 | $67,650 | $82,760 | 2,220 | $74,027 |
| 8 | Arizona | $77,070 | $66,770 | $81,860 | 6,530 | $76,552 |
| 9 | Nevada | $76,160 | $65,930 | $79,570 | 3,350 | $76,176 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $75,740 | $63,960 | $81,400 | 1,040 | $68,917 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $75,160 | $66,890 | $79,980 | 17,410 | $69,078 |
| 12 | Illinois | $75,000 | $63,580 | $79,560 | 17,440 | $75,032 |
| 13 | Maryland | $74,660 | $65,300 | $79,670 | 9,560 | $71,133 |
| 14 | Colorado | $73,880 | $61,890 | $79,800 | 4,920 | $71,692 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $73,690 | $66,660 | $76,830 | 8,540 | $71,122 |
| 16 | Maine | $73,200 | $63,530 | $77,420 | 760 | $75,425 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $71,140 | $62,460 | $75,250 | 840 | $64,702 |
| 18 | Vermont | $69,930 | $61,490 | $78,230 | 1,130 | $71,388 |
| 19 | Delaware | $68,710 | $64,420 | $75,020 | 2,240 | $68,842 |
| 20 | New York | $67,180 | $61,400 | $76,960 | 39,400 | $62,249 |
| 21 | Indiana | $65,720 | $61,060 | $73,430 | 14,480 | $70,418 |
| 22 | Michigan | $65,460 | $62,050 | $73,880 | 10,880 | $68,034 |
| 23 | Virginia | $64,920 | $59,610 | $74,540 | 15,550 | $64,211 |
| 24 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $64,660 | $54,820 | $76,850 | 50 | N/A |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $63,940 | $60,350 | $72,810 | 38,260 | $65,531 |
| 26 | Idaho | $63,800 | $58,310 | $74,050 | 1,880 | $66,810 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $63,760 | $59,620 | $75,010 | 7,390 | $67,761 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $63,750 | $59,960 | $71,270 | 12,840 | $64,641 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $63,460 | $58,810 | $70,840 | 480 | $68,464 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $63,270 | $59,270 | $69,700 | 18,010 | $67,076 |
| 31 | Utah | $63,230 | $53,480 | $74,580 | 1,680 | $63,957 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,660 | $59,080 | $71,860 | 4,580 | $69,543 |
| 33 | Iowa | $62,630 | $56,400 | $70,840 | 5,510 | $71,363 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $62,300 | $58,290 | $65,020 | 1,920 | $70,032 |
| 35 | Texas | $62,240 | $57,110 | $68,410 | 57,560 | $64,127 |
| 36 | Montana | $62,210 | $58,130 | $66,850 | 1,620 | $65,730 |
| 37 | Georgia | $62,030 | $52,900 | $70,690 | 21,060 | $64,418 |
| 38 | Ohio | $61,950 | $56,860 | $65,900 | 39,900 | $66,775 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $61,820 | $57,390 | $71,220 | 9,400 | $65,942 |
| 40 | Florida | $61,770 | $58,540 | $64,710 | 38,620 | $59,731 |
| 41 | Kansas | $61,760 | $56,260 | $69,470 | 7,530 | $68,570 |
| 42 | Missouri | $61,530 | $56,280 | $70,230 | 14,700 | $67,752 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $60,460 | $54,290 | $65,090 | 8,570 | $67,059 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $59,330 | $39,370 | $73,090 | 2,460 | $64,341 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $58,870 | $49,170 | $62,650 | 20,830 | $64,080 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $58,320 | $50,040 | $62,060 | 11,540 | $66,391 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $57,470 | $49,650 | $61,220 | 17,600 | $65,154 |
| 48 | Alabama | $57,030 | $48,150 | $61,800 | 11,580 | $64,206 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $56,620 | $49,550 | $61,220 | 10,010 | $65,128 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $55,360 | $49,320 | $61,300 | 6,050 | $61,857 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $52,750 | $49,680 | $61,300 | 2,050 | $59,547 |
| 52 | Mississippi | $50,220 | $46,790 | $58,030 | 9,850 | $57,755 |
| 53 | Guam | $42,870 | $37,620 | $49,510 | 90 | N/A |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $30,760 | $24,910 | $46,820 | 2,990 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $83,150, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $78,938.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Licensed Practical Nurse pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses at $83,150 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($80,800) and Oregon ($80,470).
Which state pays Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses at $30,760 a year, $52,390 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alaska first at $78,938 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $80,800. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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