Pay is the easy comparison. These are the O*NET task statements and work-context ratings for each occupation — the part of the decision a salary table cannot show. Work context is rated on a 1–5 scale by people doing the job, and every measure O*NET rates for both occupations is printed below, ranked by how far apart the two sit. A gap of a full point is a real difference in the work; anything smaller is the two occupations being alike, and is shown as such rather than filtered out.
LPN vs CNA (2026)
LPN pays more: a median of $64,400 a year against $42,260 for CNA (BLS OEWS, May 2025) — a gap of $22,140 a year (52% more). Getting there costs more too: about 1 year, against at least 75 clock hours for CNA. Every figure on this page is a published BLS or O*NET statistic with its release year attached.
A CNA and an LPN often work the same corridor in the same building on the same shift. The difference is licensure: an LPN holds a practical-nurse licence, administers medications and performs nursing procedures within its scope, while a CNA works under a nurse’s direction on personal care and observation. Unlike most pairs on this site this one really is a ladder — a large share of LPNs started as CNAs — and the climb costs roughly a year of nursing school.
- Median pay gap
- $22,140
- Typical entry education
- Certificate vs Certificate
- Projected change
- +2.6% vs +2.3%
- Openings a year
- 54,400 vs 204,100
LPN higher · BLS OEWS, May 2025
LPN vs CNA · BLS EP, 2024–2034
LPN vs CNA · BLS EP, 2024–2034
LPN vs CNA · BLS EP, 2024–2034
LPN vs CNA, side by side
| Measure | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC occupation code | 29-2061 | 31-1131 | US Standard Occupational Classification, 2018 |
| Median annual wage | $64,400 | $42,260 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Median hourly wage | $30.96/hr | $20.32/hr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest 10% earn under | $49,740 | $33,940 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest 25% earn under | $59,000 | $37,260 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Top 25% earn over | $76,030 | $47,220 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Top 10% earn over | $83,440 | $51,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| People employed in the US | 648,410 | 1,448,910 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected employment change | +2.6% | +2.3% | BLS EP, 2024–2034 |
| Openings a year | 54,400 | 204,100 | BLS EP, 2024–2034, including replacement demand |
| Typical entry education | Certificate | Certificate | BLS EP, 2024–2034 |
| Prior work experience typically needed | None | None | BLS EP, 2024–2034 |
| On-the-job training typically needed | None | None | BLS EP, 2024–2034 |
| Preparation level (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation | Some preparation | O*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026 |
| AI-resilience score (NueCareer analysis, 0–100) | 46 | 52 | NueCareer analysis of O*NET work activities and work context — not a BLS figure |
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Employment change, annual openings and entry requirements are BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034. Job zone is O*NET 30.3 Database (May 2026).
The AI-resilience score is a NueCareer analysis of O*NET work-activity and work-context composition. It is our number, not a BLS or O*NET one, and it describes task mix rather than forecasting adoption.
What actually differs day to day
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.
What people in the job actually hold: Some College Courses 38%, Post-Secondary Certificate 35%, Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) 16% (O*NET incumbent survey).
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.
- Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Change bed linens or make beds.
What people in the job actually hold: High School Diploma 39%, Post-Secondary Certificate 24%, Some College Courses 12% (O*NET incumbent survey).
| Work context (O*NET, 1–5) | LPN | CNA | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within TeamsPeople | 4.6 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Spend Time SittingPhysical | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather ConditionsEnvironment | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Time PressurePressure | 4.4 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
| Spend Time StandingPhysical | 3.8 | 4.4 | 0.7 |
| Freedom to Make DecisionsAutonomy | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.7 |
| Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your BodyPhysical | 3.2 | 3.6 | 0.3 |
| Conflict SituationsPressure | 3.5 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Indoors, Environmentally ControlledEnvironment | 4.1 | 4.0 | 0.2 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in GeneralPeople | 3.6 | 3.7 | 0.0 |
| Consequence of ErrorPressure | 3.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| Contact With OthersPeople | 4.8 | 4.8 | 0.0 |
None of the 12 measures separates these two by a full point. O*NET cannot tell them apart on the conditions of the work, which is a real finding rather than missing data: whatever divides these two jobs, it is not what the day feels like.
What it takes to get in, on each side
Entry requirements below are BLS Employment Projections for both occupations. Where an occupation carries a hand-verified credential record, the accrediting body, the named exam and the realistic program length are shown too, each traced to the issuing body's own page with the date it was checked. Where it does not, this page publishes the federal data and says so rather than filling the gap.
How you become an LPN
Credential detail hand-verified against the issuing bodies, last checked August 23, 2026.
Licensed practical nurses (called licensed vocational nurses in some states) must complete a state-approved practical nursing program, which typically takes about a year, and then pass an exam to become licensed. That exam is the NCLEX-PN, developed by NCSBN and used by state boards of nursing.
- Typical entry education (BLS)
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Typical program length
- About 1 year
- Realistic range
- BLS reports that certificate and diploma practical nursing programs, commonly found in community colleges and technical schools and sometimes in high schools, typically take about 1 year to complete.
- Accreditation: ACEN
- ACEN accredits practical nursing programs among all other nursing levels. Note the distinction that matters for licensure: what the state board requires is that the program be state-approved. ACEN accreditation is voluntary national accreditation on top of that, and a program can hold board approval without it. BLS advises contacting your state board of nursing for the list of approved programs.
- Exam: NCLEX-PN
- Taken after completing a state-approved practical nursing program. It measures entry-level nursing competency and uses computerized adaptive testing. Passing it is the gate to the LPN/LVN license.
- Governing body: NCSBN
- Develops and publishes the NCLEX-PN examination and its test plan, used by state boards of nursing to measure entry-level practical nursing competency for licensure.
- Licensed state by state
- Even the job title varies: some states license licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) rather than licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Each state board of nursing decides which practical nursing programs it approves, and sets the remaining license conditions and renewal terms. BLS directs candidates to their state board for the approved program list and to CareerOneStop for state licensing board requirements.
Step by step
- Enroll in a state-approved practical nursing programAbout 1 year
Certificate and diploma programs are offered by community colleges and technical schools. Confirm with your state board of nursing that the program is on its approved list before enrolling.
- Complete the coursework and supervised clinical experience
Programs cover nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology, and all include supervised clinical experience.
- Pass the NCLEX-PN
After finishing the approved program, sit the NCLEX-PN through your nursing regulatory body and Pearson VUE.
- Obtain the state LPN or LVN license
Apply to the board of nursing in the state where you will work. Some employers additionally require or prefer CPR or basic life support (BLS) certification.
- Add optional certifications or bridge to RN
Optional certifications are available through professional associations in areas such as gerontology, wound care and intravenous (IV) therapy. LPNs can also complete an LPN-to-RN program to become a registered nurse.
Sources checked for LPN
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (How to Become One) — checked August 23, 2026
- NCSBN, NCLEX Test Plans — checked August 23, 2026
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, FAQs: ACEN and Accreditation — checked August 23, 2026
How you become a CNA
Credential detail hand-verified against the issuing bodies, last checked August 23, 2026.
There is no national nursing assistant license. The gate is federal and then state: Medicare and Medicaid rules require that a facility not use anyone as a nurse aide for more than four months unless they have completed a state-approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program, and a facility must receive nurse aide registry verification before letting someone work as a nurse aide. Federal rules set a floor of 75 clock hours of training; the credential title, such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), is set by each state.
- Typical entry education (BLS)
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Typical program length
- At least 75 clock hours
- Realistic range
- Federal rules require that an approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program consist of no less than 75 clock hours, include at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, and cover at least 16 hours of communication and interpersonal skills, infection control, safety and emergency procedures, promoting residents' independence and respecting residents' rights before any direct contact with a resident. Because the regulation states these as minimums, state programs can be longer.
- Exam: Nurse aide competency evaluation
- Every approved nurse aide training program must contain the competency evaluation procedures set out in the federal regulation. It is taken after the training program, and passing it is what places you on the state nurse aide registry and lets you use the state's title. The exam's name and format are set at state level, not nationally.
- Governing body: CMS
- Sets the federal minimum standards, at 42 CFR part 483, for nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs, for the state nurse aide registry, and for when a long-term care facility may use someone as a nurse aide.
- Licensed state by state
- The credential is issued and titled by the state. BLS notes that in some states a nursing assistant is called a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) but titles vary by state. What varies: the number of training hours above the federal 75-hour floor, the format and passing standard of the competency evaluation, whether the state requires continuing education, criminal background checks, and the operation of the state registry itself. Registry listing is what a nursing home must verify before letting you work.
- Keeping the credential
- There is no national continuing-education requirement placed on the individual. BLS notes some states add requirements such as continuing education. Two federal rules do bite: if 24 consecutive months pass during which you provided no nursing or nursing-related services for pay, you must complete a new training and competency evaluation program; and facilities must review each nurse aide's performance at least once every 12 months and provide regular in-service education.
Step by step
- Complete a state-approved nurse aide training programAt least 75 hours; set by the state
These run in high schools, community colleges, vocational and technical schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Federally the program must be at least 75 clock hours with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, and 16 hours of specified subjects must come before any direct contact with a resident.
- Pass the state competency evaluation
The training program must contain the competency evaluation procedures required by 42 CFR 483.154. Passing it is what allows you to use the state-specific title.
- Get listed on the state nurse aide registry
Nursing assistants who pass the competency exam are placed on the state registry, and must be on it to work in a nursing home. A facility must receive registry verification before allowing you to serve as a nurse aide, so registry listing is the practical hiring gate.
- Complete employer on-the-job training
Nursing assistants typically complete a short period of on-the-job training covering their specific employer's policies and procedures. Students may not perform services for which they have not been trained and found proficient.
- Add a state medication credential if your state offers one
BLS notes that in some states nursing assistants may earn additional credentials, such as Certified Medication Assistant (CMA), which allows them to dispense medications.
Sources checked for CNA
- eCFR, 42 CFR 483.152, Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program — checked August 23, 2026
- eCFR, 42 CFR 483.35, Nursing services (nurse aide competency, registry verification, required retraining) — checked August 23, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nursing Assistants and Orderlies (How to Become One) — checked August 23, 2026
Which should you choose?
There is no answer to this that is true for everybody, and any page that gives you one is usually selling a program. What we can do is state the trade in the terms the federal data actually supports, and leave the decision where it belongs.
Choose LPN if the pay gap is worth the extra training
The gap is $22,140 a year (52% more) over the CNA median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That gap is real and it compounds over a career. So does what it costs to get there: LPN typically needs about 1 year, against at least 75 clock hours for CNA. Those are years you are not earning, and in most cases tuition you are borrowing. Compare the gap against the debt and the delay, not against your current pay.
Choose CNA if you need to be earning sooner
CNA gets you into paid work faster: at least 75 clock hours. Its median of $42,260 sits below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, which is worth knowing before you commit. Check the hiring volume rather than assuming the shorter route is the easier one to get hired into: BLS projects 204,100 openings a year for CNA and 54,400 for LPN (BLS EP, 2024–2034). And it is a legitimate stopping point, not only a stepping stone — plenty of people who intended to move on did not, because the work suited them.
Choose neither if the day-to-day work does not fit
The task lists and the O*NET work-context readings above differ more between these two than the wage figures do, and work context is what you experience every shift: how much time pressure, how much contact with the public, how much of the day on your feet, how bad a mistake is. LPN and CNA are not the only two options — they are just the two you searched for. If neither task list reads like a description of a day you want, that is useful information, not a failed comparison.
We are not going to name a winner. One of these pays more and the other costs less to enter, which is a trade, not a ranking — and the right side of it depends on your finances, your timeline, your tolerance for the specific work and, for the licensed roles, your state. Every figure above is a published federal statistic with its vintage attached, so you can check the trade against your own situation rather than take our word for it.
LPN vs CNA: FAQ
What is the difference between an LPN and a CNA?
A CNA and an LPN often work the same corridor in the same building on the same shift. The difference is licensure: an LPN holds a practical-nurse licence, administers medications and performs nursing procedures within its scope, while a CNA works under a nurse’s direction on personal care and observation. Unlike most pairs on this site this one really is a ladder — a large share of LPNs started as CNAs — and the climb costs roughly a year of nursing school. In federal terms they are two separate occupations: Licensed Practical Nurse is SOC 29-2061 and Nursing Assistant is SOC 31-1131, which is why they carry separate wage and projection figures rather than a shared one.
Does an LPN or a CNA make more money?
Licensed Practical Nurse pays more. The BLS OEWS May 2025 median is $64,400 a year against $42,260 — a gap of $22,140 a year (52% more). The realistic entry band matters as much as the median: the lowest-paid 10% of LPNs earn under $49,740 and the lowest-paid 10% of CNAs under $33,940. Getting the higher figure costs about 1 year.
Is it harder to become an LPN or a CNA?
BLS records the typical entry requirement as postsecondary nondegree award for licensed practical nurses and postsecondary nondegree award for nursing assistants (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034). In practice that means about 1 year for LPN and at least 75 clock hours for CNA. The licensing bodies, accreditation requirements and named exams for both are set out in full further down this page, each checked against the issuing body’s own site.
Which has better job security, an LPN or a CNA?
BLS projects +2.6% employment change for licensed practical nurses and +2.3% for nursing assistants over 2024–2034, with 54,400 and 204,100 openings a year respectively (BLS Employment Projections). For anyone entering now the openings figure matters more than the growth rate, because it includes people leaving the occupation as well as new posts. Our own AI-resilience score — a NueCareer analysis of O*NET task composition, not a federal statistic — puts LPN at 46 and CNA at 52 out of 100.
Should I become an LPN or a CNA?
We will not tell you, and you should be wary of a page that does — most of the sites ranking for this question are schools that teach one of the two. We are not going to name a winner. One of these pays more and the other costs less to enter, which is a trade, not a ranking — and the right side of it depends on your finances, your timeline, your tolerance for the specific work and, for the licensed roles, your state. Every figure above is a published federal statistic with its vintage attached, so you can check the trade against your own situation rather than take our word for it.
Full profiles, wage percentiles and state-by-state pay: Licensed Practical Nurse and Nursing Assistant. Wage data is BLS OEWS May 2025.