LPN vs RN: pay, jobs and what each takes

Registered nurses, by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025): a median of $46.90 an hour ($97,550 a year), against $30.96 ($64,400 a year) for licensed practical nurses, $15.94 an hour more. The open jobs on this board today post medians of $32 an hour for licensed practical nurses and $47.75 for registered nurses.

On this board today: 13,723 open licensed practical nurse jobs and 77,248 registered nurse jobs, read from each employer's own job board. BLS expects about 51,800 openings a year for licensed practical nurses and 180,800 for registered nurses, with employment changing +3.0% and +5.6% over 2025-2035.

Licensed practical and vocational nurses give everyday nursing care under an RN or doctor: vital signs, medications, wound care and charting. Many work in nursing homes, clinics, home care and correctional health. Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and treatments, watch for changes and teach patients and families what comes next. Most work in hospitals on 8- or 12-hour shifts, others in clinics, home care, schools and nursing homes.

A state-approved practical nursing program (about a year), then the NCLEX-PN exam. (BLS: Postsecondary nondegree award.) An associate degree (ADN) or bachelor's degree (BSN) in nursing, then the NCLEX-RN exam. (BLS: Bachelor's degree.) Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Licensed practical nurses, Registered nurses.