Healthcare

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

Median salary (BLS)

$64,400

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$50k – $83k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

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Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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Typical progression

Junior Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Entry / Junior
$49,740
~2 yrs to advance
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Established
$64,400
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Senior
$73,920

Key skills

A typical day

•Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
•Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
•Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
•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.
•Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.