RN vs LPN: pay, school and what each nurse does

RN vs LPN: the main differences

The difference between an RN and an LPN is the depth of training and the scope of the license: registered nurses complete a 2- to 4-year degree or diploma and plan and manage patient care, while licensed practical nurses complete about a year of training and give basic nursing care under the direction of RNs and doctors.^{[ooh_rn][ooh_lpn]} Each state's nurse practice act sets the exact scope.

Both licenses are covered by the Nurse Licensure Compact, so the same multistate license rules apply to RNs and LPNs; see how to become a travel nurse for the state list.^[nlc_faq]

LPN vs RN salary at every percentile

The LPN vs RN salary gap is $33,150 at the median and widens toward the top of the scale: $54,030 at the 90th percentile, because experienced RNs move into charge, specialty and management roles that LPNs cannot fill.^{[onet_rn][onet_lpn]}

After 2026 federal tax and FICA, a single RN at the median keeps about $77,456 and an LPN about $53,925 a year.^[irs] The calculator above shows the same comparison for any state; Texas, for example, pays RNs $95,970 and LVNs $62,240 at the median.

Where RNs and LPNs work, and what each setting pays

RNs earn the most in government and hospital jobs, while LPN pay is highest in government and nursing and residential care facilities, the setting where LPNs are concentrated.^{[ooh_rn][ooh_lpn]}

A dash means BLS does not list that setting among the top employers for the occupation.

The setting matters for the comparison: in hospitals the RN premium is $39,060, while in nursing homes it is $16,280. In Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, LPNs hold the largest share of licensed nursing jobs (26%, 25% and 25%).^[oews_api]

LPN vs CNA

An LPN earns $22,140 more than a CNA at the national median, $64,400 against $42,260, in exchange for about a year of practical nursing school instead of at least 75 hours of nurse aide training.^{[onet_lpn][onet_cna][ooh_lpn][ecfr152]} CNAs help patients with bathing, moving, eating and vital signs;^[ooh_na] LPNs are licensed nurses who, within state rules, also give medications and treatments and report to RNs.

The step-by-step routes are on CNA to LPN and LPN to RN; pay detail for each license is on LPN salary, CNA salary and registered nurse salary.

RN or LPN: which to choose

Choose the LPN route if you need to start earning within about a year and can later bridge to RN; choose the RN route if you can study for two years or more, because the RN license pays $33,150 more at the median and has twice the projected job growth.^{[ooh_rn][ooh_lpn]} LPN-to-RN bridge programs at public colleges take about 10 to 12 months of nursing courses, so starting as an LPN costs about one extra year on the way to RN, not a full restart; times and prices are on how long is nursing school and nursing school cost.