15 Highest-Paying States For LPN Graduates – 2025
Written By:
Pattie Trumble
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. Read Full Bio »» , MPP, MPH
When it comes to LPN salary, location is important. Why do licensed practical nurses earn approximately 13 percent above the average national LPN salary in Washington State, California, and Massachusetts? Partly because demand for LPN services (roughly estimated by looking at the number of LPNs compared to the number of LPN employment opportunities) is higher in Washington, California, and Massachusetts than in most other states. But other factors, such as the overall cost of living, LPN labor unions, and the number and density of metropolitan areas within a state, affect wage variability, too. What are the highest-paying states for LPN graduates? Keep reading to get the inside scoop on the 15 highest-paying states for LPN graduates in 2025.
What is the Average Salary for LPN Graduates in the United States?
On average, licensed practical nurses earn $61,900 a year, which comes to $29.76 an hour, $1,190 a week, or $5,150 a month.
Hourly | $29.76 |
Weekly | $1,190 |
Monthly | $5,160 |
Annual | $61,900 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What are the Highest-Paying States for LPN Graduates?
(Based on the latest average salary data from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following are the 15 highest-paying states for LPN graduates in 2025.)
STATE #1: Washington
In Washington State, licensed practical nurses average $33.73 an hour, $1,345 a week, $5,830 a month, or $69,950 a year, making it the highest-paying state for LPN graduates. In fact, LPNs in the Evergreen State make more money than registered nurses in many states!
High wages are partly due to a current and worsening shortage of LPNs in Washington State and partly because in order to compete, employers must pay LPNs wages that are commensurate with
the Evergreen State’s cost of living, which is 22 percent higher than the national average .
Hourly | $33.63 |
Weekly | $1,345 |
Monthly | $5,830 |
Annual | $69,950 |
STATE #2: California
Surprised to find out that the average licensed vocational nurse salary in California is $33.62 an hour, $1,345 a week, $5,830 a month, or $69,930 a year? You shouldn’t be: The Golden State is among the highest-paying states for all healthcare professionals.
California’s high LVN salaries are driven by increased demand and a high cost of living. Most vocational nurses in the Golden State work in nursing homes and assisted care facilities, where
demand for their services is projected to increase by 15 percent by 2028 . Additionally
, in California, the cost of living is nearly 50 percent higher than in other parts of the U.S., and the salaries employers offer must offset that.
Hourly | $33.62 |
Weekly | $1,345 |
Monthly | $5,830 |
Annual | $69,930 |
STATE #3: Massachusetts
Licensed practical nurses in Massachusetts make $32.78 an hour, $1,311 a week, $5,680 a month, or $68,170 a year, slightly less than what LPNs make in California. But
at 28 percent above the national average, the cost of living in the Bay State is significantly lower than the cost of living in the Golden State, which means your purchasing power on an LPN salary in Massachusetts will be higher!
Hourly | $32.78 |
Weekly | $1,311 |
Monthly | $5,680 |
Annual | $68,170 |
STATE #4: Rhode Island
The demand for LPNs (and other healthcare workers) is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. But practically every Rhode Island resident is an urban dweller who lives in the Greater Providence Metropolitan Area, which drives overall LPN salaries in the Ocean State higher.
Rhode Island’s cost of living is only 12 percent above the national average , so a licensed vocational nurse’s salary of $32.10 an hour, $1,284 a week, $5,560 a month, or $66,770 a year goes a long way here.
Hourly | $32.10 |
Weekly | $1,284 |
Monthly | $5,560 |
Annual | $66,770 |
STATE #5: Alaska
The factor driving up LPN pay in the Last Frontier State is scarcity.
Alaska has one of the lowest numbers of licensed practical nurses in the country , but LPNs are needed to staff long-term care facilities and hospitals, so healthcare managers offer high salaries as employment incentives. In Alaska, LPNs earn $32.07 an hour, $1,283 a week, $5,560 a month, or $66,710 a year. LPN wages must also offset
Alaska’s cost of living, which is 17 percent higher than the national average .
Hourly | $32.07 |
Weekly | $1,283 |
Monthly | $5,560 |
Annual | $66,710 |
STATE #6: Oregon
In Oregon, a licensed practical nurse makes $31.82 an hour, $1,273 a week, $5,520 a month, or $66,190 a year. High LPN salaries in the Beaver State are related to the fact that demand for LPN services far outstrips supply: In 2020,
Oregon’s practical nursing programs only graduated 409 students , and at the rate at which older LPNs are retiring, this is an insufficient number to meet the need for LPNs in Oregon’s long-term care facilities, home healthcare agencies, and rural hospitals. Offering high wages gives employers a competitive hiring edge.
Hourly | $31.82 |
Weekly | $1,273 |
Monthly | $5,520 |
Annual | $66,190 |
STATE #7: Nevada
Licensed practical nurses in Nevada earn $30.73 an hour, $1,229 a week, $5,330 a month, or $63,910 annually, which is 3 percent higher than the national average.
Approximately 80 percent of Nevada’s residents live either in the Greater Las Vegas Metropolitan Area or the Greater Reno Metropolitan Area , so these two cities dominate the salary profile for practical nurses in the Silver State. In urban areas, LPNs typically earn far higher salaries than they do in rural areas, and this is why Nevada is one of the best-paying states for LPN graduates.
Hourly | $30.73 |
Weekly | $1,229 |
Monthly | $5,330 |
Annual | $63,910 |
STATE #8: New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, LPN annual earnings are $30.55 an hour, $1,222 a week, $5,300 a month, or $63,550 a year. New Hampshire’s nurses’ union, The New Hampshire Nursing Association, which represents LPNs as well as registered nurses, is unusually strong. This is one of the primary reasons why New Hampshire is one of the highest-paying states for LPN graduates.
Hourly | $30.55 |
Weekly | $1,222 |
Monthly | $5,300 |
Annual | $63,550 |
STATE #9: Connecticut
On average, Connecticut-based licensed practical nurses command $30.11 an hour, $1,204 a week, $5,220 a month, or $62,620 annually. In Connecticut,
the supply of LPNs isn’t keeping up with the demand , which pushes LPN salaries up. There’s a big salary gap, though, between high-paying cities close to Long Island Sound (technically part of the Greater New York City Metropolitan Area) and the more rural parts of the Nutmeg State, where LPN pay is nowhere as high.
Hourly | $30.11 |
Weekly | $1,204 |
Monthly | $5,220 |
Annual | $62,620 |
STATE #10: New Jersey
In New Jersey, licensed practical nurses average $29.80 an hour, $1,192 a week, $5,170 a month, or $61,990 a year. This is only slightly higher than the average LPN earnings throughout the nation as a whole. There’s a great degree of regional variation in LP wages within the Garden State: In cities counted as part of the metro New York City, LPNs earn considerably higher salaries than they do in more rural parts of the state. That’s meant to compensate for the fact that living costs in the NYC metro area are so high.
Hourly | $29.80 |
Weekly | $1,192 |
Monthly | $5,170 |
Annual | $61,990 |
STATE #11: Arizona
In Arizona, licensed practical nurses boast earnings of $29.77 an hour, $1,191 a week, $5,160 a month, or $61,920 annually, marginally higher than the LPN average salary nationally. The Grand Canyon State has one of the highest numbers of residents older than 65 in the U.S. and, correspondingly, one of the largest concentrations of nursing homes. LPNs are favored by nursing home employers because their scope of practice suits them for hands-on work. Comparatively high salaries give prospective LPN employers a competitive hiring advantage, and this is why Arizona is one of the highest-paying states for LPN graduates.
Hourly | $29.77 |
Weekly | $1,191 |
Monthly | $5,160 |
Annual | $61,920 |
STATE #12: Colorado
In Colorado, licensed practical nurses are paid $29.00 an hour, $1,160 a week, $5,030 a month, or $60,310 a year. LPN supply is not keeping up with LPN demand:
Nearly one-third of Centennial State LPNs are near retirement age, while approximately half of younger LPNs are interested in going back to school to learn new skills. Colorado healthcare managers offer LPNs comparatively high wages as an employment incentive.
Hourly | $29.00 |
Weekly | $1,160 |
Monthly | $5,030 |
Annual | $60,310 |
STATE #13: Maryland
In Maryland, licensed practical nurses average $28.93 an hour, $1,157 weekly, $5,020 monthly, or $60,180 annually. Were it not for the city of Baltimore and communities in Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties that straddle metro Washington D.C., these salary figures would likely be lower because large parts of the Old Line State are rural, and LPN salaries are lower in less populated areas. There’s tremendous demand for LPNs in Maryland’s urban areas, though, because of the number of long-term nursing care facilities and home healthcare agencies there.
Hourly | $28.93 |
Weekly | $1,157 |
Monthly | $5,020 |
Annual | $60,180 |
STATE #14: New Mexico
In New Mexico, licensed practical nurses earn $28.56 per hour, $1,142 per week, $4,950 a month, and $59,400 a year. The Land of Enchantment is one of the poorest and most sparsely populated of the 50 states, but it has a
thriving system of community primary healthcare centers in which LPNs play a major role. This is one of the reasons LPN salaries are comparatively high in the state. Cities like Albuquerque and Santa Fe pay their practical nurses well, which is another factor raising overall New Mexico LPN salaries.
Hourly | $28.56 |
Weekly | $1,142 |
Monthly | $4,950 |
Annual | $59,400 |
STATE #15: Illinois
Rounding out the best-paying states for LPN graduates is Illinois, where licensed practical nurses make $28.29 an hour, $1,132 a week, $4,900 a month, or $58,840 annually.
Illinois’s cost of living is 6 percent less than the national average , so an LPN salary in the Land of Lincoln carries a lot of purchasing power. Practical nurses working in the Greater Metropolitan Chicago Area can expect to take home significantly more than their professional counterparts working in more rural reaches of the state.
Hourly | $28.29 |
Weekly | $1,132 |
Monthly | $4,900 |
Annual | $58,840 |
My Final Thoughts
This article provided you with the answer to the question, “What are the highest-paying states for LPN graduates?” As you have learned, location is one of the most significant factors when it comes to LPN salary. If you’re looking for ways to maximize what you take home as a licensed practical nurse, relocation to another state should be high on your list. And if you’re not yet a licensed practical nurse but thinking of becoming one, consider enrolling in an LPN program in one of the 15 highest-paying states for LPN graduates in 2025.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.