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.
- O*NET-SOC code
29-2061.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$64,400
Employment, U.S.648,410
Median hourly wage$30.96
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $49,740 | $59,000 | $64,400 | $76,030 | $83,440 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 11,580 | $57,030 | 1.31 |
| Alaska | 290 | $80,800 | 0.21 |
| Arizona | 6,530 | $77,070 | 0.48 |
| Arkansas | 10,010 | $56,620 | 1.84 |
| California | 82,850 | $79,750 | 1.09 |
| Colorado | 4,920 | $73,880 | 0.41 |
| Connecticut | 8,540 | $73,690 | 1.21 |
| Delaware | 2,240 | $68,710 | 1.11 |
| District of Columbia | 1,040 | $75,740 | 0.36 |
| Florida | 38,620 | $61,770 | 0.93 |
| Georgia | 21,060 | $62,030 | 1.03 |
| Hawaii | 840 | $71,140 | 0.32 |
| Idaho | 1,880 | $63,800 | 0.53 |
| Illinois | 17,440 | $75,000 | 0.69 |
| Indiana | 14,480 | $65,720 | 1.08 |
| Iowa | 5,510 | $62,630 | 0.85 |
| Kansas | 7,530 | $61,760 | 1.26 |
| Kentucky | 8,570 | $60,460 | 1.03 |
| Louisiana | 17,600 | $57,470 | 2.18 |
| Maine | 760 | $73,200 | 0.28 |
| Maryland | 9,560 | $74,660 | 0.83 |
| Massachusetts | 13,210 | $80,220 | 0.87 |
| Michigan | 10,880 | $65,460 | 0.59 |
| Minnesota | 12,840 | $63,750 | 1.04 |
| Mississippi | 9,850 | $50,220 | 2.03 |
| Missouri | 14,700 | $61,530 | 1.20 |
| Montana | 1,620 | $62,210 | 0.76 |
| Nebraska | 4,580 | $62,660 | 1.07 |
| Nevada | 3,350 | $76,160 | 0.52 |
| New Hampshire | 2,220 | $77,110 | 0.78 |
| New Jersey | 17,410 | $75,160 | 0.97 |
| New Mexico | 2,460 | $59,330 | 0.68 |
| New York | 39,400 | $67,180 | 0.98 |
| North Carolina | 18,010 | $63,270 | 0.87 |
| North Dakota | 1,920 | $62,300 | 1.07 |
| Ohio | 39,900 | $61,950 | 1.72 |
| Oklahoma | 11,540 | $58,320 | 1.62 |
| Oregon | 4,260 | $80,470 | 0.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 38,260 | $63,940 | 1.51 |
| Rhode Island | 1,290 | $80,090 | 0.62 |
| South Carolina | 9,400 | $61,820 | 0.98 |
| South Dakota | 2,050 | $52,750 | 1.08 |
| Tennessee | 20,830 | $58,870 | 1.52 |
| Texas | 57,560 | $62,240 | 0.98 |
| Utah | 1,680 | $63,230 | 0.23 |
| Vermont | 1,130 | $69,930 | 0.89 |
| Virginia | 15,550 | $64,920 | 0.91 |
| Washington | 6,780 | $83,150 | 0.46 |
| West Virginia | 6,050 | $55,360 | 2.07 |
| Wisconsin | 7,390 | $63,760 | 0.60 |
| Wyoming | 480 | $63,460 | 0.41 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nurses | 4 | 0.988 |
| 2 | Critical Care Nurses | 4 | 0.971 |
| 3 | Psychiatric Aides | 1-2 | 0.971 |
| 4 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 3 | 0.969 |
| 5 | Athletic Trainers | 5 | 0.969 |
| 6 | Psychiatric Technicians | 3 | 0.965 |
| 7 | Physical Therapists | 5 | 0.963 |
| 8 | Acute Care Nurses | 4 | 0.963 |
| 9 | Occupational Therapy Aides | 3 | 0.963 |
| 10 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 3 | 0.963 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | Operation and Control | 1.00 | 0.961 |
| Neurodiagnostic Technologists | Quality Control Analysis | 1.25 | 0.950 |
| Animal Trainers | Learning Strategies | 0.76 | 0.946 |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | Writing | 0.76 | 0.943 |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.939 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, excluding software Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| GE Healthcare Centricity EMR | 7 of 20 | 14.7x |
| Amkai AmkaiCharts | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| Medscribbler Enterprise | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| StatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise Suite | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Texas Medical Software SpringCharts EMR | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Cerner Millennium | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| SynaMed EMR | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| Billing software | 5 of 20 | 10.5x |
| NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR | 4 of 20 | 18.5x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.99 | 4.65 |
| English Language | 3.90 | 3.72 |
| Psychology | 3.71 | 5.52 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.69 | 3.66 |
| Administration and Management | 3.30 | 3.34 |
| Education and Training | 3.19 | 3.34 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 3.11 | 2.99 |
| Mathematics | 3.03 | 3.11 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.97 | 3.19 |
| Administrative | 2.96 | 3.26 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.80 | 2.54 |
| Telecommunications | 2.60 | 1.67 |
| Biology | 2.53 | 2.35 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.36 | 2.12 |
| Communications and Media | 2.33 | 1.95 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.27 | 1.64 |
| Law and Government | 2.23 | 1.82 |
| Chemistry | 2.20 | 1.88 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.15 | 2.00 |
| Foreign Language | 2.10 | 1.28 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.01 | 1.08 |
| Transportation | 1.61 | 1.08 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.60 | 0.90 |
| Physics | 1.49 | 0.84 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.37 | not rated |
| Production and Processing | 1.37 | 0.72 |
| Mechanical | 1.36 | 0.62 |
| Food Production | 1.29 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.22 | not rated |
| Design | 1.11 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.08 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.04 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Written Expression | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Memorization | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Control Precision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Stamina | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Response Orientation | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Epic Systems hot
- MEDITECH software hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Zoom hot
- eClinicalWorks EHR software hot
- Diagnostic and procedural coding software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- FaceTime
- Google Drive
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Infusion management software
- Inventory tracking software
- MedicWare EMR
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Microsoft Exchange
- PointClickCare healthcare software
- Prescription processing software
- Scheduling software
- Telephone triage software
- Web browser software
- YouTube
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe, LA | 1,130 | 3.11 | $55,360 |
| Springfield, OH | 550 | 2.88 | $61,350 |
| Lafayette, LA | 2,100 | 2.81 | $51,580 |
| Alexandria, LA | 690 | 2.76 | $54,880 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 1,840 | 2.71 | $58,340 |
| Williamsport, PA | 560 | 2.70 | $61,200 |
| Beckley, WV | 470 | 2.59 | $54,510 |
| Altoona, PA | 630 | 2.56 | $59,680 |
| Elmira, NY | 350 | 2.53 | $63,390 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 410 | 2.53 | $56,120 |