LPN vs RN: what’s the difference?
Training time, what each one can do, and the pay gap, side by side.
Training
An LPN (called an LVN in California and Texas) usually trains for about a year in a certificate or diploma program, then passes the NCLEX-PN. An RN needs an ADN (about two years) or BSN (about four) and passes the NCLEX-RN.
What you do
LPNs give hands-on care: vital signs, medications, wound care, monitoring, and in home care often one-to-one shifts with a single patient. RNs do all that plus more of the assessing, care planning, and supervising. Exactly what an LPN may do (IV therapy, for example) varies by state.
Pay
National medians: LPN/LVN $29.97/hr ($62,340/yr), RN $45.00/hr ($93,600/yr). See nurse salary by state for your area.
Which to choose
LPN is the faster, cheaper way to start earning as a nurse. Many LPNs later do an LPN-to-RN bridge program while working, which gives credit for what they already know.
General information, not legal or licensing advice. Requirements change; your state board of nursing has the final word. Pay figures: BLS OEWS May 2024 national medians.