Licensed practical nurse demographics and statistics in the US
Licensed practical nurse demographics research summary. Zippia estimates licensed practical nurse demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our licensed practical nurse estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about licensed practical nurses after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,850,604 licensed practical nurses currently employed in the United States.
- 88.7% of all licensed practical nurses are women, while 11.3% are men.
- The average licensed practical nurse age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of licensed practical nurses is White (59.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.1%), Black or African American (12.5%) and Asian (6.5%).
- Licensed practical nurses are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Boston, MA pays an annual average wage of $57,483, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women licensed practical nurses earned 97% of what men earned.
- Maine is the best state for licensed practical nurses to live.
- Licensed practical nurses are 88% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Licensed practical nurse demographics by:
Licensed practical nurse gender statistics
88.7% of licensed practical nurses are women and 11.3% of licensed practical nurses are men.
- Female, 88.7%
- Male, 11.3%
Licensed practical nurse gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 88.7% |
| Male | 11.3% |
Licensed practical nurse gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$56,509
Female income
$54,626
Licensed practical nurse gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in licensed practical nurse positions over time. Currently, 88.7% of licensed practical nurses are female.
Licensed practical nurse gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.41% | 92.59% |
| 2011 | 7.60% | 92.40% |
| 2012 | 8.54% | 91.46% |
| 2013 | 8.36% | 91.64% |
| 2014 | 10.83% | 89.17% |
| 2015 | 11.22% | 88.78% |
| 2016 | 11.66% | 88.34% |
| 2017 | 11.91% | 88.09% |
| 2018 | 11.94% | 88.06% |
| 2019 | 11.31% | 88.69% |
| 2020 | 10.69% | 89.31% |
| 2021 | 11.29% | 88.71% |
Licensed practical nurse related jobs gender ratio
We compared licensed practical nurses with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 11% | 89% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Licensed practical nurse demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among licensed practical nurses is White, which makes up 59.4% of all licensed practical nurses. Comparatively, 16.1% of licensed practical nurses are Hispanic or Latino and 12.5% of licensed practical nurses are Black or African American.
- White, 59.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.1%
- Black or African American, 12.5%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Unknown, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Licensed practical nurse race
| Licensed practical nurse race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.1% |
| Black or African American | 12.5% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Unknown | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Licensed practical nurse race and ethnicity over time
See how licensed practical nurse racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Licensed practical nurse race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.98% | 13.40% | 4.43% | 11.84% |
| 2011 | 67.29% | 13.57% | 4.84% | 11.62% |
| 2012 | 65.77% | 12.96% | 5.07% | 13.02% |
| 2013 | 66.11% | 13.77% | 5.26% | 11.99% |
| 2014 | 62.61% | 14.61% | 5.58% | 14.23% |
| 2015 | 63.47% | 13.79% | 5.39% | 14.42% |
| 2016 | 60.48% | 15.75% | 5.68% | 15.26% |
| 2017 | 61.89% | 14.13% | 5.90% | 15.15% |
| 2018 | 60.76% | 14.09% | 6.08% | 16.03% |
| 2019 | 62.71% | 12.29% | 6.56% | 15.48% |
| 2020 | 61.02% | 12.13% | 6.45% | 14.80% |
| 2021 | 59.44% | 12.50% | 6.53% | 16.13% |
Licensed practical nurse wage gap by race
According to our data, asian licensed practical nurses have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White licensed practical nurses have the lowest average salary at $54,191.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,924 |
| White | $54,191 |
| Black or African American | $56,346 |
| Asian | $60,774 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $56,535 |
Average licensed practical nurse age
See how the average age of licensed practical nurses varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Licensed practical nurse age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44.5 | 47 |
| Unknown | 43 | 44 |
| Asian | 41.5 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48.5 | 49 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 39 |
Licensed practical nurse age breakdown
The average age of licensed practical nurses is 40+ years years old, representing 66% of the licensed practical nurse population.
Licensed practical nurse age breakdown
| Licensed Practical Nurse Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 66% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Licensed practical nurse educational attainment
The most common degree for licensed practical nurses is associate degree, with 33% of licensed practical nurses earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 31% and diploma degree at 15%.
- Associate, 33%
- Diploma, 31%
- Bachelor's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 16%
Licensed practical nurses by degree level
| Licensed practical nurse degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 33% |
| Diploma | 31% |
| Bachelor's | 15% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 16% |
Licensed practical nurse jobs you might like
Licensed practical nurse wage gap by degree level
According to the data, licensed practical nurses with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $57,406 annually. With a Associate degree, licensed practical nurses earn a median annual income of $56,880 compared to $55,441 for licensed practical nurses with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $55,441 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,406 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,880 |
Licensed practical nurse employment statistics
Most licensed practical nurses work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where licensed practical nurses work
Below, you can see the size of companies where licensed practical nurses work.
Licensed practical nurse jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Licensed practical nurse jobs by company type
Employees with the licensed practical nurse job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most licensed practical nurses prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Licensed practical nurse jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 88% |
| Government | 3% |
Licensed practical nurse jobs by industry
The most common industries for licensed practical nurses are health care, professional and government.
Licensed practical nurse industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 74% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Government | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Licensed practical nurse turnover and employment statistics
Licensed practical nurse unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for licensed practical nurses between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Licensed practical nurse unemployment rate by year
| Year | Licensed practical nurse unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.31% |
| 2011 | 4.89% |
| 2012 | 4.95% |
| 2013 | 4.66% |
| 2014 | 4.23% |
| 2015 | 3.04% |
| 2016 | 2.79% |
| 2017 | 2.50% |
| 2018 | 2.61% |
| 2019 | 2.05% |
| 2020 | 3.59% |
| 2021 | 3.12% |
Average licensed practical nurse tenure
The average licensed practical nurse stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 340,597 licensed practical nurses resumes in Zippia's database.
Licensed practical nurse tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Licensed practical nurse LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of licensed practical nurses that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Technician Internship | 5.02% | 96,053 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 6.63% | - |
| Histologist Technologist | 8.24% | 47,379 |
| Library Historian | 9.29% | 903 |
| Optician | 12.53% | 4,717 |
| Surgical Technician | 12.80% | 70,920 |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Similar licensed practical nurse jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Technician Internship | 5.02% | 96,053 |
| Histologist Technologist | 8.24% | 47,379 |
| Library Historian | 9.29% | 903 |
| Optician | 12.53% | 4,717 |
| Surgical Technician | 12.80% | 70,920 |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Foreign languages spoken by licensed practical nurses
The most common foreign language among licensed practical nurses is Spanish at 72.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.0% and Tagalog is the third-most popular at 3.6%.
- Spanish, 72.5%
- French, 8.0%
- Tagalog, 3.6%
- Russian, 2.2%
- Portuguese, 2.0%
- Other, 11.7%
Licensed practical nurse languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 72.5% |
| French | 8.0% |
| Tagalog | 3.6% |
| Russian | 2.2% |
| Portuguese | 2.0% |
| Other | 11.7% |
