Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between licensed practical nurses staff nurses and registered nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a licensed practical nurse staff nurse and a registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $52,403 average annual salary of a licensed practical nurse staff nurse.
The top three skills for a licensed practical nurse staff nurse include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.
| Licensed Practical Nurse Staff Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,403 | $73,349 |
| Hourly rate | $25.19 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 617,172 | 646,159 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.75 |
| Most common degree | Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A licensed practical nurse is responsible for assisting patients with quality care under the supervision of a direct physician and registered nurse. Licensed practical nurses provide help on collecting samples and performing medical procedures such as taking patients' temperatures and vital signs. Staff nurses monitor a patient's condition, assist on medications and feeding, and report to the patient's physician. Licensed practical nurses also respond to patients' inquiries, as well as updating the patient's family on any changes to the patient's condition.
The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.
Licensed practical nurses staff nurses and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Practical Nurse Staff Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,403 | $73,349 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $73,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Life Care Centers of America | NORCAL Ambulance |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a licensed practical nurse staff nurse and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Practical Nurse Staff Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between licensed practical nurses staff nurses' and registered nurses' demographics:
| Licensed Practical Nurse Staff Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 9.8% Female, 90.2% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.2% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |