Office nurse vs licensed practical nurse

The differences between office nurses and licensed practical nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an office nurse and a licensed practical nurse. Additionally, an office nurse has an average salary of $58,587, which is higher than the $52,912 average annual salary of a licensed practical nurse.

The top three skills for an office nurse include patients, vital signs and patient education. The most important skills for a licensed practical nurse are patients, CPR, and home health.

Office nurse vs licensed practical nurse overview

	Office Nurse	Licensed Practical Nurse
Yearly salary	$58,587	$52,912
Hourly rate	$28.17	$25.44
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	278,856	614,369
Job satisfaction	-	3.33
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 33%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office nurse do?

Office Nurses are responsible for preparing patients for examinations, administering injections, treating wounds and incisions. Other duties include cleaning and sterilizing various instruments and equipment.

What does a licensed practical nurse do?

Licensed practical nurses are considered leading front liners in the clinic or hospital setting. They assist nurses and doctors in conducting various activities related to sick or injured patients. Licensed practical nurses are primarily expected to provide routine care for patients and assist registered nurses in creating care plans. They maintain and update medical records, prepare patients for medical examinations, help patients dress, bath, or eat, take vital signs, administer and monitor medicine intake, monitor patients and update nurses and doctors on patient status, and assist during medical examinations.

Office nurse vs licensed practical nurse salary

Office nurses and licensed practical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Nurse	Licensed Practical Nurse
Average salary	$58,587	$52,912
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $87,000	Between $37,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Uniondale, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between office nurse and licensed practical nurse education

There are a few differences between an office nurse and a licensed practical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Office Nurse	Licensed Practical Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 33%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Office nurse vs licensed practical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between office nurses' and licensed practical nurses' demographics:

	Office Nurse	Licensed Practical Nurse
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 5.0% Female, 95.0%	Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between office nurse and licensed practical nurse duties and responsibilities

Office nurse example responsibilities.

Case manage FMLA cases on a daily basis regarding FMLA abuse and employees with attendance issues.
Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
Monitor patients status that are on telemetry.
Facilitate ADL's and assist patients with functional mobility to increase comfort and quality of life.
Assist with patients, obtain EKG's, screen phone calls, and relay information to the physician.
Collect patient vital signs; monitor fetal heartbeats/rate/monitore fetal monitors for premature labor patients.

Licensed practical nurse example responsibilities.

Manage all operational aspects of the organizations open heart program while also serving in the role of APN.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Provide nursing care for med/surg patients in the transitional phase of recovery.
Work up patients for the Dr, administer allergy testing, mix allergens.
Perform emergency medical procedures, such as BLS, ACLS, and other condition stabilizing interventions.
Drug screens, phlebotomy wind care education of safety practices communications with treatment facilities as indicated/.

Office nurse vs licensed practical nurse skills

Common office nurse skills

Patients, 30%
Vital Signs, 7%
Patient Education, 5%
EKG, 4%
Exam Rooms, 4%
In-Office Procedures, 4%

Common licensed practical nurse skills

Patients, 23%
CPR, 11%
Home Health, 10%
Medication Administration, 4%
Quality Care, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%

Office Nurse vs. similar jobs

Office Nurse related careers

Office Nurse related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Office Nurse
Office Nurse vs Licensed Practical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs