Patient care technician vs licensed practical nurse

The differences between patient care technicians and licensed practical nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed practical nurse has an average salary of $52,912, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a patient care technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a licensed practical nurse are patients, CPR, and home health.

Patient care technician vs licensed practical nurse overview

	Patient Care Technician	Licensed Practical Nurse
Yearly salary	$32,806	$52,912
Hourly rate	$15.77	$25.44
Growth rate	9%	6%
Number of jobs	167,520	614,369
Job satisfaction	5	3.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 33%
Average age	34	46
Years of experience	-	2

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

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.

Patient care technician vs licensed practical nurse salary

Patient care technicians and licensed practical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Technician	Licensed Practical Nurse
Average salary	$32,806	$52,912
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $37,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Hawaii
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care technician and licensed practical nurse education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a licensed practical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Technician	Licensed Practical Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 33%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Patient care technician vs licensed practical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and licensed practical nurses' demographics:

	Patient Care Technician	Licensed Practical Nurse
Average age	34	46
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	15%	7%

Differences between patient care technician and licensed practical nurse duties and responsibilities

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

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/.

Patient care technician vs licensed practical nurse skills

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common licensed practical nurse skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Licensed Practical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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