Practical nurse demographics and statistics in the US
Practical nurse demographics research summary. Zippia estimates practical nurse demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 practical nurses after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 762,665 practical nurses currently employed in the United States.
- 85.7% of all practical nurses are women, while 14.3% are men.
- The average practical nurse age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of practical nurses is White (60.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.8%), Black or African American (12.1%) and Asian (6.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
- 7% of all practical nurses are LGBT.
- Practical nurses are 80% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Practical nurse demographics by:
Practical nurse gender statistics
85.7% of practical nurses are women and 14.3% of practical nurses are men.
- Female, 85.7%
- Male, 14.3%
Practical nurse gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 85.7% |
| Male | 14.3% |
Practical nurse gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$82,578
Female income
$78,778
Practical nurse gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in practical nurse positions over time. Currently, 85.7% of practical nurses are female.
Practical nurse gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.52% | 90.48% |
| 2011 | 9.75% | 90.25% |
| 2012 | 10.92% | 89.08% |
| 2013 | 10.70% | 89.30% |
| 2014 | 13.75% | 86.25% |
| 2015 | 14.24% | 85.76% |
| 2016 | 14.77% | 85.23% |
| 2017 | 15.07% | 84.93% |
| 2018 | 15.12% | 84.88% |
| 2019 | 14.35% | 85.65% |
| 2020 | 13.58% | 86.42% |
| 2021 | 14.31% | 85.69% |
Practical nurse related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Practical Nurse | 14% | 86% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Practical nurse demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among practical nurses is White, which makes up 60.4% of all practical nurses. Comparatively, 15.8% of practical nurses are Hispanic or Latino and 12.1% of practical nurses are Black or African American.
- White, 60.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.8%
- Black or African American, 12.1%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Practical nurse race
| Practical nurse race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.8% |
| Black or African American | 12.1% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Practical nurse race and ethnicity over time
See how practical nurse racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Practical nurse race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.97% | 13.01% | 4.18% | 11.56% |
| 2011 | 68.28% | 13.18% | 4.59% | 11.34% |
| 2012 | 66.76% | 12.57% | 4.82% | 12.73% |
| 2013 | 67.10% | 13.38% | 5.01% | 11.71% |
| 2014 | 63.60% | 14.21% | 5.33% | 13.95% |
| 2015 | 64.46% | 13.40% | 5.14% | 14.14% |
| 2016 | 61.47% | 15.36% | 5.43% | 14.98% |
| 2017 | 62.88% | 13.73% | 5.64% | 14.86% |
| 2018 | 61.75% | 13.70% | 5.83% | 15.74% |
| 2019 | 63.70% | 11.90% | 6.31% | 15.19% |
| 2020 | 62.01% | 11.73% | 6.19% | 14.52% |
| 2021 | 60.43% | 12.11% | 6.28% | 15.84% |
Practical nurse wage gap by race
According to our data, asian practical nurses have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White practical nurses have the lowest average salary at $77,908.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $79,376 |
| White | $77,908 |
| Black or African American | $82,247 |
| Asian | $91,366 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $82,631 |
Average practical nurse age
See how the average age of practical nurses varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Practical nurse age breakdown
The average age of practical nurses is 40+ years years old, representing 66% of the practical nurse population.
Practical nurse age breakdown
| Practical Nurse Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 66% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Practical nurse educational attainment
The most common degree for practical nurses is bachelor's degree, with 30% of practical nurses earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 30%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 17%
- Other Degrees, 11%
Practical nurses by degree level
| Practical nurse degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 30% |
| Master's | 22% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 17% |
| Other Degrees | 11% |
Practical nurse jobs you might like
Practical nurse wage gap by degree level
According to the data, practical nurses with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $84,406 annually. With a Associate degree, practical nurses earn a median annual income of $83,333 compared to $80,417 for practical nurses with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $80,417 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,406 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $83,333 |
Practical nurse employment statistics
Most practical nurses work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where practical nurses work
Below, you can see the size of companies where practical nurses work.
Practical nurse jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 20% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 32% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Practical nurse jobs by company type
Employees with the practical nurse job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most practical nurses prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Practical nurse jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 80% |
| Government | 6% |
Practical nurse jobs by industry
The most common industries for practical nurses are health care, education and government.
Practical nurse industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 74% |
| Education | 7% |
| Government | 5% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Practical nurse turnover and employment statistics
Practical nurse unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for practical nurses between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Practical nurse unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 practical nurse tenure
The average practical nurse stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,142 practical nurses resumes in Zippia's database.
Practical nurse tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Practical nurse LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 73,800 |
| Practical Nurse | 6.63% | - |
| Laboratory Monitor | 8.24% | 43,499 |
| Reimbursement Analyst | 9.29% | 10,216 |
| Dispensing Optician Apprentice | 12.53% | 9,965 |
| Surgical Technician | 12.80% | 70,920 |
| Nuclear Cardiology Technologist | 21.93% | 48,928 |
Similar practical nurse jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 73,800 |
| Laboratory Monitor | 8.24% | 43,499 |
| Reimbursement Analyst | 9.29% | 10,216 |
| Dispensing Optician Apprentice | 12.53% | 9,965 |
| Surgical Technician | 12.80% | 70,920 |
| Nuclear Cardiology Technologist | 21.93% | 48,928 |
Foreign languages spoken by practical nurses
The most common foreign language among practical nurses is Spanish at 66.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.8% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 2.6%.
- Spanish, 66.4%
- French, 7.8%
- Portuguese, 2.6%
- Chinese, 2.6%
- Vietnamese, 2.6%
- Other, 18.0%
Practical nurse languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.4% |
| French | 7.8% |
| Portuguese | 2.6% |
| Chinese | 2.6% |
| Vietnamese | 2.6% |
| Other | 18.0% |
