Licensure path
State-approved program, then NCLEX-PN through your board of nursing — not a single national exam requirement.
Career guide
How to become an LPN or LVN: requirements, duties, pay, and current jobs
LPN and LVN are the same occupation under different state terminology. Here's the licensure path, national pay, compact basics, and what current JibJob listings are asking for.
Fast answer
Prospective LPNs/LVNs complete a state-approved practical or vocational nursing program (typically a postsecondary nondegree award) and must pass the NCLEX-PN through their board of nursing to become licensed. California and Texas use the title “LVN”; most other states use “LPN.” Requirements, program length, and reciprocity are set state by state — always confirm with the relevant board of nursing before assuming a national standard applies.
What the job involves
What LPNs/LVNs do
LPNs/LVNs provide basic medical care and work in common settings including nursing/residential care facilities, hospitals, physicians’ offices, and private homes. Occupational task examples include observing/charting changes, taking vital signs, administering prescribed medications, providing basic care and treatments, documenting, prioritizing, and critical thinking — but these are occupational examples, not a universal scope-of-practice table. What an LPN is authorized to do depends on state law, board rules, training, and facility policy.
Common tasks
Vital signs, basic care and treatments, medication administration where authorized, documentation, and escalation to licensed staff.
Compact basics
A multistate license depends on your primary state of residence and NLC membership — not simply where a job is located.
Getting licensed
How to become licensed
- Check your state board of nursing for approved practical/vocational nursing programs.
- Complete a state-approved program.
- Apply for licensure through the board and register for the NCLEX-PN as instructed.
- Meet any additional state-specific requirements and verify your license.
- Determine whether your issued license is single-state or multistate — don’t assume.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan. Verified July 20, 2026.
Current JibJob listings
Data updated July 22, 2026
570
Active LPN/LVN listings reviewed
41
Distinct employers
261
Listings with employer-listed pay
Credential mentions among active listings reviewed
BLS / CPR
274
Counts reflect mentions anywhere in the listing, not a confirmed legal requirement. Always check the individual posting.
Where these listings are active
Texas
116
South Dakota
101
Minnesota
64
North Dakota
42
Idaho
35
Tennessee
22
Methodology: counts include active, JibJob-aggregated listings whose title, specialty, or category matches LPN/LVN. This is not a labor-market estimate — it describes JibJob’s own inventory on the date shown.
Pay
Pay and outlook
The BLS reports a 2024 national median wage of $62,340 per year ($29.97 per hour) for LPNs/LVNs. Employment is projected to grow 3% from 2024 to 2034, with about 54,000 openings per year over the decade — a projection, not a guarantee, and openings aren’t the same as growth.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. National benchmark, kept separate from the JibJob listings snapshot above.
Moving states
Compact and moving states
Eligible RNs and LPN/VNs whose primary state of residence is an NLC member and who meet uniform requirements may receive a multistate license through their board of nursing. In a remote compact state, the nurse remains subject to that state’s practice laws. Compact membership and implementation status change — check JibJob’s compact states explainer and the official NLC site rather than assuming eligibility from a job’s location alone.
Common questions
LPN/LVN requirements, answered
- What is the difference between an LPN and an LVN?
- Same occupation, different state terminology — California and Texas use "LVN" (licensed vocational nurse); most other states use "LPN." Requirements are set by each state’s board of nursing.
- Does holding a compact-eligible license let me work in any state?
- Not automatically. A multistate license is issued by your primary state of residence if that state is an NLC member and you meet uniform requirements — job location alone doesn’t establish eligibility, and you’re still subject to the remote state’s practice laws. Check the official NLC site and your board of nursing.
- Can an LPN become an RN later?
- Many LPNs pursue LPN-to-RN pathways, but program length, credit transfer, and outcomes vary by school — don’t assume a specific timeline or guaranteed credit transfer without checking the program directly.
- Do I need to take the NCLEX-PN?
- Yes — after completing a state-approved practical/vocational nursing program, candidates register for and must pass the NCLEX-PN through their board of nursing to become licensed.
Ready to apply?
Prepare for the interview, then browse current LPN/LVN openings.