Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Also called: Charge Nurse, Clinic Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse)Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 22 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 87% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,030 | $48,150 to $61,800 | 11,580 |
| Alaska | $80,800 | $70,490 to $87,380 | 290 |
| Arizona | $77,070 | $66,770 to $81,860 | 6,530 |
| Arkansas | $56,620 | $49,550 to $61,220 | 10,010 |
| California | $79,750 | $74,840 to $93,720 | 82,850 |
| Colorado | $73,880 | $61,890 to $79,800 | 4,920 |
| Connecticut | $73,690 | $66,660 to $76,830 | 8,540 |
| Delaware | $68,710 | $64,420 to $75,020 | 2,240 |
| District of Columbia | $75,740 | $63,960 to $81,400 | 1,040 |
| Florida | $61,770 | $58,540 to $64,710 | 38,620 |
| Georgia | $62,030 | $52,900 to $70,690 | 21,060 |
| Guam | $42,870 | $37,620 to $49,510 | 90 |
| Hawaii | $71,140 | $62,460 to $75,250 | 840 |
| Idaho | $63,800 | $58,310 to $74,050 | 1,880 |
| Illinois | $75,000 | $63,580 to $79,560 | 17,440 |
| Indiana | $65,720 | $61,060 to $73,430 | 14,480 |
| Iowa | $62,630 | $56,400 to $70,840 | 5,510 |
| Kansas | $61,760 | $56,260 to $69,470 | 7,530 |
| Kentucky | $60,460 | $54,290 to $65,090 | 8,570 |
| Louisiana | $57,470 | $49,650 to $61,220 | 17,600 |
| Maine | $73,200 | $63,530 to $77,420 | 760 |
| Maryland | $74,660 | $65,300 to $79,670 | 9,560 |
| Massachusetts | $80,220 | $72,610 to $84,570 | 13,210 |
| Michigan | $65,460 | $62,050 to $73,880 | 10,880 |
| Minnesota | $63,750 | $59,960 to $71,270 | 12,840 |
| Mississippi | $50,220 | $46,790 to $58,030 | 9,850 |
| Missouri | $61,530 | $56,280 to $70,230 | 14,700 |
| Montana | $62,210 | $58,130 to $66,850 | 1,620 |
| Nebraska | $62,660 | $59,080 to $71,860 | 4,580 |
| Nevada | $76,160 | $65,930 to $79,570 | 3,350 |
| New Hampshire | $77,110 | $67,650 to $82,760 | 2,220 |
| New Jersey | $75,160 | $66,890 to $79,980 | 17,410 |
| New Mexico | $59,330 | $39,370 to $73,090 | 2,460 |
| New York | $67,180 | $61,400 to $76,960 | 39,400 |
| North Carolina | $63,270 | $59,270 to $69,700 | 18,010 |
| North Dakota | $62,300 | $58,290 to $65,020 | 1,920 |
| Ohio | $61,950 | $56,860 to $65,900 | 39,900 |
| Oklahoma | $58,320 | $50,040 to $62,060 | 11,540 |
| Oregon | $80,470 | $73,040 to $90,690 | 4,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,940 | $60,350 to $72,810 | 38,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,760 | $24,910 to $46,820 | 2,990 |
| Rhode Island | $80,090 | $77,890 to $81,170 | 1,290 |
| South Carolina | $61,820 | $57,390 to $71,220 | 9,400 |
| South Dakota | $52,750 | $49,680 to $61,300 | 2,050 |
| Tennessee | $58,870 | $49,170 to $62,650 | 20,830 |
| Texas | $62,240 | $57,110 to $68,410 | 57,560 |
| Utah | $63,230 | $53,480 to $74,580 | 1,680 |
| Vermont | $69,930 | $61,490 to $78,230 | 1,130 |
| Virgin Islands | $64,660 | $54,820 to $76,850 | 50 |
| Virginia | $64,920 | $59,610 to $74,540 | 15,550 |
| Washington | $83,150 | $76,920 to $93,970 | 6,780 |
| West Virginia | $55,360 | $49,320 to $61,300 | 6,050 |
| Wisconsin | $63,760 | $59,620 to $75,010 | 7,390 |
| Wyoming | $63,460 | $58,810 to $70,840 | 480 |
Nationally: $64,400. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 22 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action. | Not published |
| AI + software | Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration. | Not published |
| Not much | Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary. | Not published |
See all 22 tasks
| Not much | Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise nurses' aides or assistants. | Not published |
| AI + software | Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles. | Not published |
| Not much | Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record food and fluid intake and output. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare or examine food trays for conformance to prescribed diet. | Not published |
| Not much | Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave. | Not published |
| AI + software | Make appointments, keep records, or perform other clerical duties in doctors' offices or clinics. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean rooms and make beds. | Not published |
| Not much | Inventory and requisition supplies and instruments. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up equipment and prepare medical treatment rooms. | Not published |
| Not much | Wash and dress bodies of deceased persons. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide medical treatment or personal care to patients in private home settings, such as cooking, keeping rooms orderly, seeing that patients are comfortable and in good spirits, or instructing family members in simple nursing tasks. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 23 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Clean medical equipment or facilities | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities |
Show all 23 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics | |||
| Administer therapeutic treatments | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health | |||
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer51%
- Advice or a recommendation17%
- A document or report8%
- An email or message7%
- An analysis or summary6%
How they worked with Claude
23% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 73,770 moves out
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 30%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 11%
- 3 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 3%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 55,720 moves in
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 17%
- 2 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 14%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 7%
- 4 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 3%
- 5 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Very high +4.8% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 35% postsecondary certificate
- 38% some college
- 16% associate's
- 11% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 35 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 21% high school
- 54% some college
- 17% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 5,616 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training and Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 99.0% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 2.7% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 25.0% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Nurse, Licensed Practical). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/29-2061.00