LPN / LVN Salary in California (BLS May 2025)
Licensed practical nurses in California earned a median of $79,750 a year ($38.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 24% above the national LPN median of $64,400, and it ranks 6th of the 50 states and D.C..
Median salary
$79,750
Median hourly
$38.34
Average (mean)
$82,340
LPNs employed
82,850
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061), retrieved 2026-10-25. Employed (wage-and-salary) licensed practical nurses (called licensed vocational nurses, LVNs, in California and Texas) in all settings — nursing homes, hospitals, physician offices, home health; excludes self-employed and agency-contract pay.
LPN pay range in California
Half of California's licensed practical nurses earned between $74,840 and $93,720. The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile is $36,060, which reflects setting (long-term care and home health vs hospitals and government), shift differentials, experience and region within the state.
| Percentile | California annual | Hourly equivalent | U.S. annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,390 | $30.96 | $49,740 |
| 25th percentile | $74,840 | $35.98 | $59,000 |
| Median (50th) | $79,750 | $38.34 | $64,400 |
| 75th percentile | $93,720 | $45.06 | $76,030 |
| 90th percentile | $100,450 | $48.29 | $83,440 |
Hourly equivalent = annual ÷ 2,080 hours, the convention BLS uses to annualize hourly wages. BLS publishes the median hourly wage directly ($38.34); small differences are rounding.
LPN / LVN vs registered nurse pay in California
LPN / LVN, median
$79,750
$38.34/hr · 82,850 employed
Registered nurse, median
$140,270
$67.44/hr · 338,940 employed
In California the LPN median is $60,520 (43%) lower than the RN median. All figures are BLS estimates for May 2025. The LPN role requires a state-approved practical nursing program (typically about a year) and the NCLEX-PN exam.
What a median LPN paycheck looks like in California
Gross pay at the California median, and the federal taxes on it for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction. Retirement, insurance and other payroll deductions vary by employer and are not included.
| Yearly | Monthly | Every 2 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (median) | $79,750 | $6,646 | $3,067 |
| Federal income tax | $8,715 | $726 | $335 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,101 | $508 | $235 |
| California income tax | Not included (we only publish sourced state tax figures) | ||
Taxes: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and standard deduction, SSA 2026 wage base. See methodology. Run your own numbers in the tax calculator.
California vs neighboring states
Median licensed practical nurse pay in the states that border California:
| State | Median salary | Median hourly | vs California |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $79,750 | $38.34 | — |
| Oregon | $80,470 | $38.69 | +$720 |
| Arizona | $77,070 | $37.05 | −$2,680 |
| Nevada | $76,160 | $36.62 | −$3,590 |
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers LPN/LVN licenses: an LPN with a multistate license from a compact state can work in other compact states without a new license. Check the compact license lookup for the current member list. Compact license lookup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do licensed practical nurses make in California?
Licensed practical nurses in California earned a median of $79,750 a year ($38.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average (mean) was $82,340 ($39.59 an hour). That median is 24% above the national LPN median of $64,400 and ranks 6th of the 50 states and D.C..
What do the highest-paid licensed practical nurses in California make?
The top 10% of licensed practical nurses in California earned at least $100,450 a year, and the top quarter at least $93,720. The bottom 10% earned less than $64,390. These are BLS percentile estimates for employed licensed practical nurses across all settings, not offers for a specific job.
How does LPN pay compare with RN pay in California?
The LPN median in California ($79,750) is $60,520 a year, or 43%, below the registered nurse median of $140,270, both from BLS for May 2025. The role requires a state-approved practical nursing program (typically about a year) and the NCLEX-PN exam.
What is a licensed practical nurse's paycheck in California?
At the California median of $79,750, gross pay is about $6,646 a month or $3,067 every two weeks. For a single filer with the standard deduction, 2026 federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare come to about $14,816 a year. California state income tax is not included in that figure, so actual take-home is lower.
How many licensed practical nurses work in California?
BLS estimated 82,850 licensed practical nurses employed in California in May 2025, the 1st largest LPN workforce of the 50 states and D.C..
About this data
These figures are the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest published. OEWS surveys employers, so it measures employed licensed practical nurses (called licensed vocational nurses, LVNs, in California and Texas) in all settings — nursing homes, hospitals, physician offices, home health; excludes self-employed and agency-contract pay. Means are pulled up by high earners, which is why we lead with the median. BLS does not publish a wage above its top code; where a percentile sits there, the table says so instead of showing a number.
See licensed practical nurse salary in every state for the full ranking, or registered nurse salary in California.