Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary in New York, NY (2024)
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median of $72,800 per year ($35.00 per hour) based on 32,000 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +16.8% against the national median of $62,340 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses actually sit across the pay range in New York, NY, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.53 | $59,340 | |
| 25th percentile | $30.90 | $64,270 | |
| Median | $35.00 | $72,800 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $37.33 | $77,650 | |
| 90th percentile | $40.57 | $84,380 | |
| Average (mean) | $34.69 | $72,150 |
How New York, NY compares
The local median of $72,800 runs +16.8% above the US median of $62,340 for this occupation; it pays 20.4% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($60,460); within the metro it ranks 373rd of 750 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY — this occupation | $72,800 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $62,340 | +16.8% |
| New York, NY — all occupations | $60,460 | +20.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $90,810 | -19.8% |
A location quotient of 0.83 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 0.7%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 373rd of 750 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in New York, NY
To put $72,800 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 373rd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $230,130 | 1,520 |
| Psychiatrists | $229,630 | 3,680 |
| Commercial Pilots | $224,840 | 1,270 |
| Radiologists | $219,900 | 1,870 |
| Financial Managers | $216,520 | 77,970 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $216,420 | 900 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $215,640 | 4,130 |
| Neurologists | $214,820 | 920 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $214,630 | 570 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,400 | 56,180 |
Where licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $60,050 to $90,810. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,810 | 8,290 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $80,480 | 3,500 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,870 | 2,340 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,670 | 9,910 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $77,280 | 6,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $76,290 | 32,320 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $75,560 | 8,460 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $74,670 | 3,660 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $72,920 | 11,800 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $72,800 | 32,000 |
See the full national picture on the Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in New York, NY?
The median annual wage is $72,800, or $35 per hour. That means half of the licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses working in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $72,150.
What do the highest and lowest paid licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in New York, NY earn?
The bottom 10% earn $59,340 or less, while the top 10% earn $84,380 or more — a spread of $25,040 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $64,270 and $77,650.
Is licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses pay in New York, NY above the local average?
Yes, it is 20.4% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $60,460. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does New York, NY pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $72,800 the metro median is 16.8% higher than the US median of $62,340 for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $60,050 to $90,810.
How many licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work in New York, NY?
BLS counts about 32,000 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 3.42 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.83 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.1%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.