LVN - Current Salary Outlook

LVN - Current Salary Outlook

The Need for LVN’s Continues to Rise in 2023

Opportunities for LVN’s in all clinical fields are excellent. The current nursing shortage is gaining in strength resulting in vast numbers of vacancies. With the exploding growth of the aging population, nursing supply simply cannot keep up with the demand. New initiatives to recruit young people to become nurses have been successful in increasing enrollment at many LVN programs; however, the shortage is still mounting.

To attract new nurses and decrease attrition, many healthcare facilities are offering monetary incentives such as $10,000.00 sign on bonuses, trips, longevity bonuses, awards programs and paid tuition. Some factors to consider if you are thinking about a career in healthcare are:

  • LVN’s and Registered Nurses rank in the top 10 occupations projected to grow in need
  • Approximately 20% on new jobs in the next 7 years will be nursing related
  • Healthcare is ranked in the top 2 largest industries and ranked the highest in 2022
  • Technology is extending life spans and survivals rates at an unprecedented rate
  • Career opportunities are abundant in every state in the country, and offer flexible scheduling, as well as advancement opportunities

According to the US Department of Labor, the annual LVN salary was $55,860.00 in May of 2023. High end wages were upwards of $64,050.00. Staffing and medical employment agencies paid the highest salaries. Average benefits for full time licensed vocational nurses in hospitals included health insurance; flex scheduling, child care, tuition assistance and retirement saving programs.

Most LVN programs in Bakersfield include career placement assistance.

Employers of Licensed Vocational Nurses

Careers for registered nurses are becoming far more diverse than in years past. Nurses are turning to a variety of employment relating to some form of healthcare positions including:

  • Traditional hospital employment
  • Executive and management roles in hospitals
  • Sales, administrative and executive positions in the health insurance industry
  • Home health and hospice care
  • Sales for medical equipment companies, pharmaceuticals, and instruments
  • School Nursing
  • Occupational health nursing in companies, corporations, and industrial plants
  • Peer review
  • Academics
  • Research
  • Medical Legal Nurse Consultants
  • Case Reviews and Case management
  • Medical lifestyle needs specialists
  • Travel Nursing
  • Attorney Medical Consultants
  • Alternative health
Other Healthcare Careers
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Critical Factors Affecting LVN Salary

It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be a shortage of over 400,000 nurses. Couple this with the fact that 55% of the current nurses are expected to retire between 2022 and 2030; the shortage will reach critical proportions. The American Hospital Association released a report in 2006 stating that there were 116,000 nursing vacancies nationwide.

These factors, coupled with the variety of employment opportunities makes licensed vocational nursing a fantastic career choice! One of the most common answers of what is the most appealing aspect of nursing is the opportunity to work in so many different fields. Often, when an LVN needs a change of pace from clinical nursing, she/he will take a position in management. 

Directors of Nursing

Working as a Director of Nursing at a skilled nursing facility gives LVN’s the opportunity to to gain experience in areas such as budgeting, proper staffing, and working with colleagues throughout the medical continuum.

Other Healthcare Careers
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