The median salary for licensed practical nurses in the United States is $40,894 per year and C$45,356 ($35,308) in Canada. While in Australia the same professional makes AU$30,521 ($23,384) every year. In the United Kingdom, the nurse salary stands at £24,316 ($32,429) per year.
Licensed practical nurses living in Switzerland make CHF58,958 ($59,731) yearly, and those living in Norway win about NOK519,226 ($63,621) every year. Read below for more detailed information.
Nursing Salary Influencers
The factors for nursing pay take into account experience, skill, performance, and location. In many countries, public health systems are the primary employers and influencers of salaries. In this article, we have gathered information from renown resources such as Payscale, SalaryExpert, and BLS.
1. Industry
Licensed practical nurses have more limited roles than registered nurses and typically work under their supervision and that of doctors. As a result, licensed practical nurses can expect lower salaries than registered nurses. Within this profession, experience, qualifications, and location can affect pay. Demand could play a role, as these nurses are needed to serve an increasingly elderly population. More on the places where they can work and their respective pay below:
- Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) – $47,030
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly – $46,710
- Home Health Care Services – $46,320
- Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals – $44,860
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – $44,150
- Offices of Physicians – $42,470
2. Geographical Area
Nurse Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
Hourly Wage | $19.13 | C$25.10 ($19.54) | £15.24 ($20.33) | AU$26.43 ($20.04) | CHF28.34*($28.71) | NOK250 ($30.63) |
Annual Wage | $40,894 | C$45,356 ($35,308) | £24,316 ($32,429) | AU$30,521 ($23,384) | CHF58,958 ($59,731) | NOK519,226 ($63,621) |
* Means that the hourly wage was extrapolated from the annual salary.
Nurse Salary in the US
Payscale reports that licensed practical nurses earn between $27,781 and $55,835 per year, meaning between $15.20 and $25.02 per hour. They also win bonuses of up to $2,400 each year, commission of up to $11,836, as well as yearly profit sharing between $275 and $3,009.
Nurse Salary in Canada
The hourly pay for Canadian licensed practical nurses is C$25.10, while the total annual pay stands at C$45,356. Meanwhile, these professionals also get bonuses of up to C$4,966 yearly, with overtime per hour that can get paid between C$4.94 and C$55.23. Therefore the total annual salary ranges from C$39,860 to C$66,464.
Nurse Salary in the UK
Salaries for nurses in the United Kingdom range between £15,404 and £41,787 per year. The Royal College of Nursing posts salary schedules for nurses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, categorized by bands. These pay levels turn on experience, qualifications, and performance.
Nurse Salary in Australia
The salary for nurses from Australia is between AU$19.60 and AU$33.77 per hour. While the yearly pay registers between AU$31,270 and AU$70,704, depending on experience. The pay of enrolled nurses in the Australian public health system depends on experience and state.
Nurse Salary in Switzerland
A PayScale survey states that licensed practical nurses in Switzerland got a median salary of CHF58,958 per year. Therefore, the median hourly pay should stand at CHF28.34. According to SalaryExpert nurses in this country also get bonuses of up to CHF1,556 per year.
Nurse Salary in Norway
SalaryExpert also reports that nurses working in Noway make about NOK519,226 per year. So, around NOK250 per hour. These professionals also win bonuses of up to NOK7,633 each year.
3. Experience
As a general rule, licensed practical nurses in the United States get experience upon completing a community college program in one to two years. The programs feature clinical experience under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse. A beginner nurse can make around $38,000 per year, with the pay gradually rising until it reaches $43,000 for nurses with more than 20 years in the field.
In the United Kingdom, the Nurse and Midwifery Council registers nurses for practice. The qualifications consist generally of completion of a three-year program. In Canada an entry-level licensed practical nurse win up to C$51,000 each year, later the salary rises a bit but then drops reaching C$54,000 after more than 20 years on the job. In Switzerland, a beginner licensed practical nurse wins CHF61,014 per year, while a more experienced one with more than 8 years on the job can make up to CHF101,268 each year.
The Norwegian Health Authority for Health Personnel qualifies nurses for work. Nurses must be able to speak Norwegian in order to effectively serve patients. Typically, no prior work experience is required for those whose degrees are earned in Norway. An entry-level nurse in this country makes NOK381,903 per year, while a senior level one can win up to NOK633,864 yearly.
Working Hours
While licensed professional nurses typically work full-time, there are part-time positions as well. In facilities that operate 24 hours, such as hospitals and nursing homes, nurses often pull nights, weekends, holidays, and other irregular hours. Typical shifts run eight hours at a time, but they might be asked to log more. Nurses can expect to spend much of their time walking and standing.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
Employers typically establish the benefits of nurses. In fact, in Australia, those employed in the public health system have their pay, awards, and benefits determined by the state in which they work. Tese professionals can make up to AU$2,000 per year in bonuses. Employers in the United States set the pension, leave and other benefits.
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service affords nurses up to 27 days of paid leave per year and bonuses of up to £60.00 per year for working overtime and irregular shifts, as well as pension benefits. While in Australia health workers generally get ten paid sick days per year and five weeks of paid leave per year.
In Switzerland and Norway, legislation and regulation establish pension and other benefits. Norwegian nurses obtain particular benefits, such as holiday time, occupational pensions and insurance. Under Switzerland’s pillar retirement system, employees receive a pension equal to 60 percent of total pay.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 12 percent increase in licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses occupations from 2016 to 2026. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, the country experienced a 50 percent growth of licensed practical nurses from 2003 to 2013, or 106,477 additional jobs. Additionally, in Canada, LPN employment is growing faster than that of registered nurses.
An aging population will keep LPNs in fairly strong demand, with many elderly people residing in nursing homes, nurses are needed to perform bedside services. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports $47,030 licensed practical nurses were employed in skilled nursing care facilities. This sector ranks highest among employers of licensed practical nurses.
Conclusion
All in all, earnings for licensed and enrolled nurses are influenced by their experience, skill and where they work. Given that these nurses must serve patients in beds, nursing homes and hospitals should yield strong prospects for employment. For more information about salaries in this field, read our article on the nurse practitioner salary.
Working abroad is an idea becoming more appealing to me by the day…
We hope our article helps you decide on the right career path! We hope you will find the perfect job that is both rewarding and financially satisfying! All the best!