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Salary comparison

Emergency Medicine Physicians vs. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: Who Earns More?

Emergency Medicine Physicians out-earn Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses by $271K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Emergency Medicine Physicians land at $335,550 and Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses at $64,400. The education gap is real: emergency medicine physician programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse programs require postsecondary nondegree award. Top-paying state for Emergency Medicine Physicians is Rhode Island ($512,730); for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses it's Washington ($83,150).

Emergency Medicine Physicians
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Median salary
$335,550
$64,400
Hourly rate
$161.32/hr
$30.96/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$103,610
$49,740
Senior level (90th %)
$495,910
$83,440
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Postsecondary nondegree award
U.S. employment
32,880
648,410
Job growth (10-year)
2.7%
2.6%
Category
Healthcare
Healthcare
Top-paying state
Rhode Island
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Emergency Medicine Physicians median pay.

State
Emergency Medicine Physicians
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Rhode Island
$512,730
$80,090
Alaska
$452,620
$80,800
Maryland
$451,620
$74,660
Vermont
$430,820
$69,930
Connecticut
$418,940
$73,690
Michigan
$417,760
$65,460
Minnesota
$390,940
$63,750
Washington
$380,870
$83,150
Massachusetts
$356,230
$80,220
Indiana
$347,060
$65,720
North Carolina
$339,350
$63,270
District of Columbia
$318,200
$75,740
New Jersey
$315,340
$75,160
New York
$301,690
$67,180
Idaho
$221,430
$63,800

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?

Emergency Medicine Physicians earn more nationally. The median is $335,550 for Emergency Medicine Physicians versus $64,400 for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, a difference of $271K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?

Emergency Medicine Physicians has the better 10-year outlook at 2.7% projected growth, compared to 2.6% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?

Emergency Medicine Physicians typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses requires postsecondary nondegree award. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Emergency Medicine Physicians get paid the most?

Rhode Island is the top-paying state for Emergency Medicine Physicians at $512,730/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Emergency Medicine Physicians vs. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Rhode Island, Emergency Medicine Physicians earn $512,730 vs. $80,090 for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Emergency Medicine Physicians salary breakdownView →Full Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses salary breakdownView →Best cities for Emergency Medicine Physicians by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses by take-home payExplore →How to become a emergency medicine physiciansGuide →How to become a licensed practical and licensed vocational nursesGuide →