Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Cedar Rapids, IA make a median of $61,840 a year, or about $29.73 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $69,514 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 23.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses pay in Cedar Rapids tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 23.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $64K | $69K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $64K | $72K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $60K | $69K |
| Sioux City | $60K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $83K | +29% | 6,780 |
| Alaska | $81K | +25% | 290 |
| Oregon | $80K | +25% | 4,260 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +25% | 13,210 |
| Rhode Island | $80K | +24% | 1,290 |
| California | $80K | +24% | 82,850 |
| New Hampshire | $77K | +20% | 2,220 |
| Arizona | $77K | +20% | 6,530 |
| Nevada | $76K | +18% | 3,350 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +18% | 1,040 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +17% | 17,410 |
| Illinois | $75K | +16% | 17,440 |
| Maryland | $75K | +16% | 9,560 |
| Colorado | $74K | +15% | 4,920 |
| Connecticut | $74K | +14% | 8,540 |
| Maine | $73K | +14% | 760 |
| Hawaii | $71K | +10% | 840 |
| Vermont | $70K | +9% | 1,130 |
| Delaware | $69K | +7% | 2,240 |
| New York | $67K | +4% | 39,400 |
| Indiana | $66K | +2% | 14,480 |
| Michigan | $65K | +2% | 10,880 |
| Virginia | $65K | +1% | 15,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -1% | 38,260 |
| Idaho | $64K | -1% | 1,880 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -1% | 7,390 |
| Minnesota | $64K | -1% | 12,840 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -1% | 480 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -2% | 18,010 |
| Utah | $63K | -2% | 1,680 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -3% | 4,580 |
| Iowa | $63K | -3% | 5,510 |
| North Dakota | $62K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Texas | $62K | -3% | 57,560 |
| Montana | $62K | -3% | 1,620 |
| Georgia | $62K | -4% | 21,060 |
| Ohio | $62K | -4% | 39,900 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -4% | 9,400 |
| Florida | $62K | -4% | 38,620 |
| Kansas | $62K | -4% | 7,530 |
| Missouri | $62K | -4% | 14,700 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -6% | 8,570 |
| New Mexico | $59K | -8% | 2,460 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -9% | 20,830 |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -9% | 11,540 |
| Louisiana | $57K | -11% | 17,600 |
| Alabama | $57K | -11% | 11,580 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -12% | 10,010 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -14% | 6,050 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -18% | 2,050 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -22% | 9,850 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary changes
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Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 23.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,083/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Cedar Rapids pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $61,840 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,390, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $75,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,052/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 23.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary is worth about $69,514 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.