Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC make a median of $65,140 a year, or about $31.32 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $66,913 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 38.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $65K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,686/month, which is 39.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $64K | $65K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $64K | $69K |
| Winston-Salem | $63K | $68K |
| Fayetteville | $65K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $25K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 39.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
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 $3,073/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $65,140 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,210, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $76,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,273/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 39.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary go in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (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 $66,913 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.