Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in El Centro, CA make a median of $74,710 a year, or about $35.92 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.17), that's roughly $78,502 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,362/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in El Centro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Centro’s Regional Price Parity (95.17). 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 El Centro
El Centro sits well above the national pay line for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Rent runs $1,362/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.17) 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 El Centro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $79K | $70K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $94K | $82K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $77K | $72K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $80K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Centro, CA
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $29K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when El Centro numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Centro?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 28.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,362/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 El Centro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,728/month. At HUD’s $1,362/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 El Centro?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $75K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does El Centro compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
El Centro pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in El Centro, CA?
The median is $74,710 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,140, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $91,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in El Centro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,822/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,362/month, which eats 28.2% 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 El Centro?
El Centro has a Regional Price Parity of 95.17 (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 $78,502 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.