Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Florida make a median of $61,770 a year, or about $29.7 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $62,660 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 38.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $62K get you in Florida?
About licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
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What this looks like in Florida
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 38.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $65K | +5% | 650 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $64K | +3% | 1,910 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $63K | +1% | 8,900 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $62K | +1% | 5,870 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $62K | +1% | 390 |
| Jacksonville | $62K | +0% | 3,050 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $62K | -0% | 1,170 |
| Port St. Lucie | $61K | -1% | 830 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $61K | -1% | 4,430 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $61K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $61K | -1% | 300 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $61K | -2% | 1,140 |
| Punta Gorda | $60K | -2% | 420 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $60K | -3% | 870 |
| Gainesville | $60K | -3% | 830 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $60K | -3% | 1,310 |
| Homosassa Springs | $60K | -4% | 330 |
| Ocala | $59K | -4% | 700 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $59K | -4% | 490 |
| Tallahassee | $59K | -4% | 860 |
| Sebring | $58K | -6% | 260 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $56K | -9% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 38.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,027/month. At HUD’s $1,658/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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Florida pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in Florida?
The median is $61,770 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,450, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $74,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,306/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 38.5% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $62,660 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.