Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA make a median of $81,350 a year, or about $39.11 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.67), that's roughly $78,470 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,960/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $81K get you in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater’s Regional Price Parity (103.67). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits well above the national pay line for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, local pay runs about 26% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,960/month, which is 35.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metros near Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $86K | $77K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $79K | $79K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $80K | $80K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $82K | $77K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $35K 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 35.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,960/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,811/month. At HUD’s $1,960/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Local pay is 26% above the national median — $81K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?
The median is $81,350 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,520, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $98,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,468/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,960/month, which eats 35.8% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has a Regional Price Parity of 103.67 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses salary is worth about $78,470 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.