Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in Rapid City, SD make a median of $52,220 a year, or about $25.11 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.16), which stretches that salary to about $58,569 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,336/month, about 36.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Rapid City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rapid City’s Regional Price Parity (89.16). 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 Rapid City
Pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Rapid City runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,336/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.16 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for licensed practical and licensed vocational nursess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metros near Rapid City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $54K | $59K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $66K | $63K |
| Omaha | $64K | $69K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $64K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rapid City, SD
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $32K 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 Rapid City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,336/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Rapid City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,486/month. At HUD’s $1,336/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Rapid City?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $52K here vs. $64K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rapid City compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Rapid City pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in Rapid City, SD?
The median is $52,220 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,440, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $73,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Rapid City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,666/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,336/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Rapid City?
Rapid City has a Regional Price Parity of 89.16 (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 $58,569 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.