Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Salary
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA make a median of $94,310 a year, or about $45.34 an hour. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 115.61), so that salary is closer to $81,576 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,604/month, about 60.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $94K get you in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont’s Regional Price Parity (115.61). 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont sits well above the national pay line for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, local pay runs about 46% 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 $3,604/month, which is 61.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 16% above the national average (BEA RPP 115.61), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $79K | $70K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $77K | $72K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $80K | $71K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $82K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $94K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $33K 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 61.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,604/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,554/month. At HUD’s $3,604/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Local pay is 46% above the national median — $94K here vs. $64K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 16% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compare to the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +46%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 115.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses make in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median is $94,310 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,900, and experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses can clear $109,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $94K enough to live in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,819/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,604/month, which eats 61.9% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a Regional Price Parity of 115.61 (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 $81,576 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.