From 2015 to 2016, the average LVN salary rose just over 2.5%; the median hourly rate nationwide now sits at $21.27. BLS had their 2015 pay at $20.76, with rated increases in 23 of the 30 metropolitan areas surveyed. Texas saw the largest increase, now sitting at $22.77.
Licensed Vocational Nurses in California are still seeing their pay stuck near the bottom. The for-profit LVN programs are still popping up like crazy, all over the place. Paying 40k and dedicating 12-18 months for a 20/hr gig. Yikes. Even at that cost, their classes stay jam-packed. Thankfully a few scammy ones have been shut down recently, but over 80% of the 150 or so accredited LVN programs listed on the BVNPT site are for-profit. California Community Colleges are dropping their LVN programs left and right(5 shut down their programs in 2016), as are District Adult Schools.
LVN Salary in Bakersfield, Ca
Pay for newly licensed LVN's in Bakersfield is still below the State and National averages. 2016 saw the starting salary at $19.18. Pay for LVN's at Kaiser Permanente facilities are still the exception when it comes to pay and benefits: The average pay for LVN's at the Kern County Kaiser outpatient clinics averages just under $31.00/hour. Kaiser is still contracting with San Joaquin Community Hospital for inpatient services.
Fresno County LVN Pay
The average hourly rate for LVN's in Fresno County went from $23.10 in 2014 to $24.34 in 2016. Community Regional Medical Center remains the largest employer of nurses, both LVN and RN, in the San Joaquin Valley. Most of the LVN's work at the Subacute & Transitional Care Center in Fresno.
Fresno City College still has the LVN-RN bridge program. LVN's used to go in 3rd semester, but now have to go in 2nd semester. Regardless, it remains a popular bridge program. With the average RN hourly rate currently sitting at $42.29, many LVN's are willing to put in the 3 semesters. The 169 bed inpatient facility at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center still offers the highest pay for both LVN's and RN's.
States with the Highest & Lowest LVN Pay
Connecticut remains the highest paying state with an average of $25.93/hour. Nevada still has the number 2 spot with a mean wage of $25.23/hour. West Virginia and Mississippi are tied for dead last with a mean wage of $14.15/hour.
States with the Most & Least Jobs
Texas leads with the most LVN positions - just under 10% of all positions in the country. California is a close 2nd with 9% of all positions for LVN's. At the bottom of the barrel are Alaska and Wyoming, both with under 1% of all positions.
Job Outlook for LVN's
Nationwide, there are 719,900 LVN's with up-to-date licensure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting a net positive change of 117,300 LVN jobs through 2024. This is substantially lower than the 28% prospective increase for other allied healthcare positions such as surgical techs, ultrasound technologists, and cardiovascular techs.
