# Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

US SOC code 29-2061. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2061

Also called: Licensed practical nurse, LPN, Licensed vocational nurse, LVN, Practical nurse.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **648,410** US licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, with median pay of **$64,400** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2756047/) of **75,000** from 1940, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: EHR mandates, 2009 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2061&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **25%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.058** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.058. BLS counted **705,200** of these jobs in May 2013 and **648,410** in May 2025. The count moved sharply in one step, May 2020 to May 2021, when BLS changed how it estimates these counts, so no change is derived here.

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1892
- Latest US employment: 648,410 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $64,400 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [10]
- Outlook: +3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [26]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 32101)
  - Employment, 2020: 73,385. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [7]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 32101 Licensed practical nurses, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$63,600. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [15]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 32101 Licensed practical nurses, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- **Australia** (ANZSCO 4114)
  - Employment, 2025: 21,600. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey [8]. ABS Labour Force Survey (Detailed), table EQ08: employed persons in ANZSCO 4114 Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses, national (summed across sex and state/territory), annual average of 4 quarterly estimates.
  - Median pay, 2025: A$92,404. Source: ABS Employee Earnings May 2025 [16]. Annualised (x52) from A$1,777 median weekly earnings. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025: median pay for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax. Surfaced via the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1940 | 75,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Whelan et al. (2009) [1] |
| 1970 | 370,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DHHS / NCI [2] |
| 1980 | 549,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DHHS / NCI [2] |
| 2000 | 679,470 | $29,440 | BLS OEWS 2000 [3] |
| 2003 | 682,590 | $32,390 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 702,740 | $33,970 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 710,020 | $35,230 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 720,380 | $36,550 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 719,240 | $37,940 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 730,500 | $39,030 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 728,670 | $39,820 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 730,290 | $40,380 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 729,140 | $41,150 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 718,800 | $41,540 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 705,200 | $41,920 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 695,610 | $42,490 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 697,250 | $43,170 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 702,400 | $44,090 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 702,700 | $45,030 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 701,690 | $46,240 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 697,510 | $47,480 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 676,440 | $48,820 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 641,240 | $48,070 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 632,020 | $54,620 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 630,250 | $59,730 | BLS OEWS May 2023 (employment) [4]; BLS OEWS May 2023 (pay) [11] |
| 2024 | 632,430 | $62,340 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 648,410 | $64,400 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (89)

### Employment series

1. [Whelan et al. (2009) — "Counting Nurses: The Power of Historical Census Data" (PMC2756047; male practical nurse data used for proportioning)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2756047/), Nursing History Review / PMC
2. [US DHHS / NCI — "Meeting Current and Future Needs for Nurses" (NCBI NBK218553); 1970 LPN employment figure](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218553/), National Academy of Sciences / NCBI
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
8. [ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, table EQ08 (Employed persons by Occupation unit group, ANZSCO 2013), latest release](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release), Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Wage series

9. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
10. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
11. [BLS OEWS May 2023 — 29-2061 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses median annual wage ($59,730; $28.72/hr)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes292061.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
12. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
15. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
16. [Jobs and Skills Australia: Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025)](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/4114-enrolled-and-mothercraft-nurses), Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Tool eras

17. [Wikipedia — Licensed practical nurse (Ballard School history, YWCA Brooklyn, Thompson Practical Nursing School 1907)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_practical_nurse), Wikipedia
18. [US DHHS / NCI — "Meeting Current and Future Needs for Nurses" (NCBI NBK218553; LPN licensure and workforce growth context)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218553/), National Academy of Sciences / NCBI
19. [US National Archives — "Medicare and Medicaid Act (1965)"](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/medicare-and-medicaid-act), US National Archives
20. [American Nurses Credentialing Center — Magnet Recognition Program (history and impact on nursing staffing models)](https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/), American Nurses Credentialing Center / ANA
21. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 29-2061 LPN/LVN industry distribution 2024 (hospitals 16.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2061&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [PMC — "Documentation Burden in Nursing and Its Role in Clinician Burnout Syndrome" (PMC9581587)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9581587/), PMC / Nursing Research
23. [KFF — "Nursing Facility Staffing Shortages During the COVID-19 Pandemic"](https://www.kff.org/medicaid/nursing-facility-staffing-shortages-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/), Kaiser Family Foundation
24. [JMIR — "Time Savings Through an AI Speech Assistant for Nursing Documentation: Pre-Post Time-Motion Study" (2026)](https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e86078/), Journal of Medical Internet Research
25. [Catalia Health — Mabu Care Robot (SNF conversational AI pilot programs)](https://jonbirger.com/), Catalia Health

### Forecasts and exposure studies

26. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-2061 Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (2025: 666.9 thousand; 2035: 686.7 thousand; +3.0%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2061&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
27. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 29-2061 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: probability 0.058, rank 144 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
28. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-2061.00, human-rated β 0.25)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

29. [Wikipedia — Licensed practical nurse (Ballard School history, Thompson Practical Nursing School 1907)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_practical_nurse), Wikipedia
30. [US National Archives — "Medicare and Medicaid Act (1965)"](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/medicare-and-medicaid-act), US National Archives
31. [American Nurses Credentialing Center — Magnet Recognition Program overview](https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/), American Nurses Credentialing Center / ANA
32. [PMC — "Documentation Burden in Nursing and Its Role in Clinician Burnout Syndrome" (PMC9581587)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9581587/), PMC / Nursing Research
33. [KFF — "Nursing Facility Staffing Shortages During the COVID-19 Pandemic"](https://www.kff.org/medicaid/nursing-facility-staffing-shortages-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/), Kaiser Family Foundation
34. [National Nursing Home Authority — "Nursing Home Reform History: Federal Minimum Staffing Standards (2024)"](https://nationalnursinghomeauthority.com/nursing-home-reform-history), National Nursing Home Authority

### Predecessors & successors

35. [BLS OOH — "Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses" (education and training section)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
36. [Wikipedia — Licensed practical nurse (NAPNES founding 1941, standardized curriculum 1942)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_practical_nurse), Wikipedia
37. [BLS OOH — "Home Health and Personal Care Aides" (projected +22% growth 2024-34)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (29-2061.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2061.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS OOH — Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: ~631,000 employed 2024; +5% growth 2024-2034; 68,000 annual openings; median wage $59,730; 38% in nursing/residential care facilities](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [PointClickCare: AI workflows (product page): its Advisor suite brings AI into the skilled nursing EHR, helping clinical staff prioritize high-risk residents and summarize notes; some users report up to 30 minutes saved per MDS assessment](https://pointclickcare.com/why-pointclickcare/ai-workflows-in-healthcare/), accessed 2026-10-07
- [MatrixCare: Skilled nursing facility software (product page): an EHR for post-acute and long-term care with predictive insights and analytics on census, readmissions and quality measures](https://www.matrixcare.com/skilled-nursing-software/), accessed 2026-10-07
- [Hippocratic AI Nurse Co-Pilot — medication adherence and patient education voice agent; co-developed with Cleveland Clinic, Cincinnati Children's, OhioHealth; 180M+ patient interactions (PR Newswire Nov 2025)](https://hippocraticai.com/nurse-co-pilot/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [McKnight's Long-Term Care News 2025-2026 — AI med-pass workflow automation, AI early-warning, automated shift documentation, and virtual nursing oversight are dominant AI adoption themes in SNF/LTC nursing](https://www.mcknights.com/news/tech-news/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ANA OJIN May 2025 — "The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Practice": licensed nurses accountable for AI output validation; AI supports but does not replace clinical judgment](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/table-of-contents/volume-30-2025/number-2-may-2025/the-ethical-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-nursing-practice/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; LPN/LVN seed alpha=0.079, beta=0.25, gamma=0.421](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Notable Health — conversational AI pre-visit intake; auto-populates EHR from patient conversation; deployed at 80+ health systems; primary care and clinic LPN workflow augmentation (HIMSS 2025; Notable Health press releases 2024-2025)](https://www.notablehealth.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [JAMA multi-site study (2025) — AI ambient scribes reduced EHR documentation time 16 min per encounter across licensed nursing staff cohorts](https://www.aha.org/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-29-ai-advances-reduce-burden-nurses-get-fresh-look), accessed 2026-05-23

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.