Florida·Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations·SOC 29-2061

Best Licensed Practical programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment

Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse.

75 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,840 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,770 in Florida across about 38,620 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledCharge NurseClinic NurseLicensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse)Office NursePrivate Duty NurseRadiation Oncology NurseLicensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Graduates / yr
2,840
in Florida
Median pay · Florida
$61,770
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
38,620
people employed
Schools
75
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
61%
across those schools
Median net price
$27,686
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

2 programs in Florida that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Florida page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 51.3901In Florida
2,406
84.7%
67$44,377$15,018
2
CIP 51.3999In Florida
434
15.3%
8$44,377$15,018

Top 25 schools in Florida

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 42 of the 75 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1FVI School of Nursing and Technology
Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
258Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other$24,31289%$27,81874%
2Rasmussen University - Florida
Ocala, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
146Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$45,27142%$20,261
3Gwinnett Institute
Orlando, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
87Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$33,606
4Atlantic Technical College
Coconut Creek, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
81Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$46,26765%
5Sheridan Technical College
Hollywood, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
79Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$39,15669%
6Lake Technical College
Eustis, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
74Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$43,03947%
7ATA Career Education
Spring Hill, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
70Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$41,55367%$27,393
8Pinellas Technical College - Clearwater
Clearwater, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
70Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$37,86752%
9Pinellas Technical College - St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
70Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$47,30660%
10Concorde Career Institute - Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
62Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$46,51347%$28,46694%
11Herzing University - Orlando
Winter Park, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
62Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other$47,31037%$20,69794%
12Immokalee Technical College
Immokalee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
62Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$40,94986%
13Southeastern College - Boynton Beach
Boynton Beach, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
62Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,96588%$35,97487%
14First Coast Technical College
Saint Augustine, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
59Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training77%
15Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Naples, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
59Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,72199%
16Miami Dade College
Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
57Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training46%
17Erwin Technical College
Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
50Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,51580%
18William T McFatter Technical College
Davie, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
50Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$39,10166%
19Medical Institute of Palm Beach
Greenacres, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
48Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training85%$43,115
20Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
46Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$57,57937%
21Lively Technical College
Tallahassee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
46Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$38,71251%
22Suncoast Technical College
Sarasota, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
45Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$40,36450%
23Charlotte Technical College
Port Charlotte, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
44Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$40,68051%
24Manatee Technical College
Bradenton, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
43Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$47,10264%
25Fortis Institute - Port Saint Lucie
Port Saint Lucie, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
41Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$45,99653%$27,686

All 75 schools in Florida

Every school in Florida with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Florida that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
FVI School of Nursing and TechnologyMiamiPrivate for-profit2581
Rasmussen University - FloridaOcalaPrivate for-profit1461
Gwinnett InstituteOrlandoPrivate for-profit871
Atlantic Technical CollegeCoconut CreekPublic811
Sheridan Technical CollegeHollywoodPublic791
Lake Technical CollegeEustisPublic741
ATA Career EducationSpring HillPrivate for-profit701
Pinellas Technical College - ClearwaterClearwaterPublic701
Pinellas Technical College - St. PetersburgSaint PetersburgPublic701
Concorde Career Institute - JacksonvilleJacksonvillePrivate for-profit621
Herzing University - OrlandoWinter ParkPrivate not-for-profit621
Immokalee Technical CollegeImmokaleePublic621
Southeastern College - Boynton BeachBoynton BeachPrivate for-profit621
First Coast Technical CollegeSaint AugustinePublic591
Lorenzo Walker Technical CollegeNaplesPublic591

What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in Florida

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Florida
$61,770
Mean annual
$62,150
Jobs in state
38,620
What the range looks like
10th pct$50,450Median$61,77090th pct$74,320
Versus the national median
-4.1%

U.S. median $64,400. Florida pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.93×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Florida

Naples-Marco Island, FL
$64,590median
650 jobs
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$62,610median
8,900 jobs
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
$63,770median
1,910 jobs
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
$62,490median
5,870 jobs
Port St. Lucie, FL
$61,300median
830 jobs
Jacksonville, FL
$62,070median
3,050 jobs
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
$61,530median
1,170 jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
$61,000median
1,120 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
54,400
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
17,100
651,400 → 668,500
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses page.

How to become a Licensed Practical

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

MonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Florida

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 2 majors mapped to Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 51.3901Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training
  • 51.3999Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other

Common questions

Answers for people weighing licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses programs in Florida.

What degree do you need to become a Licensed Practical?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training, which awarded 2,406 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 84.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Licensed Practical?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Practical Nursing. Together they graduate about 2,840 people a year in Florida.

How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in Florida?+

The median is $61,770 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.1% below the U.S. median of $64,400. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses growing?+

BLS projects a +2.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 54,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Florida?+

75 institutions in Florida reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Charge Nurse, Clinic Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-2061.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in other statesCaliforniaKentuckyOhioTexasNew YorkIowaVirginiaPennsylvania

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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