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

Best Licensed Practical programs in Georgia, 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.

21 schools in Georgia run programs that feed this job, graduating 808 people a year. The job pays a median of $62,030 in Georgia across about 21,060 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
808
in Georgia
Median pay · Georgia
$62,030
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
21,060
people employed
Schools
21
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
42%
across those schools
Median net price
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Georgia that lead to this job

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

1 programs in Georgia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Georgia (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 Georgia 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 Georgia
808
100.0%
21$44,377$15,018

Top 21 schools in Georgia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 19 of the 21 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Southern Regional Technical College
Thomasville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
76Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training31%
2Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
74Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$41,34747%
3Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Valdosta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
71Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$37,11250%
4Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
67Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$47,40858%
5West Georgia Technical College
Waco, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
52Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,46235%
6Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
46Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$41,53338%
7Augusta Technical College
Augusta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
39Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$51,02431%
8North Georgia Technical College
Clarkesville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
38Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$47,41639%
9Ogeechee Technical College
Statesboro, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
37Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,24843%
10Dalton State College
Dalton, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
35Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$41,59525%
11Lanier Technical College
Gainesville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
34Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$29,88134%
12Coastal Pines Technical College
Waycross, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
33Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$40,72848%
13Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
33Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$44,95743%
14South Georgia Technical College
Americus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
31Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$43,26661%
15Savannah Technical College
Savannah, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
30Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$43,59242%
16Columbus Technical College
Columbus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
26Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training27%
17Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Sandersville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
24Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$32,03165%
18Albany Technical College
Albany, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
23Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$42,05742%
19Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Clarkston, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
16Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$48,04544%
20Southeastern Technical College
Vidalia, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
13Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$39,36838%
21Athens Technical College
Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
10Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$45,11951%

All 21 schools in Georgia

Every school in Georgia 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 Georgia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Southern Regional Technical CollegeThomasvillePublic761
Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner RobinsPublic741
Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeValdostaPublic711
Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffinPublic671
West Georgia Technical CollegeWacoPublic521
Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMariettaPublic461
Augusta Technical CollegeAugustaPublic391
North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesvillePublic381
Ogeechee Technical CollegeStatesboroPublic371
Dalton State CollegeDaltonPublic351
Lanier Technical CollegeGainesvillePublic341
Coastal Pines Technical CollegeWaycrossPublic331
Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRomePublic331
South Georgia Technical CollegeAmericusPublic311
Savannah Technical CollegeSavannahPublic301

What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in Georgia

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

Median annual in Georgia
$62,030
Mean annual
$61,640
Jobs in state
21,060
What the range looks like
10th pct$46,010Median$62,03090th pct$76,690
Versus the national median
-3.7%

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

Job concentration
1.03×

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

Metro areas in Georgia

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$65,060median
9,710 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$63,760median
1,220 jobs
Gainesville, GA
$64,080median
390 jobs
Savannah, GA
$62,810median
890 jobs
Athens-Clarke County, GA
$61,600median
420 jobs
Macon-Bibb County, GA
$60,990median
740 jobs
Rome, GA
$61,710median
440 jobs
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA
$59,200median
260 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 Georgia

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 Georgia.

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 808 degrees in Georgia in 2024-25, 100.0% 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 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Practical Nursing. Together they graduate about 808 people a year in Georgia.

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

The median is $62,030 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.7% 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 Georgia?+

21 institutions in Georgia reported graduates from at least one of the 1 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 YorkFloridaIowaVirginia

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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