Both licenses lead to patient care, but they differ in training time, exams, duties and pay. Here is how the two routes compare, using federal data.

Practical nursing and registered nursing are two separate licenses, not two names for the same job. Both lead to hands-on patient care in hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities and private homes, but the routes differ in program length, the licensing exam, daily duties and pay. Working through each difference side by side can help you decide which path fits your timeline, budget and long-term plans.

The Two Licenses at a Glance

One naming note first: some states issue the practical nurse license as a licensed vocational nurse, or LVN. The two titles describe the same occupation, and federal data counts them together.

Point of comparison	LPN or LVN	RN
Licensing exam	NCLEX-PN	NCLEX-RN
Typical preparation	State-approved certificate or diploma program, usually about 1 year	Nursing degree program with coursework in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, nutrition and psychology
Median annual wage	$64,400 (May 2025)	Published separately; look it up in the Occupational Outlook Handbook
Core role	Delivers basic care; keeps RNs and physicians informed of patient condition	Directs patient care and teaches patients and the public about health
Projected outlook	3 percent growth from 2025 to 2035; about 51,800 openings a year	Check the current RN projection in the Occupational Outlook Handbook

Both paths end in a license, so the choice comes down to how quickly you want to start practicing and how much scope you want in patient care. The LPN route suits people who want to reach paid bedside work after roughly a year of study, including adults changing careers. The RN route involves more classroom work before licensure, in exchange for a role with a wider scope of responsibility and a coordination function rather than a mainly reporting one.

Training Paths: Certificate, Diploma and Associate in Nursing

To enter the field, prospective practical nurses finish a nursing program their state board has approved; most of these run close to a year. Certificate and diploma options are widely available at community colleges and technical schools, and some are offered at the high school level. Typical coursework spans the foundations of nursing practice, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology, and every program adds supervised clinical experience. Federal job data lists the typical entry-level education for the occupation as a postsecondary nondegree award, which matches that certificate and diploma model. For a list of approved programs in your state, contact your state board of nursing.

Registered nurse preparation runs through a nursing degree rather than a one-year certificate. The coursework adds chemistry, nutrition and psychology to the anatomy and physiology foundation, and the work calls for critical thinking, strong communication and attention to detail. Because the subject list is longer, plan on more classroom time before you are eligible to test than the practical nursing model requires.

Licensing ties both routes to program approval. Under the U.S. nursing regulatory model, a graduate must show evidence of finishing a nursing program approved by the state’s nursing regulatory body before becoming eligible to sit for the NCLEX. Some states also require national nursing accreditation for prelicensure programs by rule or statute, so approval and accreditation are separate checks. Our guide to licensure programs explains how to verify that a program actually leads to the license you want.

Adviser’s tip: Before you pay a deposit, ask the school in writing whether your state board of nursing has approved its program. Approval is what connects your education to NCLEX eligibility, and a program without it can leave graduates unable to test.

Licensing Exams: NCLEX-PN vs. NCLEX-RN

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing develops both the NCLEX-PN, for practical nurse licensure, and the NCLEX-RN, for registered nurse licensure. Both exams use computerized adaptive testing, which adjusts question difficulty based on your answers.

Registration follows the same basic steps for either exam. You apply for licensure with the nursing regulatory body where you want to practice, usually your state board of nursing, then register for the exam with Pearson VUE and pay the fee; the 2026 NCLEX examination candidate bulletin lists a $200 registration fee for U.S. licensure. After your board approves you, you receive an Authorization to Test, and you must schedule the exam before it expires. If the first attempt does not go as planned, our article on what to do if you fail the NCLEX walks through the retake process.

Eligibility rules come from your board, not from NCSBN. Typical requirements include finishing a practical or vocational nursing program your board has approved, filing a complete licensure application and paying a fee. A few boards offer alternative routes; for instance, some may let RN students or RN graduates sit for the PN exam. Passing the exam is not the same as holding the license; your board issues the license after you meet all of its requirements.

What Federal Wage Data Shows for Each Role

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks both occupations through its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. For licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, the median annual wage was $64,400 in May 2025, or about $30.96 an hour. The spread is narrow: the lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $49,740 and the top 10 percent earned more than $83,440. That median sits 26 percent above the $50,980 median across all U.S. occupations, though below the middle occupation in the broader healthcare practitioners group, which pays $102,760.

Pay also moves a great deal by state. Washington posts the highest state median for LPNs at $83,150, and pay within a state can differ between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, so pull the state and area tables for anywhere you plan to live and work.

Registered nurse pay is published under its own occupation profile in the same federal system. Rather than relying on a school’s marketing figures, look the numbers up yourself; our guide to using the Occupational Outlook Handbook shows how to find pay, duties and projections for any occupation in one place. When you compare, use the same May 2025 release for both occupations so the figures rest on equal footing.

Duties and Supervision: How the Jobs Differ

The LPN and LVN role centers on basic care for people who are sick, injured, recovering or living with disabilities. Duties shift by setting. Hospital work might involve gathering specimens for lab analysis and running routine tests. In nursing and residential care facilities, an LPN may assist patients who cannot feed themselves. During home visits, the job can include reinforcing the care instructions a registered nurse gave to a patient’s family. In every setting, LPNs keep RNs, advanced practice nurses or physicians updated on how patients are doing and what they are worried about, and the position can involve reporting to a supervising RN.

Registered nurses sit a level up in that structure. RNs direct and coordinate patient care and teach patients and the public about health conditions. In hospitals, the RN is often the staff member patients see most, giving medications, managing IVs and answering questions about treatment.

Setting matters for job hunting as well. LPNs work across nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals, doctors’ offices and private homes, and most work full time. Hiring is concentrated in long-term care, home health and outpatient clinics, which means an acute-care hospital in your area may post fewer LPN openings than a nursing home or home health agency nearby.

Moving From LPN to RN Later

Starting as an LPN does not close the door to the RN license. With experience, LPNs may advance into supervisory positions, and some change direction within healthcare by finishing a bridge program that prepares them for the registered nurse license. That path lets you earn a nursing income first, then build toward the RN credential while you work.

If a bachelor’s degree in nursing is your long-term goal, examine RN-to-BSN options early, since program features such as format and credit policies vary; our article on choosing an RN-to-BSN program lists what to check before you enroll.

Whichever order you choose, the same verification rule applies at every step: confirm in writing that a program is approved by your state board of nursing and that its credits count toward your next credential before you enroll.

Readers ask

How long does LPN training take?

Most approved practical nursing programs take about one year and end with a certificate or diploma. Community colleges, technical schools and, in some cases, high schools offer them.

Do I have to become an LPN before becoming an RN?

The two licenses have separate requirements, so you can prepare for the NCLEX-RN without holding an LPN license first. Some people still start as LPNs and complete an LPN-to-RN program later.

How much do LPNs earn compared with RNs?

Federal data shows a median annual wage of $64,400 for LPNs and LVNs in May 2025. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes RN pay separately in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

What exam does each license require?

Practical nurse candidates take the NCLEX-PN and registered nurse candidates take the NCLEX-RN. Both are developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and use computerized adaptive testing.

Admission rules, accreditation status and licensing requirements change. This guide is general information for students in the U.S.; confirm the details with the school, its accreditor or your state licensing board before you enroll.