LPN vs RN: what's the difference?

What is the difference between an LPN and an RN?

The main difference is depth: RNs have longer training, take a different licensing exam, and carry a broader and more independent scope of practice than LPNs. A licensed practical nurse (LPN) gives basic, hands-on care, usually under an RN or physician. A registered nurse (RN) assesses patients, plans their care, and often directs the work of LPNs and aides.

You may also see the title licensed vocational nurse (LVN). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), LPN and LVN duties are nearly identical, and the title simply depends on the state; Texas, for example, licenses LVNs.

	LPN / LVN	RN
Typical program	Certificate or diploma, about 1 year (BLS)	BSN, associate degree (ADN/ASN), or hospital diploma
Licensing exam	NCLEX-PN	NCLEX-RN
Practice role	Works under supervision; how much is set by the state	Independent role; may supervise LPNs and aides
Assessment (Texas example)	Focused assessment of the situation at hand	Initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment
Median pay, May 2025 (BLS)	$64,400 per year	$97,550 per year
Projected growth, 2025–35 (BLS)	3%	6%
Jobs in 2025 (BLS)	666,900	3,465,400
Largest employer type (BLS)	Nursing and residential care facilities (37%)	Hospitals (59%)

How long does it take to become an LPN vs an RN?

Becoming an LPN is faster: BLS says approved practical nursing programs typically take about a year. These certificate and diploma programs are offered at community colleges and technical schools, and some high schools, and every one includes supervised clinical practice.

The RN path is longer and has three routes. BLS lists a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) as the typical entry-level education for RNs and says BSN programs typically take 4 years to complete. Its RN profile gives the same 4-year typical completion time for associate degrees (ADN/ASN) and 2 to 3 years for hospital-based diploma programs.

That ADN figure can look surprising next to the program design. The Texas Board of Nursing says ADN and diploma programs are usually equal to two academic years (about 60 credits). A BSN is usually equal to four academic years (about 120 credits). BLS doesn’t explain the gap. Texas describes the course load, which is only part of your total time. Prerequisites and part-time study can stretch your real timeline.

If the school you want requires an entrance exam, it will often be the ATI TEAS or the HESI A2; check its admission page before you apply.

Which licensing exam do LPNs and RNs take?

LPNs take the NCLEX-PN and RNs take the NCLEX-RN, both developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). BLS says that to get licensed you must graduate from an approved program and pass the exam, and each state’s board of nursing sets any other requirements.

The two exams share the same format under the test plans effective April 2026:

• A computer-adaptive test of 85 to 150 items
• A five-hour limit that includes breaks
• 15 unscored pretest items and three clinical judgment case studies on every exam

NCSBN lists the registration fee for candidates seeking US licensure as $200. It says that, effective Feb. 1, 2027, the fee will be $350 in the United States.

The content is where they differ. The NCLEX-PN tests Coordinated Care (18–24% of items), which NCSBN frames as collaborating with the health care team. The NCLEX-RN instead tests Management of Care (15–21%), described as providing and directing care, including delegating to and supervising LPNs and assistive personnel.

Content area (2026 test plans)	NCLEX-PN	NCLEX-RN
Coordinated Care (PN) / Management of Care (RN)	18–24%	15–21%
Safety and Infection Prevention and Control	10–16%	10–16%
Health Promotion and Maintenance	6–12%	6–12%
Psychosocial Integrity	9–15%	6–12%
Basic Care and Comfort	7–13%	6–12%
Pharmacological Therapies (PN) / Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies (RN)	10–16%	13–19%
Reduction of Risk Potential	9–15%	9–15%
Physiological Adaptation	7–13%	11–17%

If you are heading toward the RN exam, our NCLEX-RN hub explains each category and the newer case-study item types.

What can an RN do that an LPN can’t?

In general, an RN performs the full assessment and builds the plan of care. An LPN contributes to that plan and carries out parts of it under supervision. The exact limits are written into each state’s nurse practice act, so they are not the same everywhere.

BLS notes that LPNs typically work under RNs and doctors, and that each state decides how directly they must be supervised. BLS gives examples of how states differ. In some states, trained LPNs give medication or start IV lines. In others, experienced LPNs supervise other LPNs or unlicensed staff. NCSBN’s national delegation guidelines likewise say an LPN/VN can delegate only where the state’s nurse practice act allows it.

Texas offers a clear example of the split. Its board calls the LVN role directed and supervised, built on focused assessment. The RN role is independent. It includes comprehensive assessment, problem identification, and writing the plan of care. To learn the rules where you will work, look up your own state board of nursing.

Where do LPNs and RNs work, and what do they earn?

Most RNs work in hospitals, while LPNs are spread more evenly, with nursing homes and residential care as their largest employer. BLS reports that 59% of RNs worked in hospitals in 2025, followed by ambulatory health care services (19%). For LPNs and LVNs, the top settings were nursing and residential care facilities (37%), hospitals (16%), home health care (12%), and physician offices (11%).

The pay gap is wide. In May 2025, the BLS median annual wage was $97,550 for RNs and $64,400 for LPNs and LVNs, a difference of $33,150. Pay also shifts by setting: RNs in hospitals had a median of $100,220, and LPNs in nursing and residential care facilities had a median of $68,020.

Both fields are projected to grow. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year. For LPNs and LVNs it projects 3% growth and about 51,800 openings a year, many of them from replacing workers who retire or change jobs.

Can an LPN become an RN?

Yes: BLS notes that an LPN may complete an LPN-to-RN program to become a registered nurse. After finishing the program, you still have to pass the NCLEX-RN and get an RN license from your state.

Each school sets its own bridge program details, so compare several and confirm each one is approved by your state board of nursing. Once licensed, RNs with an associate degree or diploma can later earn a bachelor’s through an RN-to-BSN program, according to BLS. RNs who want to become nurse practitioners or other advanced practice nurses need at least a master’s degree.

How do you choose between LPN and RN?

The choice mostly comes down to how fast you want to start working versus how far you want the license to take you. An LPN program gets you into licensed nursing work sooner, and an LPN-to-RN program can still lead to an RN license later.

The RN route takes longer but leads to a wider scope, higher median pay, and paths into advanced practice. Before you decide, weigh these questions:

• How much time and money can you put into school right now?
• Do you want to work mainly in long-term care and clinics, or in hospitals?
• What does your state allow LPNs to do, and which local programs are approved?
• Would a bridge program near you let you move from LPN to RN later?

If you are already set on the RN path, a free NCLEX-RN practice test shows the kind of clinical judgment items the exam uses.

Quick answers

Is an LPN the same as an LVN? Yes, in practice: BLS says the duties are nearly identical and the title depends on the state.

Is the NCLEX-PN easier than the NCLEX-RN? NCSBN doesn’t rank them by difficulty. In 2025, first-time US-educated candidates passed at almost the same rate: 86.6% on the NCLEX-PN and 86.7% on the NCLEX-RN for US licensure (NCSBN). The exams share a format but test different roles, and the NCLEX-RN puts more weight on medications and physiological adaptation.

Can an LPN work in a hospital? Yes. BLS reports that 16% of LPNs and LVNs worked in hospitals in 2025, though nursing and residential care facilities employed more.

Do RNs supervise LPNs? They can. BLS notes that some RNs oversee LPNs, and the NCLEX-RN test plan includes delegating to and supervising LPN/VNs.

How much more do RNs make than LPNs? Based on May 2025 BLS medians, about $33,150 more per year ($97,550 vs $64,400).