5 Ways to Increase Your Salary as an LPN
A substantial number of nurses today begin their careers as an LPN, or Licensed Practical Nurse. However, long work hours, strenuous work hours, and sometimes less than desirable working conditions can often lead to a strong desire to increase the LPN salary to make the job seem more worthwhile. On top of these conditions, many LPNs began their career with an intention of becoming a registered nurse, and for many reasons, have never completed that education.
Healthcare has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Increases in need have forced many institutions to expand and increases in the number of patients at those medical institutions have severely hurt the nurse to patient ratios. While these circumstances have obvious detriments to patient care, they have created new venues and opportunities for an LPN.
Licensed Practical Nurses have more opportunities today than ever before. Along with those opportunities comes a wide range of salary offerings. Finding those jobs, or even getting placement in them, is a challenge that faces an LPN. With so many options available today, an LPN may simply need some guidance into where to look for a higher salary.
Opportunities for LPNs to increase their pay
The pay scale for an LPN varies widely, depending on factors, such as:
- Urban over rural areas
- Size of the institution
- Number of hours worked
- Availability of overtime
- Private entity or Municipality
- Local competition
- Costs of living in the area
- Further your education
Here are some tips on how an LPN can increase their pay and perhaps make their job much more desirable.
- Seek employment in large establishments – in almost every instance, the size of the entity is a direct reflection on the amount of base salary offered. In many cases, salaries can be as much as 20% more at a larger facility, and along with the higher wage comes better benefits and greater opportunities for tuition reimbursement for pursuing an RN license.
- Always seek full time employment – It is not uncommon for an LPN to be working 2 part-time jobs, thinking that “2 jobs are better than 1”. This is far from the truth. We all know that overtime is almost always available for an LPN that truly wants it. So, let’s do some number crunching.
An LPN working 2 part-time jobs could easily put in 50 hours per week. If they are making an average of $15.00 per hour, then that translates into $750.00 weekly income.
An LPN working 50 hours per week at just 1 full time job at the same wage of $15.00 per hour would make $825 per week. (40 hours at $15 and 10 hours at $22.50) That is $75.00, or 10% more per week, just by being considered full time. And, that number increases exponentially as pay rate increases. A full time nurse making $20 per hour would make an astounding 20% more income than a part time nurse making the same amount per hour.
Aside from a much better weekly income as a full time LPN, there are a good many other advantages. Paid sick time, insurance benefits, paid vacations, tuition reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement coincide with being considered full time.
- Work in areas where cost of living are higher, but live in area that is lower – The majority of LPNs we spoke with said that they live in either a small community or even a rural area. However, they also said that they work in small towns or even private practices in the area. When we asked those that work in small towns or cities, many said they drive an average of 30 minutes to work.
- Private or Municiple? – An LPN can almost always find work any place where patients are treated. In some rare instances an LPN could make substantial money at a private practice, such as a family physician’s office or clinic. However, the majority of the highest paid LPNs make their salary working for government funded medical establishments, like hospitals and nursing homes. Also, travel jobs and home health care also sometimes top the pay scales.
- Seek more education – good many LPNs dreamed of becoming a registered nurse at one time. There is no need for that dream to end. With the technology available today, an LPN can go back to school and become an RN without ever going to a classroom. The LPN to RN online program is available for those with the desire to become what they once dreamed of. Not only will a graduate step away with a great feeling of accomplishment, they will also put themselves into a position of solving their financial hardships. The program can be taken as a LPN to RN, or students can choose to obtain a degree from it by attending the LPN to ASN or ADN. For the really ambitious, students can continue on and even obtain a BSN.
In almost every case, those same LPNs stated that there was a large city or metropolis within 1 hour driving distance. When we began to calculate the numbers, we found the cost of living could be as high as 30% higher in the urban area. Along with that, income levels were also as much as 28% higher. This means that an LPN living outside of a metro area could make as much as 28% more income, at the sacrifice of driving only 30 minutes further to work than they currently do.
One place that many people fail to think about is employment in the nation’s penal system. We found that LPNs working in places such as prisons and jails often times made nearly as much as average registered nurses in the area. Aside from the great pay at these places, most offer some of the best benefits and pension plans. And, despite the mere thought of working in such a place, most are very well kept and offer a very professional environment. These are jobs that are absolutely worth checking into.
An RN can earn an average of $60,000 per year, even without specialty training: A figure that surely makes the extra 1 year of school worthwhile. Also, with so many financing options and since federal funding and grants are available, LPNs wanting to advance to a registered nursing no longer have an excuse. The LPN to RN online takes the burden off of going back to school, and is already improving the lives of many Licensed Practical Nurses.
Tired of working for sub-par pay and low level working conditions? Take action now and utilize some simple steps to increase your pay as an LPN or even go back to school and become a nurse through the LPN to RN online.
