Is The LPN Salary Worth The Effort Of Qualification?
This question is a tough one to answer, and perhaps prevocatively posed, but I think it is an important one that all LPN’s and those considering qualifying to become an LPN really do need to consider carefully.
There are many accounts in the media and on the web which suggest that there is a chronic shortage of nurses, both Registered Nurses (RN’s) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) and as a consequence there is almost no doubt that having qualified all a new nurse has to do is to show themselves to prospective employers and they will be welcomed with open arms and overflowing pay-packets. All appears rosy for the prospective LPN looking to start their career in nursing. But, if there is indeed a shortage of nurses in the sector then presumably the LPN salary will be commensurately high in reflection of the urgent need that healthcare employers have to locate suitable job candidates.
Unfortunately, while it would be easy to report here that this situation was indeed the case and that anyone considering training to become an LPN should just jump in with both feet and if they do so then they will never look back as the opportunities are boundless and enriching, the real truth is far from clear. It is true that many employers, especially hospitals report difficulties in recruiting nurses, but the sad reality is that despite encountering such difficulties in recruitment, these same hospitals have cut back their LPN staff at what would appear to be a critical time.
This is clearly demonstrable by reference to the average starter LPN salary. Using payscale.com you can see that the typical LPN salary that is earnt in the early years is in the range $31,973 – $44,783. This rises to and LPN salary range of $46,014 – $66,112 for more experienced practitioners. But what do these figures mean? Many reading this article will simply not be able to qualify with other opportunities.
Well, as a good source of reference in 2008 the national average wage for employees working in the private sector was $50,028, and the average wage for those working in the Federal Civilian sector was $79,197 (an average salary so significantly ahead of where the private productive sector is that it may surprise many reading this). However, given the difficult economic circumstances our country currently faces and the fact that the federal and state sectors are shedding jobs quickly this particular number may not be that relevant. What the above numbers do show however, is that the starter LPN can expect an LPN salary somewhat below the national average, but the more experienced worker may well be at or even slightly higher than the average.
Going back to the question asked in the title to this article – is the LPN salary worth the effort of qualification? The answer would therefore appear to be a tentative “Yes”. The typical LPN salary would appear to be reasonable although clearly not great, the role of the LPN while pretty tough has good prospects, provides great access to further training and development, and gives good job security to those who work hard. These are all important characteristics when the employment environment we currently face is best described as bleak and will likely remain so for the near future.
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