Average Salary

• LPNs who work in physician's offices earn an average annual salary of $36,770 as of May 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This falls below the overall mean wage of all LPN in any industry, which is $40,900. General medical and surgical hospitals tend to pay more with an average salary of $39,980, while those working in nursing care facilities earn even more at $42,320.
  
  

Location

• The location an LPN lives in will have an effect on his salary, as physician's offices must take the local cost of living into account, as well as demand for LPNs, when setting salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Connecticut is the highest paying state at an annual mean wage of $52,300. New Jersey, Rhode Island, California and New Mexico follow with salaries ranging from $49,760 to $50,350.
  
  

Experience

• Many of the skills required to be an LPN, particularly the medical skills (as opposed to clerical), take time and experience to hone. LPNs tend to earn a higher income as they gain experience. While the starting salary range for an LPN is $27,690 to $39,156, that range increases to $30,986 to $45,004 after five years, according to PayScale. With over twenty years of experience, licensed practical nurses earn between $34,504 and $48,033.
  
  

Certification

• PayScale states that overall, the salary range for those with licensed practical nursing certification is $29,530 to $43,790. However, LPNs can earn additional certification that may effect their salary. An LPN with an advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certificate earns up to $46,872, while one with wound care certification (WCC) earns up to $50,868. An LPN with basic life support certification can earn up to $41,578, while one who is also a basic life support instructor earns between $29,928 and $52,000 annually.