About RN vs LPN
RNvsLPN.com is an independent career-comparison reference for prospective and working nurses weighing the Registered Nurse versus Licensed Practical Nurse decision. The site is built and maintained by Digital Signet. It is not affiliated with any nursing school, healthcare employer, licensing board, or industry association.
Why this site exists
The RN vs LPN question is structural: it is about credentialing, scope of practice, education investment, and salary trajectory over a 30-year career. Each piece of that answer lives in a different primary source. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data by occupational code (29-1141 for RNs, 29-2061 for LPNs and LVNs). The National Council of State Boards of Nursing administers the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN licensing exams. The American Nurses Association publishes scope of practice frameworks. 50 individual state boards of nursing regulate what each role can do at the medication, IV, and supervision level. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing publishes BSN curriculum essentials.
No single source answers the whole question. The dispersed-publisher SERP for RN vs LPN comparison queries reflects this: nursing schools, nursing-industry resource sites, and state board references all rank for pieces of the surface, but the consumer ends up clicking through five tabs to get the answer. This site collates those primary sources into one reference, with a salary calculator and a decision-quiz on top.
Who builds this
The site is built and maintained by Oliver at Digital Signet, an independent editorial studio operating a portfolio of consumer-decision reference sites. Oliver is not a clinician, not a nursing-school administrator, and not affiliated with any state board of nursing. The site relies on primary-source synthesis: BLS published wage tables, NCSBN published exam statistics, state board of nursing published scope regulations, and AACN published curriculum essentials.
Sister sites in the same career-comparison category:
Editorial position
RNvsLPN.com is independent. It is not affiliated with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, the Bureau of Health Workforce, any state board of nursing (NCBON, Texas BON, California BON, Washington Board of Nursing, or any other), the American Association of Medical Colleges, any individual nursing school (Galen, Jersey College, Regis, Nightingale, Pacific, Medquest), and any healthcare employer (HCA, Ascension, CommonSpirit, Kaiser, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic). Those names appear where clinical, regulatory, or institutional specificity helps the reference, not as endorsement. No paid placements. No live affiliate links today.
When a state-specific scope-of-practice claim, a salary number, or a licensing requirement is cited on this site, the authoritative source is the state board of nursing for the state where you intend to practice. Always verify before making education or career decisions.
What this site covers
Salary Comparison
All 50 states, experience curves, shift premiums
Education Requirements
LPN cert, ADN, BSN, ABSN, NCLEX
LPN to RN Bridge
ROI calculator, program types, tuition
Scope of Practice
Medication, IV, triage, supervision
Work Settings
Hospital, LTC, home health, telehealth
Career Outlook
BLS growth, nursing shortage, advancement
Editorial principles
Primary-source pattern
BLS OES (29-1141, 29-2061) for wage data. NCSBN for NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN statistics. ANA scope frameworks. State boards of nursing for licensure and scope regulation. AACN for BSN curriculum essentials. Nurse.org and NurseJournal as industry cross-references.
Career information, not clinical advice
This site reads as a credentialling and salary reference. It does not provide nursing care guidance, NCLEX coaching, or licensing-application advice. For clinical practice questions, consult your state board of nursing and your supervising clinician.
No fabricated salary or scope claims
Every dollar figure traces to a BLS or state-board-of-nursing published wage table. Every scope-of-practice statement traces to a state board regulation or the ANA scope framework. No invented per-school tuition figures.
Monthly review cadence
Sources are reviewed against the LAST_VERIFIED_DATE constant. Out-of-cycle refresh triggers: new BLS OES publication, state board scope rule change, AACN curriculum revision, NCSBN exam-stat publication, reader correction.
Single-source freshness
One LAST_VERIFIED_DATE constant drives every freshness indicator on the site (footer, hero badges, schema dateModified). When the date moves, every page moves with it. No stale per-page hardcoded dates.
Defer to your state board
When the site cites a state-specific scope-of-practice rule (e.g. LPN IV authority varies by state), the linked state board of nursing is the authoritative source. Verify before making practice decisions.
Methodology in brief
National wage averages ($86,000 RN, $55,000 LPN) are pulled from the most recent BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release for occupational codes 29-1141 (Registered Nurses) and 29-2061 (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses). State and metro-area numbers come from the same BLS state and metropolitan-area wage tables. Education timelines, NCLEX pass rates, and bridge program costs are cross-referenced against NCSBN published exam statistics, AACN published curriculum essentials, and nursing-industry program pricing as published by individual nursing schools.
For the full methodology, including refresh cadence, in-scope versus out-of-scope decisions, the LPN-to-RN bridge ROI calculator formula, and cost-of-living adjustment math, see the methodology page.
Disclosures
- State board of nursing regulations vary by state. The site cites general patterns; the authoritative source for your state is your state board of nursing directly.
- Salary data is geographic. National averages mask 2x ranges (e.g. RN average $124,000 in California versus $66,000 in South Dakota). Always check the state-specific page and the BLS state wage tables for your location.
- No live affiliate links or paid placements on the site today. Brand and institutional names appear for clinical, regulatory, or editorial specificity, not as endorsement.
- The LPN-to-RN bridge ROI calculator is illustrative, not financial advice. Tuition, opportunity cost, and salary outcomes depend on your specific program, employer tuition assistance, and state-level wage geography.
Contact and corrections
For corrections to salary figures, scope-of-practice claims, education timelines, or any other published content, please email Digital Signet via the contact form on digitalsignet.com. Include the page URL and the source you would like us to cite. We aim to respond within 5 business days.
Please do not email RNvsLPN.com for nursing-licensure emergencies or NCLEX registration deadlines. For licensure questions, contact your state board of nursing directly. For clinical-practice questions, consult your supervising RN or physician.