A Salary Comparison of RNs & LPNs in Alabama
Licensed practical nurses provide basic bedside care, such as changing bed clothes, giving out medication and checking temperatures. Registered nurses have more medical training and a higher level of responsibility than LPNs. In addition to providing basic care, they evaluate and advise patients and may help develop treatment plans. Accordingly, RNs receive higher salaries. According to a customized salary report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 41,560 RNs and 15,720 LPNs worked in the state of Alabama as of May 2008.
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Annual Salaries
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RNs in Alabama earned a mean annual wage of $56,670 in May 2008, according to a customized salary report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. LPNs, however, earned a mean annual wage of $32,760. Median annual earnings for RNs in Alabama were $53,660 in May 2008, according to the BLS salary report. The middle half brought home between $45,570 and $63,250. The highest-paid 10 percent made an annual salary exceeding $75,730. The lowest-compensated tenth of RNs earned salaries below $39,100. The BLS report listed the median salary for LPNs at $32,130 and the median salary range as $27,920 to $37,510. The lowest-paid 10 percent of LPNs in the state earned less than $24,120 and the tenth of LPNs who were the highest earners made incomes exceeding $41,500.
Hourly Wages
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Nurses often are compensated per hours worked as opposed to a blanket salary. The hourly mean wage for RNs in Alabama was $27.25 as of May 2008, according to the customized salary report. The median hourly pay for RNs in the state was $25.80, with a median salary range of $21.91 to $30.41. The lowest-earning tenth of RNs in Alabama made less than $18.80, while the highest-paid 10 percent made more than $36.41 per hour. Compensation for LPNs was lower. They earned an average hourly salary of $15.75, according to a May 2008 report by the BLS. The median hourly wage was $15.45 and the middle half earned between $13.43 and $18.03 hourly. The tenth of LPNs who had the lowest hourly wages earned less than $11.60. The highest-paid 10 percent made more than $19.95 each hour.
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National Comparison
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The average salary of RNs in Alabama is more than $8,400 lower than the national average for the occupation, which is $65,130. Likewise, the average LPN salary in Alabama is nearly $8,000 lower than the nationwide average for the profession, $40,110, according to the BLS. When compared to the average nursing salaries in other states, nursing salaries in Alabama are on the low end of the earnings spectrum. Out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Alabama has the 12th-lowest average RN salary and the fourth lowest LPN salary.
Wage Factors
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According to 2010 salary surveys conducted by the private company Payscale.com, median salary ranges for LPNs and RNs in the United States increase the longer a nurse has been on the job. For example, LPNs with less than one year of work experience earn annual salaries that fall between $27,256 and $39,694, while those who have been on the job for more than 20 years can expect to bring home between $33,288 and $46,513. While this data is not specific to RNs or LPNs in Alabama, it is a good indication of the progressive nature of nursing salaries.
Industry and Location
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Nurses working in metropolitan areas tend to earn higher salaries than their counterparts working in non-metropolitan parts of the state. This is likely due to the relatively higher cost of living in urban areas. Another factor that can impact nursing salaries is industry. According to the BLS, RNs working in general medical and surgical hospitals earn more than those working in the offices of physicians. RNs working in the offices of physicians bring home more than RNs employed in nursing care facilities. This differs from the earnings discrepancies among LPNs in different industries. The LPNs who earn the most work in nursing care facilities. LPNs working in hospitals earn less than those in nursing care facilities, but more than those employed in physicians' offices.
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References
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