Recently released May 2022 employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there were over 632,000 licensed practical nurses (LPNs) employed in the U.S.  Also known as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) in some parts of the country, LPNs comprise one of the largest healthcare occupations in the country. Approximately 49,000 of those licensed practical nurse jobs were in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country. BLS data tells us that the Great Plains region is a weak one for licensed practical nurse pay, with annual mean wage levels in all states in the region falling below the national average for all LPNs.  Moreover, two states in the region, Missouri and South Dakota, were among the ten worst states in the nation for licensed practical nurse annual mean wage levels.  BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about LPN employment in the Great Plains region of the U.S.:

LPN Employment in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	5,440	$51,400	39th
KS	6,820	$51,700	38th
MN	14,660	$54,870	26th
MO	12,110	$49,500	43rd
NE	5,570	$52,080	37th
ND	2,510	$53,080	30th
SD	2,120	$46,000	47th
U.S.	632,020	$55,860	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 24, 2023