Recently released employment studies from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that, as of May 2022, there were over 632,000 licensed practical nurses (LPNs) employed in the United States.  Also known as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) in some parts of the country, licensed practical nurses constitute one of the biggest healthcare occupations in the U.S.  Approximately 88,000 of those employed as licensed practical nurses lived in the six-state Far West region of the country. BLS data shows the Far West region to be the best in the country for LPN pay.  Every state in the region, except Hawaii, had an average LPN annual mean wage level that topped the national average of $55,860.  Moreover, five Far West states ranked among the ten best states in the U.S. for LPN/LVN annual mean wage levels.  This included Washington and California, which were the two best states in the nation for licensed practical nurse annual mean wages.  A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about licensed practical nurse pay in the U.S. Far West:

Licensed Practical Nurse Pay in the U.S. Far West

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	390	$66,710	5th
CA	73,740	$69,930	2nd
HI	890	$55,730	24th
NV	3,170	$63,910	7th
OR	3,550	$66,190	6th
WA	6,430	$69,950	1st
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 30, 2023