LPN/LVN, Nursing Assistants & Patient Care Techs salary guide

Healthcare Headhunters recruits healthcare professionals for employers. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.

This is what we do all day: recruit healthcare professionals.

Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Licensed Practical Nurse / Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN / LVN) SOC 29-2061, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. direct match.
LPN Charge Nurse SOC 29-2061, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. direct match.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA, STNA, LNA) SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. direct match.
Patient Care Technician (PCT, Nurse Tech) SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.
Dialysis Patient Care Technician (Hemodialysis Tech, CCHT) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Certified Medication Aide (CMA, QMA, CMT, Med Tech in long-term care) SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.
Home Health Aide (HHA) SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides. direct match.
Personal Care Aide / Caregiver SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides. direct match.
Restorative Nurse Aide (RNA) SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.
Patient Sitter (Safety Companion, Patient Observer) SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.
Lead Patient Care Technician SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.
Lead Certified Nursing Assistant SOC 31-1131, Nursing Assistants. broader match.

What do these roles cover in daily care?

These roles support bedside care, routine checks, hygiene, mobility, and simple follow-through. LPNs and LVNs usually carry the broadest licensed nursing duties in this group. CNAs, PCTs, and aides spend more time on comfort care, observation, and shift notes, while staying close to the patient during the workday.

How do the jobs differ when you hire?

An LPN or LVN may take assigned nursing duties and report to the nurse manager or physician-owner. A CNA, PCT, or HHA usually works from a care plan and reports changes quickly. A charge nurse or lead tech adds assignment oversight and shift coordination, so the title must match the actual decision-making on the floor.

What does a normal shift usually include?

A shift can begin with report, room checks, and supplies. Staff may help with bathing, toileting, transfers, meal support, vitals, and charted observations. They also answer call lights, watch for changes, and tell the nurse when a patient needs a decision.

Which setting fits each job best?

Long-term care often needs CNAs, medication aides, and charge support across many rooms. Clinics and procedural areas may need LPNs or patient care techs who move between rooms and keep documentation current. Home care asks for steady judgment, travel between visits, and clear communication with the office.

Dialysis and other specialty settings may look for extra task familiarity. We ask what tasks happen without direct supervision and what stays with the licensed nurse. That tells us which title matches the day, not just the résumé.

What should you ask in the interview?

Ask about shift length, patient mix, charting, lifting, and how they handle call-outs. Ask for a recent example of a difficult handoff or a confused assignment. For LPNs, ask what they can do independently and what always goes to the nurse or provider.

You should also ask how they document skin changes, falls, pain reports, or missed care. For aides and techs, ask how they keep pace when the floor gets busy and which task they would never complete without direction. The answers show real work habits.

How do we approach this search?

We speak with you about the room, the pace, the schedule, and the charting tools. Then we match the title to the work you actually need done. That matters because one posting can attract very different applicants.

We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do you separate an LPN from a CNA for this page?

We start with the tasks the person will own on a shift. An LPN or LVN usually handles licensed nursing duties and reports to the nurse or physician-owner. A CNA usually supports daily care, observation, and comfort tasks under a care plan.

What should we ask a patient care technician candidate?

Ask which tasks they have done without close supervision. Ask about vitals, room turnover, transport, charting, and how they respond when a patient changes quickly. Their answers should match the work you need on the floor.

When does a charge nurse title matter in hiring?

It matters when one person leads the shift, assigns rooms, or resolves staffing questions. That title should not sit on a resume if the job is only bedside support. We ask who gives directions and who calls the next level for help.

How do home care roles differ from facility roles?

Home care needs more solo judgment and more time talking with the patient or family. Facility work usually means more room-to-room movement and more direct handoffs. We ask where the person has worked and how they report changes.