Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants degree: salary, jobs & colleges
5 colleges offer a bachelor's in practical nursing, vocational nursing and nursing assistants. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in nursing earn $71,500, $9,451 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is registered nurses (78%).
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $50,762–$89,493. 22,306 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Nursing"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$35,862/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs practical nursing, vocational nursing and nursing assistants graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in nursing actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 78% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Medical And Health Services Managers | 1% | $123,860 | +24.2% | Bachelor's degree | ECS |
| Nursing Assistants | 1% | $42,260 | +2.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award | SRC |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | under 1% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Medical Assistants | under 1% | $45,690 | +12.9% | Postsecondary nondegree award | CSR |
| Other Managers | under 1% | — | — | — | — |
| Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses | under 1% | $64,400 | +3.0% | Postsecondary nondegree award | SCR |
| Personal Care Aides | under 1% | — | — | — | SCR |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Who tends to enjoy this work
The jobs these graduates hold score highest on Social, Conventional, Investigative interests (O*NET), weighted by how many graduates hold each job. A rough guide to fit, not a test.
O*NET 31.0 interest scores (1-7) for each job, weighted by Census share of graduates; EducationGuide calculation.
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | $57,721 (319) |
| Arizona | — | $69,266 (446) |
| Arkansas | — | $66,117 (182) |
| California | — | $91,610 (2,190) |
| Colorado | — | $71,594 (475) |
| Connecticut | — | $83,527 (218) |
| Florida | — | $67,032 (1,091) |
| Georgia | — | $67,032 (627) |
| Hawaii | — | $106,315 (115) |
| Idaho | — | $71,594 (136) |
| Illinois | — | $68,433 (1,057) |
| Indiana | — | $64,435 (555) |
| Iowa | — | $61,101 (225) |
| Kansas | — | $55,860 (231) |
| Kentucky | — | $62,968 (322) |
| Louisiana | — | $67,032 (314) |
| Maine | — | $71,068 (104) |
| Maryland | — | $76,144 (345) |
| Massachusetts | — | $76,144 (585) |
| Michigan | — | $67,211 (709) |
| Minnesota | — | $73,463 (521) |
| Mississippi | — | $65,914 (184) |
| Missouri | — | $65,991 (539) |
| Nebraska | — | $67,032 (207) |
| Nevada | — | $61,446 (188) |
| New Jersey | — | $83,958 (670) |
| New York | — | $83,958 (1,279) |
| North Carolina | — | $67,032 (625) |
| Ohio | — | $67,032 (1,104) |
| Oklahoma | — | $62,323 (190) |
| Oregon | — | $91,651 (315) |
| Pennsylvania | — | $75,765 (971) |
| South Carolina | — | $65,989 (367) |
| South Dakota | — | $65,991 (111) |
| Tennessee | — | $61,101 (581) |
| Texas | — | $71,068 (1,772) |
| Utah | — | $62,049 (248) |
| Virginia | — | $72,618 (526) |
| Washington | — | $86,024 (501) |
| Wisconsin | — | $71,594 (455) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Related degrees
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants degree questions
Is a Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in nursing earn a median $71,500: $9,451 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $35,862 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in nursing, the most common jobs are registered nurses (78%), medical and health services managers (1%), nursing assistants (1%). Registered Nurses earn a U.S. median $97,550.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/practical-nursing-vocational-nursing-and-nursing-assistants.