Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse Salary in Seattle, WA

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median $85,690 a year — 33% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $69,113 take-home, or $5,759 a month.

Median salary
$85,690
$41.20 per hour
Typical range
$70,380 – $103,310
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Seattle, WA
3,470
0.40× national concentration
▲6.5%
Pay trend: The median for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Seattle, WA rose from $80,480 (May 2024) to $85,690 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 4.1%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse salary in Seattle, WA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse in Seattle, WA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$69,113
per year · effective tax rate 19.3%
$5,759Monthly
$2,880Twice a month
$2,658Every 2 weeks
$33.23Hourly
  • Federal income tax$10,022
  • Social Security (6.2%)$5,313
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,243
  • Washington income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$69,113

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse pay by experience in Seattle, WA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$70,380$33.84$58,342$4,862
25th percentile$80,560$38.73$65,504$5,459
Median (50th)$85,690$41.20$69,113$5,759
75th percentile$96,620$46.45$76,802$6,400
90th percentile (top earners)$103,310$49.67$81,509$6,792

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Washington resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $85,690 buys in Seattle, WA

Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse's $69,113 take-home pay has the buying power of $62,189 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,022
35% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,379
41% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,737
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse jobs are less concentrated in Seattle, WA than nationally (location quotient 0.40), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, adjusted for cost of living

Seattle, WA ranks #2 of 53 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $95,320$70,013$63,405
2Seattle, WA $85,690$69,113$62,189
3Las Vegas, NV $75,920$62,240$62,106
4Providence, RI $78,990$62,054$60,973
5San Francisco, CA $94,310$69,410$60,036
6Phoenix, AZ $78,080$62,016$60,026
7Boston, MA $82,190$62,761$57,969
8Chicago, IL $78,070$60,033$57,949

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 53 metros →

About the job: licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+3.0% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse make in Seattle, WA?

The median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse salary in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $85,690 a year, or about $41.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $80,560 and $96,620.

What is a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse’s take-home pay in Seattle, WA?

On the median $85,690 salary, a single filer living in Washington takes home about $69,113 a year ($5,759 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse?

Pay here is 33% above the national median of $64,400. Local prices are 11.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $62,189 would in a typical U.S. city. Seattle, WA ranks #2 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse afford rent in Seattle, WA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle, WA is $2,022 a month ($2,379 for two bedrooms) — 35% of a median licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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