Should I Become An LPN Or CNA?

Licensed practical nurse (LPN) and certified nursing assistant (CNA) programs both get you into patient care quickly, but the LPN is a step up. LPNs provide a higher level of care, work under RNs and physicians, and handle tasks CNAs cannot, like assisting with minor procedures, monitoring catheters, and administering injections. CNAs provide basic care and help patients with daily living under the direction of LPNs and RNs. Because the LPN carries more responsibility and autonomy, the two differ in pay, training, and where you can work.

Job Duties

Both roles center on direct patient care, and the work overlaps. Both spend much of the day helping patients with cleanliness, mobility, and health monitoring.

LPNs combine daily-living support with basic nursing care: taking and recording vital signs, administering first aid and certain medications, monitoring patients, dressing wounds, and reporting changes in status to RNs. CNAs focus on the fundamentals: bathing, feeding, and dressing patients, helping them move and reposition, taking basic measurements, and reporting concerns up the chain to LPNs and RNs.

Salary and Employment Outlook

LPNs earn a median of $62,340 a year, and CNAs (nursing assistants) earn a median of $39,530 a year (BLS, May 2024). The gap reflects the LPN's added training and scope.

Most LPNs and CNAs work in assisted living and retirement communities, home healthcare, hospitals, and nursing care facilities. The top-paying settings for both tend to be less typical employers, like higher education, research and development, and outpatient care centers, where CNAs in particular can earn meaningfully more than at standard healthcare worksites. Geography matters too: pay runs highest in parts of the Western United States and a few coastal states, where earnings can sit well above the national average.

LPN employment is projected to grow 3 percent through 2034 (BLS). CNA demand stays steady, driven largely by an aging population that needs more long-term and home-based care.

Education and Licensing

Both routes are faster than traditional nursing school, and neither awards a degree. They lead to a diploma or certificate. CNAs can finish training in a few months; LPNs take about a year. Both must pass an exam before working. LPNs get more training in nursing procedures and preparation for working autonomously and supervising CNAs and other staff.

To become an LPN, apply to an accredited program at a vocational, technical, or community college; some high schools and hospitals also offer training. You need a high school diploma or GED, and some schools require an entrance exam like the Test of Essential Academic Skills. Expect 40 to 45 credits in nursing fundamentals, anatomy, biology, and pharmacology, plus labs and 500 to 750 clinical hours. Graduates take the NCLEX-PN and, once they pass, qualify for state licensure as an LPN, called a licensed vocational nurse in California and Texas.

To become a CNA, enroll in a state-approved program through a community college, hospital, or organization like the American Red Cross. High school graduates and GED holders qualify, and some states allow on-the-job training at nursing and assisted-living centers. Many hospitals let BSN students work as CNAs after their first year, a good way to gain patient-care experience and network. Some coursework can be done online, but hands-on practice is usually required for skills like CPR, first aid, and using automated defibrillators. Most states certify CNAs after 75 hours of instruction and clinical experience plus a competency exam, with renewal every two years and possible continuing education.

Common Questions

LPNs hold a practical nurse license and take on more training and responsibility than CNAs, who fill assistant roles and usually work under LPN supervision. LPNs also earn more.

CNA work is a strong on-ramp. It teaches you patient care, lets you find out whether nursing is for you without years of school, and can earn money toward further training. Many schools let CNAs transfer credits toward an LPN certificate or offer CNA-to-LPN bridge programs, though plan on at least a year of schooling to make the jump.

The fastest route to LPN credentials is a training program at a vocational school or community college. Most programs run one to two years, and some accelerated tracks finish in under a year.