Is It Possible An LPN Can Make More Then An RN?

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I'm an RN. I work for a well known national home care agency. Somehow payroll mixed up our paychecks; I got her (she is an LPN ) hourly rate of pay on my paycheck and she got mine.

I found out she was making $23.00 an hour but I am making $21.00, and we both work on the same cases, so the acuity level of the clients is the same. She has been with this particular office for 2 years. I been with this office for 5 months. How do i approach the clinical manager about how unfair that is? (We also have the same level of experience)

Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

yes it's possible.. she's probably been there forever....being a RN you will surpass her pay rate and make more money . there may also be a cap on how much she can earn and your cap on your wages will be higher.. in the long run you will make more money... sometimes it takes a year or two to make more money .. but you will .. no disrespect to LPN's ,,

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Specializes in Home health, physical rehab, geriatrics.

I have been an LPN/LVN for 10 years, with 4 years as a C.N.A. prior to obtaining a nursing license. I am currently in school for my RN license. I more than agree with the general idea that it is possible for an LVN to make more than an RN. I have almost always negotiated a higher salary than my co-workers and currently make more than some RN's that I know and work with. I specialize in wound care and am the ONLY member of my home health team that has any kind of wound care training, thus the higher salary negotiated at the time of hire. I work primarily in the office as a supervisor, but when I work in the field, I make $33+ and hour, due to my "specialized" training. Kind of sad in some ways that I work with all these RNs and not one of them knows a thing about wounds. But, it gave me the perfect job with the perfect salary.

On the other hand, when I become an RN, I would hope that I would make more than any LVN out there. However, my wound care skills WILL follow me and will only make me that much MORE marketable, so hopefully, I will always command a descent salary. If it bothers you that much, find another job that pays you what you feel you are worth. I passed up several jobs until finding the one that I felt deserved ME -- not that I felt that I deserved. Keep your chin up! Life is NEVER fair!!

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My guess is that you all have to take into account state by state.georgia allows lpns to do everything that rns do except cardiac ivp.they don't do our assessments at our hospital,they just sign behind them.i really think that we should all start respecting one another.it makes attitudes and causes dissention amonst the staff.would you want your parents,siblings,friends taken car of by an incompetent rn or a competent lpn or vice versa.i really think that because of the nature and responsiblities in my job,i feel i should be paid more. A five dollar difference would suffice so that rns could still get paid for their education.but nursing is a ridiculous business now.one hand washes the other.an rn told me that's why i get paid the big bucks.well, i said since education is big,why is fantasia without a ged making more than you.just be respectful to others.you are not above a fall.you just might need each other one day.no matter how much you are getting paid-patients are first!

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I had no clue there was such a stereotypical disparity between the ideal of an LPN vs. an RN. It has been interesting for me to be an LPN while going through RN school. Telling some people I'm an LPN and telling others I'm an RN student....really an interesting sociology experiment, but not fun to see how I'm treated as the "LPN", I'm treated better as the student! Ridiculous.:confused:

I totally agree with you. I spent 20 years as an LVN, then got an ADN RN, a BSN and then a MS. I've found that at this point in my career, it's best not to mention the 20 years as an LVN. Very sad, because I gained so much experience during that time. The masters & Phd nurses are the most discrimanatory, it's very sad--and shows total disrespect for the knowledge and experience of other team members, both in and out of the hospital.

BTW, I earned more than many of the RN's I worked with when I was an LVN....particularly when I worked for employers that were non-union & gave merit raises.

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My guess is that you all have to take into account state by state.georgia allows lpns to do everything that rns do except cardiac ivp.they don't do our assessments at our hospital,they just sign behind them.i really think that we should all start respecting one another.it makes attitudes and causes dissention amonst the staff.would you want your parents,siblings,friends taken car of by an incompetent rn or a competent lpn or vice versa.i really think that because of the nature and responsiblities in my job,i feel i should be paid more. A five dollar difference would suffice so that rns could still get paid for their education.but nursing is a ridiculous business now.one hand washes the other.an rn told me that's why i get paid the big bucks.well, i said since education is big,why is fantasia without a ged making more than you.just be respectful to others.you are not above a fall.you just might need each other one day.no matter how much you are getting paid-patients are first!

I don't know how it is now, but when I went to LVN school, RN was only 1 semester longer-and the pre-req's were very similar. not a huge difference in education.

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Specializes in LTC, Critical Care, Med Surg, Dialysis.

Where I work in a LTC....there are LPN's that have been there 2-3 yrs and just got their RN and are having to take a pay cut as new RN's

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, Heart Transplant.
...I asked them since I get paid about the same rates as Lpns can I refuse to do the tasks that require an Rn like piccs,insertion of ngt on infants, and broviac and he said no...

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't care how much experience the LPN has, if as an RN you are expected to perform nursing tasks that are outside the scope of the LPN but paid less? Outrageous!

BUT the real question I have is WHY are you working in a job that you have to schlep yourself to other people's homes for ONLY $21 per HOUR??? :confused:

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Read alot of the posts not all. If this was a hospital setting yes-this is what unions are for-the RNs always make more.

It is not. Other things that I'm sure we are not aware of are probably taken into acct.; or mabey it's in error. But she does

have 1.5 yrs on you in this office. And since I don't think you have a union-it's just too bad. If you want more ask and

I would question it-in a tactful manner. Lastly education is not the end all- I'm an LPN I make more than alot of RNs

at the NH where I work I've been there 13 yrs-I'm depenable and don't complain-management takes notice. My mother

is an LPN and made more than the RNs she worked with-same reason; she all lived around the corner and was available

all the time. There are many many many RNs that deserve much more than me in a certain setting-hospitals being the

first place ( were I also work and make much less-no big deal-it's the way it is). My husband has a high school education

is a self-taught computer programmer and makes more than the high-end nurses in Boston. Please don't say it's about

education, especially if it just might not be.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't care how much experience the LPN has, if as an RN you are expected to perform nursing tasks that are outside the scope of the LPN but paid less? Outrageous!

BUT the real question I have is WHY are you working in a job that you have to schlep yourself to other people's homes for ONLY $21 per HOUR??? :confused:

uhhhh. . .maybe because it's better than $0 dollars per hour in a so tight it squeaks job market? :)

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I dont know why rns look down on lpns because I was an lpn for 4 years. i have been on both sides of the fence,so i would never do that. but just as there are rns that look down on lpns, there are an equal number of Lpns who dont like rns for the simple fact that they are Rn's. I dont know if they think that i automatically assume things or the fact that many Lpn's are older with way more experience and resent young Rns maybe?

In some cases, some LPNs automatically assume that RNs look down on them, which raises tension amongst them. I have seen those who respect and those who don't respect. Some physicians do it as well. I am a LPN, and I am a manager who makes more than many RNs; however, I have two BS degrees and a Masters degree to justify why, and I have several years of health care experience even before becoming a LPN. I am also working on my BSN.

I have read through the discussion forum, and there are a variety of opinions out there. As a manager, I know that pay discrepancies exist across the board. It happens, unfortunately. As a manager, I know that many employers do not necessarily offer a potential employee their "best" salary because my employees accept the first offer given to them. It is up to each individual to negotiate their salary at the time of the interview. Come prepared. You can do this by doing a salary comparison in your area to give you a general idea what you should be making. If you are moving from state to state do a "cost of living" check to see what you should be making in the new state vs. the old state. This will provide you with the necessary tools for negotiating at the interview. You will know what the least amount you could settle for, thus, you would be able to maintain your current life style. However, make sure you have something to negotiate, meaning experience, internships, other education, voluteer work, personal experience, etc. Market yourself as if you are an entrepeneur. Also take into consideration the job responsibilities, benefits, shifts worked; and whether the job is a full, part, or prn position.

A long time ago I found out that a co-worker was making more than I was. I approached my supervisor and her boss, and they both gave some lame story about why. As someone else stated about themself, I was not held to the same regards either after that. They started trying to find things to harass me about, so eventually I ended up leaving. It was the best decision because I have flourished since that departure and others between that one and now. With that said, approach the situation as you wish; however, finding another job is almost always the best option for obtaining a higher salary.

Good luck!!!

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I dont believe an LPN with equal experience should get more than an RN. There is no question that an LPN is a valuable employee who lends much to the patient care arena, but an LPN is actually a technician whereas an ARN is suppose to be thinking and making decicions based on fact. I would start looking for a job and work on constructing a resume that puts you in the best light. I have no problem working with LPN's but do not believe they should be put in positions of authority over RN's or held in a higher light. I tend to dismiss management types of requests when they come from LPN's as I feel they are out of place.

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I have always believed that compensation should be based on the value of the employees contribution. I was convince of this in the early 1990's as I found that I made a lot more money than the manager that I worked for who sat on her butt in an office. However, in this case I believe that an RN is worth more than an LPN only in that all the federal and state regulations support put the results of patient care on the back of the on the RN in charge and not on the LPN. That in and of itself has a nice dollar sign attached to it. If you are in fact "lawfully" responsible for the results of the LPN then I sugguest you use this as your arguement for higher pay. If you are respeonsible for "this LPN" then you have no arguement. The RN that is in charge has one. You would have to know the pay of the LPN/s you are on chare of. The pay your quoted is higher than the norm for an LPN!

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