Licensed practical nurses

Also known as Registered practical nurses (R.P.N.).

Overview

Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Operating room technicians prepare patients and provide assistance to medical practitioners prior to and during surgery. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are employed in hospitals.

Also known as:

registered practical nurse (R.P.N.)
certified nursing assistant (CNA)
graduate nursing assistant
licensed nursing assistant
licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.)
medical technician - Canadian armed forces

Median salary

The median salary for this job across Ontario is $63,100

Average hourly wage

Low $25.00

Medium $30.34

High $35.80

Low
The low wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 10th percentile. For example, if the low wage is $12.00/hour, this means that 10% of the workers in the occupation earn $12.00/hour or less.

Medium
The median wage is the indicator of the prevailing wage for each occupation. The median wage is the middle point of the wage distribution, when wages are arranged in numerical order.

High
The high wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 90th percentile. For example, if the high wage is $40.00/hour, this means that 90% of the workers in the occupation earn $40.00/hour or less.

Education and training pathways

To be qualified for this job, completion of a licenced practical nurses’ program is required.

Secondary school or equivalency

An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent is required. If you haven’t completed the required credits, you can earn them through Adult learning programs.

College or university programs

Completion of a vocational, college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses along with completion of a registration examination is required. Operating room technicians require additional academic training in operating room techniques.

You may be eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. The grant provides funding for students studying in priority postsecondary programs in underserved communities in Northern, Southwestern and Eastern Ontario.

Educational pathways are provided for informational purposes only. Links are included for programs at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions. They may not be inclusive of all relevant programs available in Ontario.

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Indigenous Institute programs

Indigenous Institutes offer programs related to this in-demand career.

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Other education or certifications

Required registration

Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario is required for practical nurses.

Micro-credentials

Consider obtaining micro-credentials to gain skills and knowledge relevant to your career. Micro-credentials are rapid training programs that can help you get the skills that employers need.

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Relevant organizations

Career data by region

See median salary and historical job postings of this career profile based on Economic Region.

Totals for economic regions may be less than total online job postings for the province due to exclusion of postings without reliable information.

Economic Region	Median salary ($)	Historical job postings
Ottawa	64,500	489
Kingston-Pembroke	58,200	404
Muskoka-Kawarthas	63,100	304
Toronto	64,000	2,849
Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie	66,000	839
Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula	64,500	823
London	57,400	358
Windsor-Sarnia	57,600	308
Stratford-Bruce Peninsula	62,600	95
Northeast	62,900	400
Northwest	64,500	223

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About the data

Information on this page is sourced from the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which is Canada’s national system for describing occupations.

NOC Code: NOC 32101

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Ontario’s labour market information website is developed for use as a resource to help people explore career options. The job outlooks for each occupation use projections of future job openings and should be interpreted with caution. Shifts in the rate of economic growth, technological developments, business restructuring, or changes in government policies can all affect the future growth prospects or skill requirements of the labour market.

Job outlooks have been developed for Ontario as a whole, and may not reflect the situation in each local labour market. The number and type of employers, the occupational make-up of the workforce, and other local economic conditions all contribute to the employment prospects for an occupation in a given community.

The accuracy of the information presented for in-demand skills and knowledge and other sections based on job posting data depends, in part, on whether jobs are categorized into the correct occupational groups. In some cases, job postings may be incorrectly attributed to an occupational grouping and the data should be interpreted with caution

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