Becoming an LPN in Boston

The city of Boston, MA is one of the largest in the United States, especially when the population of the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metropolitan area is factored in to the analysis. Metro areas with large populations provide great opportunities for people who want to start careers in healthcare fields. Not only are there more hospitals and doctor’s offices in these areas, but there are more people who are retirement age who will need routine care from healthcare professionals.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) are one of the most versatile and in-demand professions in the healthcare industry today. The Boston area employs 7,590 licensed LPN’s. These providers work in a diverse array of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and doctor’s offices. The average annual salary for LPN’s in the metro area is $50,960—$7,908 more than the median annual salary for LPN’s nationwide ($43,052). Boston-area nurses make slightly less than the median salary for all of Boston, however, which is $52,200 per year.

The Boston, MA metro area have many schools that offer LPN training, certification, and licensure. Some of the schools in the state and region include Southeastern Technical School, North Shore Community College, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical School, Bristol-Plymouth Technical Regional School, McCann Technical School, Bay Path Vocational Technical High School, and Blue Hills Regional Technical School.

Licensed LPN’s can find many employment opportunities in the Boston area. Some of the healthcare facilities in that region include Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Northeast Clinical Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, New England Rehabilitation Hospital, Allergy and Asthma Center of Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Kindred Healthcare.

The number of healthcare jobs will increase in the coming years as more and more Baby Boomers retire. LPN’s will comprise a large majority of that new workforce. Massachusetts is expected to see a 16 percent increase per year in the number of LPN jobs by 2020.