Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Licensed practical nurses in Tucson earn a median of about $36.50 an hour, well above the national figure, and work across TMC Health, El Rio Health clinics, the Tucson VA and senior care campuses. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires LPNs and how to get licensed.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Tucson, AZ
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Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Tucson
Tucson has about 1,150 LPN jobs, and federal wage data puts the local median at $75,940 a year, roughly 18 percent above the national median. Two things drive that demand. Residents 65 and older now make up more than a fifth of Pima County, which keeps skilled nursing and senior care campuses busy from midtown to the La Cholla corridor on the northwest side, and Tucson is the medical hub for all of southern Arizona.
The rest of the work sits in clinics and hospitals. TMC Health uses LPNs on its midtown med-surg floors and in TMCOne specialty practices, El Rio Health staffs its 14 community health centers from the west side to Pascua Family Medicine, and the Tucson VA Medical Center on South Sixth Avenue has hired LPNs for specialty programs such as blind rehabilitation. Clinic roles run mostly on weekday days; hospital and skilled nursing roles rotate nights and weekends.
Top Tucson Employers for Licensed Practical Nurses
These Tucson employers hire LPNs for hospital, clinic, federal and senior care roles:
- TMC Health - Tucson Medical Center and TMCOne hire LPNs for adult med-surg units, specialty clinics such as urology, and outpatient hospice.
- El Rio Health - the nonprofit community health center hires LPNs across its Tucson locations, with bilingual English and Spanish preferred.
- Handmaker Jewish Services for Aging - the midtown nonprofit senior campus hires LPNs for its skilled nursing team, including per diem shifts.
- Southern Arizona VA Health Care System - the Tucson VA Medical Center hires LPNs for specialty programs through USAJOBS.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level: about $24 to $30 per hour for newly licensed LPNs, with community clinics at the lower end.
- Experienced: roughly $31 to $37 per hour, the range most Tucson LPNs fall in.
- Senior: $38 to $42 or more per hour for experienced nurses on nights, in hospitals or in charge roles.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Tucson metro and local postings. Employer type moves pay the most: senior care campuses and hospitals tend to pay more than community clinics, and evening shifts add a differential, such as the $2 an hour Handmaker posts for its 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift. Hospital postings for experienced LPNs have carried sign-on bonuses as large as $5,000.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Tucson
Arizona uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse, and the license is issued by the Arizona State Board of Nursing after you finish a board-approved program and pass the NCLEX-PN. Pima Community College's Practical Nurse certificate takes three semesters full time and is taught in person at the West Campus Health Professions Center of Excellence; completers qualify for Pima's LPN-to-ADN path toward an RN license. Arizona belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an LPN whose primary state of residence is another compact state can work here on a multistate license. Most Tucson employers also require BLS certification and an Arizona fingerprint clearance card.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give hands-on care under the direction of a registered nurse or physician. A typical shift includes taking vital signs, passing medications, giving injections, changing dressings, collecting specimens, documenting care in the electronic record and updating the RN on changes in a patient's condition. In clinics the day also includes rooming patients, giving vaccines and handling refill calls; in skilled nursing, LPNs often direct nursing assistants on the floor.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Arizona or compact LPN license
- Current BLS certification
- Safe medication administration and accurate charting
- Electronic health record experience, such as PointClickCare in senior care
- Bilingual English and Spanish, preferred by many Tucson clinics
- Calm, patient communication with older adults and families
Career Path and Advancement
Many Tucson LPNs start as nursing assistants, finish the Pima practical nurse certificate, and keep working while they continue through the LPN-to-ADN program toward an RN license. Inside senior care, the ladder runs to charge nurse and unit leadership; in clinics, to lead nurse or care coordinator. The biggest jump comes with the RN license, which lifts the Tucson median to about $45 an hour at employers such as TMC Health, Carondelet and the VA.
Related Careers in Tucson
If practical nursing interests you, these related Tucson roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it LPN or LVN in Arizona?
Arizona uses Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. The Arizona State Board of Nursing issues the license after you complete an approved program and pass the NCLEX-PN. LVN is the title Texas and California use for the same role.
How much do LPNs make in Tucson?
Federal wage data puts the Tucson median at about $36.50 an hour, or $75,940 a year, with most LPNs between about $31 and $37 an hour. Community clinics tend to start lower, while senior care and hospital roles with evening or night differentials pay more.
How long does it take to become an LPN in Tucson?
Pima Community College's Practical Nurse certificate takes three semesters of full-time study. Add any prerequisites the program asks for and the time it takes to test for the NCLEX-PN and receive your license from the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
Can I work in Tucson with an LPN license from another state?
If your primary state of residence belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact and you hold a multistate license, you can work in Arizona on it. If Arizona becomes your home state, or your license comes from a non-compact state, apply to the Arizona State Board of Nursing for an Arizona license.
Do Tucson employers require a fingerprint clearance card?
Many do. El Rio Health and Handmaker both list a fingerprint clearance card as a requirement for LPNs, and some employers give you only a few days after hire to submit the application. Apply early so the card does not hold up your start date.
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