Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2024

99,987

growing 12.6%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$4,058

growing 1.76%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$12,450

growing 0.728%

Average Wage

$91,798

growing 1.79%

People in Workforce

5.06M

growing 4.05%

Average Employee Age

42.4

declining 0.277%

About

In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants degree recipients are Indianapolis city (balance), IN, Columbus, OH, and Ankeny, IA. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants degree recipients are Marlborough, MA, Sunset Hills, MO, and Bardonia, NY. The most common degree awarded to students studying Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is a 1 to 2 year postsecondary certificate.

Photo by Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi

Health

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants and the types of students that study this field. Ivy Tech Community College awards the most degrees in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants in the US, but Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing and Eastern Suffolk BOCES have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants.

Tuition costs for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants majors are, on average, $4,058 for in-state public colleges, and $12,450 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants programs are Public, 2-year institutions (596 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 2-year (52,607 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants (2024)

Ivy Tech Community College
3,601 degrees awarded
Des Moines Area Community College
1,637 degrees awarded
Unitek College
1,524 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants, is Public, 2-year (52,607 completions in 2024).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$4,058

Median In-State Public

$12,450

Median Out of State Private

Ivy Tech Community College has the most Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants degree recipients, with 3,601 degrees awarded in 2024.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing
100%
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
100%
Academia Medical Institute
100%

Out of all institutions that offer Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants, with 100%.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants

Marion County, IN
3,601 degrees awarded
Los Angeles County, CA
2,746 degrees awarded
Cook County, IL
2,162 degrees awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants by year.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Health graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Health majors is $91,798 and the most common occupations are Registered nurses, Nurse practitioners & nurse midwives, and Pharmacists.

The industry that employs the most Health majors is General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Oil & gas extraction.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

$91,798

Average Wage in Workforce

± $870

1.79%

1 Year Growth

± 1.34%

The average salary for Health majors is $91,798 and the most common occupations are Registered nurses, Nurse practitioners & nurse midwives, and Pharmacists.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Health majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Health majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Health majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

The most common occupations for Health majors, by number of employees, are Registered nurses, Nurse practitioners & nurse midwives, and Pharmacists.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Health majors working as Nurse practitioners & nurse midwives, Nurse anesthetists, and Audiologists.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Health majors are Surgeons, Physicians, and Nurse anesthetists.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

5.06M

2024 Workforce

± 54,321

4.05%

1 Year Growth

± 1.47%

The number of Health graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 4.05%, from 4.86M in 2023 to 5.06M in 2024.

The largest single share of Health graduates go on to work as Registered nurses (35.8%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Health by share of the total number of graduates.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

The most common industries that employ Health majors, by number of employees, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Outpatient care centers, and Elementary & secondary schools.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

The highest paying industries of Health majors, by average wage, are Oil & gas extraction, Pipeline transportation, and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing.

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

5.06M

2024 Workforce

± 54,321

4.05%

1 Year Growth

± 1.47%

The number of Health graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 4.05%, from 4.86M in 2023 to 5.06M in 2024.

The industry which employs the most Health graduates by share is General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, followed by Outpatient care centers. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Health.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Health majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Health majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Health in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Health is 42.4.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate. Female employees are more likely to hold Health degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Health (43,036 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

42.4

Average Age in 2024

± 0.142 Years

0.277%

1 Year Change

± 0.481%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Health. The most common ages of employees with this major are 30 and 32 years old, which represent 3.1% and 2.95% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants are 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate, Certificate of less than 1 academic year, and Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Health are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Female (88.9%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Degrees

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
43,036 degrees awarded in 2024
Black or African American
22,051 degrees awarded in 2024
Hispanic or Latino
20,460 degrees awarded in 2024

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants for each race & ethnicity.

In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Degrees

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants is from the 2 Digit Course Health.

Most Common Countries of Origin

Philippines
215,366 degree recipients
India
92,693 degree recipients
Mexico
39,280 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Philippines
5.01 times more than expected
Cameroon
3.18 times more than expected
Nigeria
3.08 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Philippines that hold Health degrees (5.01 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Philippines (215,366 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants majors need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants majors need more than the average amount of Operation and Control, Service Orientation, and Coordination.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Operation and Control is very distinctive for majors, but the Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, and Coordination are the three most important skills for people in the field.