Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Baltimore, MD
Licensed practical nurses in Baltimore are posting at roughly $27 to $46 an hour, with Johns Hopkins units in East Baltimore and Bayview at the top of that range. Here are the current LPN openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed in Maryland.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Baltimore, MD
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Baltimore
Baltimore is an eds and meds city, and LPNs work on both sides of its healthcare economy. Inside the city, Johns Hopkins hires LPNs onto hospital units: the Neurosciences Progressive Care Unit at the East Baltimore campus and the Emergency Department at Johns Hopkins Bayview in Southeast Baltimore both have LPN openings with posted pay ranges. Maryland's Wage Range Transparency law requires employers to post a pay range on every job, so you can compare offers before you apply.
The larger share of LPN work sits in long-term care, rehab and home care. FutureCare runs skilled nursing and rehab centers across the city, Lorien Health Services hires for Lorien Mays Chapel in Timonium, just off the JFX in Baltimore County, and Johns Hopkins Care at Home sends LPNs to patients' homes. Many of those jobs offer days, evenings and nights, which makes this one of the few nursing licenses you can build around school or family.
Top Baltimore Employers Hiring Licensed Practical Nurses
These Baltimore-area employers have LPN openings on their own careers sites:
- Johns Hopkins Hospital - the East Baltimore flagship hires LPNs for inpatient units such as the Neurosciences Progressive Care Unit, day shift, full time.
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center - the Southeast Baltimore hospital staffs its Emergency Department with LPNs on rotating 12-hour shifts.
- Johns Hopkins Care at Home - the home care and infusion arm hires adult home care LPNs with hospital experience.
- FutureCare - the Maryland skilled nursing and rehab operator hires LPNs on all shifts, with shift differentials, at centers including FutureCare Good Samaritan.
- Lorien Health Services - the long-term care and rehab group hires full-time, part-time and PRN LPNs at Lorien Mays Chapel in Timonium.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Baltimore
- Entry level: about $27 to $31 per hour for newly licensed LPNs in long-term care and rehab.
- Experienced: roughly $31 to $38 per hour, the range posted for experienced LPNs at nursing and rehab centers.
- Senior: $38 to $46 per hour at the top of hospital and home care ranges for LPNs with years on a specialty unit.
These are estimates built from ranges Baltimore employers posted this year. Hospital units and home care pay the most, evening and night shifts add differentials, and experience in long-term care, emergency or ventilator care moves you up a range faster.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Baltimore
Maryland uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse, and the license is issued by the Maryland Board of Nursing, based on Patterson Avenue in Northwest Baltimore. You complete a Board-approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN exam and clear a separate criminal history record check. Locally, the Community College of Baltimore County offers its Practical Nursing Certificate at the Dundalk campus, and Baltimore City Community College offers a Practical Nursing Certificate at its Liberty Campus on Liberty Heights Avenue. Maryland is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, and employers also expect current BLS CPR certification.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give medications and treatments, take and record vital signs, change dressings and care for wounds, collect specimens, and watch for changes in a patient's condition, reporting to an RN or physician. In long-term care an LPN often carries a hall of residents and supervises nursing assistants; in a hospital or emergency department the LPN works alongside RNs on a care team; in home care the visit, the charting and the teaching are all yours.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Maryland or compact LPN license
- Current BLS CPR certification
- Safe medication administration and accurate documentation
- Long-term care, rehab or skilled nursing experience
- Wound care and treatment skills
- Clear communication with RNs, physicians and families
- Flexibility to cover evenings, nights and every other weekend
Career Path and Advancement
Many Baltimore LPNs start in long-term care, move into charge nurse or treatment nurse roles, then into hospital units or home care where the ranges run higher. The most common next step is RN: CCBC runs an LPN to RN Transition at its Dundalk campus for Maryland-licensed LPNs, and BCCC offers an LPN-to-ADN option, which puts the RN jobs at Hopkins, the University of Maryland Medical Center and the MedStar hospitals within reach.
Related Careers in Baltimore
If practical nursing interests you, these related Baltimore roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it LPN or LVN in Maryland?
Maryland uses Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. The Maryland Board of Nursing issues the license after you finish a Board-approved program and pass the NCLEX-PN exam.
How much do LPNs make in Baltimore?
Posted ranges in the Baltimore area run from about $27 an hour at long-term care centers to about $46 an hour at the top of Johns Hopkins hospital ranges. Most newly licensed LPNs start near the bottom of a range and move up with experience and shift differentials.
Where can I study practical nursing in Baltimore?
The Community College of Baltimore County offers a Practical Nursing Certificate at its Dundalk campus, and Baltimore City Community College offers one at its Liberty Campus in Northwest Baltimore. Make sure any program you choose is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Do Baltimore hospitals still hire LPNs?
Yes. Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview have posted LPN roles on inpatient and emergency units, and skilled nursing, rehab and home care employers across the metro post LPN openings on every shift.
Can I work in Baltimore with an LPN license from another state?
Maryland belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state can be used here. If your license is from a non-compact state, you apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing for a license by endorsement.
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