Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Boston, MA
Licensed practical nurses in Boston see posted pay of about $30 to $46 an hour, with Beth Israel Deaconess, Boston Medical Center and Hebrew SeniorLife's Roslindale campus all hiring. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed in Massachusetts.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Boston, MA
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Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Boston
Boston's hospitals staff their inpatient units mainly with registered nurses, and LPN postings in the city cluster elsewhere: specialty clinics, addiction treatment programs, hospice and home care, and long-term care. Beth Israel Deaconess staffs LPNs in its Boston outpatient clinics, Boston Medical Center uses them in its Office Based Addiction Treatment program in the South End, and Hebrew SeniorLife hires them for long-term care at its campus on Centre Street in Roslindale.
Two things make the Boston market different. Some LPN jobs are union jobs: 1199SEIU represents the RNs, LPNs and nurse practitioners at Boston Medical Center, and its 2023 contract guaranteed LPNs at least a 10 percent raise over three years. And most large Boston employers now post a pay range on each opening. Shift workers commonly commute in on the Red and Orange Lines from Dorchester, Quincy and Malden.
Top Boston Employers Hiring Licensed Practical Nurses
These Boston-area employers have posted LPN openings on their own careers sites:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - the Beth Israel Lahey Health flagship hires full-time LPNs for clinics such as rheumatology and hematology-oncology infusion.
- Boston Medical Center - New England's largest safety-net hospital hires LPNs for its addiction treatment and behavioral health programs.
- Hebrew SeniorLife - the senior care nonprofit holds walk-in LPN interviews on Wednesdays at its Roslindale campus and offers sign-on bonuses for eligible full- and part-time roles.
- Beth Israel Lahey Health at Home - the system's home care and hospice arm hires hospice LPNs to cover Boston from its Watertown base.
- Tufts Medicine - the parent of Tufts Medical Center in Chinatown hires LPNs for ambulatory practices north of the city, including Reading.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Boston
- Entry level: about $30 to $35 an hour for newly licensed LPNs in clinic and ambulatory roles.
- Experienced: roughly $36 to $45 an hour in hospital clinics and long-term care.
- Senior / per diem: $45 to $50 an hour at the top of posted ranges, for per diem shifts and federal roles at VA Boston.
These are estimates built from ranges Boston employers posted in 2026: Hebrew SeniorLife listed $33 to $45, a Beth Israel Deaconess clinic role $33 to $46.21, and a Tufts Medicine ambulatory role $30 to $33.59. Pay moves with setting and shift. Hospital clinic and long-term care roles in the city posted higher ranges than the suburban ambulatory role, evening and night differentials add to base, and union scales at Boston Medical Center step up with years of service.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Boston
You need to graduate from a practical nursing program approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, meet the state's Good Moral Character requirement, and pass the NCLEX-PN. The closest approved program to the city is Quincy College's 10-month practical nursing certificate on Hancock Street in Quincy Center, on the Red Line. MassBay Community College in Framingham, North Shore Community College in Danvers and the Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing in Billerica also hold full approval. Massachusetts does not issue temporary licenses and is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an LPN licensed in another state must apply for a Massachusetts license by endorsement before starting work here.
What the Job Involves
LPNs work under the direction of a registered nurse or physician. A typical day covers taking vital signs, giving medications and injections, changing dressings, collecting specimens and documenting care in the electronic health record. In clinics that often means rooming patients and running injection or infusion visits; in long-term care it means a medication pass and treatments for a full unit; in hospice it means visits to patients at home.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Massachusetts LPN license
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
- Accurate medication administration and documentation
- Electronic health record experience
- Wound care and IV or injection skills
- Clear communication with patients and families, including those who speak languages other than English
- One to three years of experience for most hospital clinic roles
Career Path and Advancement
Many Boston LPNs start in long-term care, then move into hospital clinics, hospice or addiction treatment once they have a year or two of experience. The biggest step up is LPN to RN: Quincy College, MassBay and Roxbury Community College all run associate degree nursing programs, and Boston Medical Center offers nurses up to $5,000 in tuition reimbursement after six months on the job. Others move into charge nurse roles in long-term care, infusion and wound care specialties, or care coordination.
Related Careers in Boston
If practical nursing interests you, these related Boston roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do LPNs make in Boston?
Posted ranges from Boston-area employers in 2026 run from about $30 an hour for newly licensed clinic LPNs to about $46 at the top of hospital clinic and long-term care scales. Per diem and federal roles can reach about $50 an hour.
Is it LPN or LVN in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts uses Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. The license is issued by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing after you pass the NCLEX-PN.
Can I work in Boston with an LPN license from another state?
Not right away. Massachusetts is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact and does not issue temporary licenses, so you must apply to the Board of Registration in Nursing for a license by endorsement and wait for it before you start.
How long does it take to become an LPN near Boston?
Quincy College's full-time practical nursing certificate, the closest board-approved program to the city, can be finished in as little as 10 months, with total costs estimated at about $15,500 for 2026-2027. After graduating you sit for the NCLEX-PN before you can work as an LPN.
Where do LPNs work in Boston if hospitals mostly hire RNs?
Most Boston LPN jobs are in hospital-run specialty clinics, addiction treatment programs, hospice and home care, and long-term care. Hebrew SeniorLife in Roslindale, Boston Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess all post LPN roles.
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