Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Machines can already do 10% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 33%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 10% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2040, and 33% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 648,410 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $64,400 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 86% for contact with people.
- Also called: Charge Nurse, Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN), Clinic Nurse, Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts | 21% | 3% to 25% | |
| Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action | 15% | 3% to 25% | |
| Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration | 8% | 18% to 51% | |
| Supervise nurses' aides or assistants | 6% | 9% to 23% | |
| Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions | 6% | 3% to 25% | |
| Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them | 4% | 3% to 25% | |
| Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary | 4% | 40% to 64% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Prosthodontists29% of tasks by 2035 · US median $311,180
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- Psychiatric Technicians32% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,130
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2040. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses?
Machines can do 10% of the tasks of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses today and 33% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-2061.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses/