Licensed Vocational Nurse Jobs in Dallas, TX
Licensed vocational nurses in Dallas earn a median of about $30.95 an hour, and Dallas College can get you to the NCLEX-PN in about a year from its downtown West End campus. Here are the current LVN openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed.
Current licensed vocational nurse Openings in Dallas, TX
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Vocational Nurse Work in Dallas
Texas uses the title Licensed Vocational Nurse where most states say LPN, and in Dallas the job leans toward clinics more than hospital floors. Parkland's community clinics spread across Dallas County, from the Moody Outpatient Center in the Medical District to neighborhood sites like the Jubilee Community Clinic, and its correctional health service hires LVNs as well. Texas Health physician practices around Walnut Hill Lane and Central Expressway hire LVNs for triage and rooming, and the Dallas VA Medical Center in southern Dallas uses LVNs on its primary care teams.
That makes the LVN license a practical entry point for Dallas residents who want a nursing paycheck in a year rather than two to four. Weekday clinic schedules are common, and the hospital and correctional roles add evening, night and PRN shifts for people who need flexibility.
Top Dallas Employers Hiring Licensed Vocational Nurses
These Dallas employers hire LVNs, confirmed on their own career sites:
- Parkland Health - the county health system hires LVNs for its community clinics, a COPC float pool and correctional health.
- Texas Health Resources - hires LVNs for physician clinics such as its heart and vascular practice on Walnut Hill Lane, on weekday schedules.
- VA North Texas Health Care System - the Dallas VA hires LVNs for its Patient Aligned Care Teams, with federal pay grades and benefits.
- Baylor Scott & White Health - the system behind Baylor University Medical Center recruits LVNs for its Dallas clinics.
Licensed Vocational Nurse Salaries in Dallas
- Entry level: about $26 to $29 an hour for newly licensed LVNs.
- Experienced: roughly $30 to $35 an hour with a few years of clinic or hospital work.
- Senior: $35 to $37 an hour and up for charge, specialty and long-tenured LVNs.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, where the annual median is about $64,370. Hospital and night work, specialty clinics and charge duties pay more than weekday primary care. A current VA North Texas LVN posting in Dallas lists $52,994 to $83,186 a year depending on grade.
How to Become a Licensed Vocational Nurse in Dallas
You complete a state-approved vocational nursing program and earn a license from the Texas Board of Nursing. Dallas College runs its Vocational Nursing certificate at the Downtown Health Sciences Center, 301 N. Market St. in the West End, in about a year of full-time study with clinical rotations at Dallas-area facilities. After graduation you pass the NCLEX-PN, the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam and a fingerprint background check. Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, and Parkland accepts a Texas or compact LVN license.
What the Job Involves
LVNs work under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. Daily tasks include taking vital signs and patient histories, giving medications and injections, changing dressings, collecting specimens, triaging phone calls, documenting care in the electronic record and teaching patients about their medications. In clinics LVNs room patients and keep the provider's day moving; on hospital units they handle a set of stable patients.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Texas or compact LVN license
- BLS for Healthcare Providers, and ACLS for cardiology roles
- Medication administration and injections
- Phone triage and patient education
- Electronic health record documentation
- Spanish, which some Dallas clinic postings list as preferred
Career Path and Advancement
Many Dallas LVNs start in a primary care or specialty clinic, move into charge or float pool roles, and then bridge to a registered nursing degree while working. Dallas College's associate degree nursing program at Brookhaven, El Centro, Mountain View and North Lake is the usual next step, and the jump from LVN to RN pay in Dallas is roughly $18 an hour at the median.
Related Careers in Dallas
If vocational nursing interests you, these Dallas healthcare guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an LVN and an LPN?
Only the name. Texas and California license practical nurses under the title Licensed Vocational Nurse, and the job and the NCLEX-PN exam are the same. In Texas the license comes from the Texas Board of Nursing.
How long does it take to become an LVN in Dallas?
About a year. Dallas College's Vocational Nursing certificate runs two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer terms, then you sit for the NCLEX-PN and the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam.
How much do LVNs make in Dallas?
Federal wage data puts the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington median at about $30.95 an hour. Most new LVNs start in the mid to upper $20s an hour, and experienced LVNs in hospitals or specialty clinics reach the mid $30s.
Where do LVNs work in Dallas?
Mostly in clinics and outpatient centers, including Parkland's community clinics, health system physician practices and the Dallas VA's primary care teams. Correctional health, home health and long-term care also hire LVNs.
Do Dallas LVN jobs require BLS certification?
Yes. Postings at Parkland and Texas Health require current BLS for Healthcare Providers, and cardiology clinics may ask for ACLS. Many employers expect the card at hire, so get it before you apply.
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