Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Detroit, MI
Licensed practical nurses in metro Detroit earn a median of about $33 an hour, well above the Michigan median, and the work runs from Midtown hospital units to nursing homes on the east side and the VA on John R Street. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires LPNs and how to get licensed.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Detroit, MI
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Detroit
Much of Detroit's LPN work sits in long-term care and rehab. Southfield-based Ciena Healthcare runs a string of city nursing homes, including Omni Continuing Care, Regency Heights-Detroit, Regency at Chene and Qualicare, and those buildings staff LPNs as charge and floor nurses. Hospitals hire LPNs too, but in narrower lanes: telemetry and med-surg units at Sinai-Grace in northwest Detroit and Harper University/Hutzel Women's in Midtown, ambulatory clinics run by Henry Ford Health, and primary care and domiciliary programs at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.
Detroit-area LPN pay runs above the state. The metro median is $33.32 an hour against $31.47 statewide (BLS, May 2025), and nurses here commonly cross Eight Mile in both directions, living in Macomb or Oakland County and working in the city, or the reverse via the Lodge and I-94.
Top Detroit Employers for Licensed Practical Nurses
These metro Detroit employers hire LPNs across long-term care, hospital and clinic settings:
- Ciena Healthcare - the Southfield-based nursing home operator hires LPNs at Detroit facilities including Omni Continuing Care, Regency Heights-Detroit, Regency at Chene and Qualicare.
- Detroit Medical Center - the Tenet-owned system has posted LPN roles on telemetry at Sinai-Grace and med-surg at Harper University/Hutzel Women's Hospital.
- Henry Ford Health - the New Center-based system hires LPNs for ambulatory clinics in Detroit and for home health in the suburbs.
- VA Detroit Healthcare System - the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Midtown hires LPNs for primary care teams and its domiciliary program through USAJOBS.
- McLaren Health Care - McLaren Oakland in Pontiac and McLaren Macomb in Mt. Clemens have hired LPNs, including for a float pool.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Detroit
- Entry level: about $28 to $30 per hour for newly licensed LPNs.
- Experienced: roughly $31 to $35 per hour, with shift differentials on nights and weekends.
- Senior: $36 to $38 or more per hour for charge nurses and long-tenured staff.
These are estimates built from BLS data for the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro, where LPNs earn $29.59 an hour at the 10th percentile and $37.40 at the 90th. Federal pay at the VA follows the GS scale, with a recent Detroit LPN posting listing $46,522 to $79,407 a year. Experience, charge nurse duties, and night or weekend shifts move pay most, and sign-on bonuses are common at Detroit hospitals.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Detroit
Michigan uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse, and the license is issued by the Michigan Board of Nursing through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Bureau of Professional Licensing. You need to finish a state-approved practical nursing program and pass the NCLEX-PN. Michigan also requires one-time human trafficking identification training and 2 hours of implicit bias training before the license is issued, and the license renews on a 2-year cycle. Locally, Wayne County Community College District offers a Practical Nursing Education certificate at its Ted Scott Campus on Haggerty Road in Van Buren Township, plus an LPN to RN Bridge associate degree for nurses who want to move up.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give hands-on nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse or physician. Daily work includes passing medications, checking vital signs, dressing wounds, managing feeding tubes and catheters, documenting care in the electronic record, and watching for changes in a patient's condition. In a nursing home an LPN often runs a hall as the charge nurse, supervising CNAs and talking with families.
Skills Employers Look For
- An active Michigan LPN license and current BLS certification
- Accurate medication administration and documentation
- Wound care and IV or tube feeding experience
- Comfort leading and delegating to nursing assistants
- Electronic health record experience
- Calm communication with residents and families
- Willingness to work nights, weekends or 12-hour shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Many LPNs start as CNAs, finish a practical nursing certificate, and step into a charge nurse role in long-term care. From there, a common move is an LPN to RN bridge, such as the WCCCD program, which opens hospital RN jobs in Midtown, New Center and the suburban systems. Others move into MDS coordination, unit management in nursing homes, or federal nursing at the VA.
Related Careers in Detroit
If practical nursing interests you, these related Detroit roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work as an LPN in Detroit?
Yes. Michigan requires a Licensed Practical Nurse license from the Michigan Board of Nursing, issued through LARA. You must finish an approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN, and complete Michigan's human trafficking and implicit bias training requirements.
How much do LPNs make in Detroit?
The metro Detroit median is about $33.32 an hour, according to BLS data for May 2025. Most LPNs earn between roughly $29.50 and $37.50 an hour, with night shift, weekend and charge nurse pay at the top of that range.
How long does it take to become an LPN in Michigan?
A practical nursing certificate is shorter than an RN degree, and the exact length depends on the school and your prerequisites, so check the current schedule with WCCCD before you enroll. After graduating, you apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing and sit for the NCLEX-PN, which can add a few weeks before you are licensed.
Do Detroit hospitals hire LPNs?
Yes. Detroit Medical Center has posted LPN roles on telemetry and med-surg units, and Henry Ford Health and the Detroit VA use LPNs in clinics and primary care. Long-term care and rehab buildings, such as Ciena Healthcare's Detroit nursing homes, are the other big source of LPN jobs in the city.
Can an LPN become an RN in Detroit?
Yes. Wayne County Community College District offers an LPN to RN Bridge associate degree that prepares you for the NCLEX-RN. Many LPNs keep working in long-term care while they complete the bridge.
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