Licensed Vocational Nurse Jobs in San Diego, CA
Licensed vocational nurses in San Diego see posted pay of roughly $31 to $48 an hour, with most jobs in the clinics and medical offices of Sharp Rees-Stealy, Scripps Clinic and Kaiser Permanente. Here are the current LVN openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current licensed vocational nurse Openings in San Diego, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Vocational Nurse Work in San Diego
In San Diego most LVN work is outpatient. Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group runs 22 locations, from Rancho Bernardo to its Santee urgent care, and Scripps Clinic posts LVN jobs in Torrey Pines, Carmel Valley, La Mesa, Santee and Encinitas. Kaiser Permanente hires LVNs for its medical offices on Viewridge Court in Kearny Mesa and at Fordham, and for specialty clinics at Zion Medical Center. Skilled nursing is the other big setting, including Sharp's skilled nursing units at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa and Villa Coronado.
The Centers of Excellence for the California Community Colleges counted about 6,970 LVN jobs in San Diego County in 2024, with about 680 openings a year and growth of about 8 percent expected by 2029. Local community colleges award only about 36 LVN credentials a year, which helps explain sign-on bonuses like Sharp's offer of up to $2,000.
Top San Diego Employers Hiring Licensed Vocational Nurses
These San Diego employers have posted LVN jobs on their own career sites:
- Sharp HealthCare - hires LVNs for Sharp Rees-Stealy clinics and urgent cares, and skilled nursing at Grossmont Hospital and Villa Coronado.
- Kaiser Permanente - posts LVN jobs in cardiology, neurosurgery, pulmonology and OB/GYN at Viewridge Court, Fordham and Zion Medical Center.
- Scripps Health - Scripps Clinic hires LVNs for pediatrics, internal medicine, dermatology, podiatry and surgical specialties across the county.
- VA San Diego Healthcare System - the VA Medical Center in La Jolla posts LVN jobs in spinal cord injury and surgical specialty care through USAJOBS.
Licensed Vocational Nurse Salaries in San Diego
- Entry level: about $31 to $34 an hour for newly licensed LVNs.
- Experienced: roughly $35 to $40 an hour for LVNs with a few years in a clinic or facility.
- Senior: $41 to $48 an hour at the top of posted ranges.
These are estimates built from ranges posted by Sharp Rees-Stealy ($31.35 to $43.89), Scripps Clinic ($33.39 to $48.28) and the VA ($58,741 to $93,292 a year), and from Centers of Excellence figures putting the county median near $37 an hour. Pay moves with experience, setting and extra credentials: urgent care roles that require IV therapy and blood withdrawal certification, ACLS and PALS tend to pay more than routine clinic work.
How to Become a Licensed Vocational Nurse in San Diego
California uses the title LVN, not LPN. Licenses are issued by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, and you must be at least 17, have finished 12th grade or the equivalent, complete an approved vocational nursing program and pass the NCLEX-PN. Locally, Southwestern College runs an 18-month vocational nursing program at its Higher Education Center at Otay Mesa, and MiraCosta College also awards LVN credentials. The Board also accepts some military medical corps experience. Most clinic jobs add AHA BLS, and many want the vocational nurse IV therapy and blood withdrawal certification.
What the Job Involves
LVNs work under registered nurses and physicians. In a San Diego clinic that means rooming patients, taking vital signs and histories, giving injections and medications, assisting with minor procedures, running screenings and documenting everything in the electronic record. In skilled nursing, LVNs pass medications, do treatments and wound care, and watch for changes in residents' conditions.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active California LVN license
- AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers
- IV therapy and blood withdrawal certification
- Medication administration and injections
- Electronic health record charting
- Outpatient or specialty clinic experience
Career Path and Advancement
LVNs in San Diego can move into charge nurse and clinical supervisor roles, such as the LVN supervisor jobs Scripps Clinic posts, or into specialty clinics that pay more. The bigger step is becoming an RN: San Diego City College's LVN to RN track and Southwestern College's LVN to RN Step-up both give credit for LVN experience toward an associate degree in nursing.
Related Careers in San Diego
If vocational nursing interests you, these related San Diego guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it LVN or LPN in California?
In California the license is Licensed Vocational Nurse, or LVN. It is the same role other states call a licensed practical nurse, and the licensing exam is the NCLEX-PN.
Who licenses LVNs in San Diego?
The California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians licenses all LVNs in the state. You need an approved program, or qualifying experience, and a passing score on the NCLEX-PN.
How much do LVNs make in San Diego?
Posted ranges run from about $31 to $48 an hour. Sharp Rees-Stealy posts $31.35 to $43.89 for urgent care LVNs, and Scripps Clinic posts $33.39 to $48.28.
How long does it take to become an LVN in San Diego?
Southwestern College's vocational nursing program takes 18 months over three semesters, then you sit for the NCLEX-PN. Applicants must also clear a background check, a drug screen and immunization requirements before starting.
Can an LVN become an RN in San Diego?
Yes. San Diego City College has an LVN to RN track and Southwestern College has an LVN to RN Step-up, both leading to an associate degree in nursing and the NCLEX-RN.
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