0620 - Practical Nurse
Federal Occupation Description
Federal Occupation Description
This series covers positions which involve a variety of nursing care and practices which do not require full professional nurse education, but require the knowledges and skills represented by the licensing of practical and vocational nurses by a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia.
For job opportunities in this series, go to the Office of Personnel Management USAJOBS website.
Other Federal Occupations
It is not uncommon for individuals in one federal occupational series to perform duties related to another series within the same federal occupational group. To find out about the certifications for another series in the MEDICAL, HOSPITAL, DENTAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH GROUP, click on that series below. Note that credentials have not yet been identified for all series – links are provided only to those series for which the identification of credentials has been completed. Additional series will be added over time.
- 0601 - General Health Science Series
- 0602 - Physician
- 0603 - Physician Assistant Series
- 0610 - Nurse Series
- 0621 - Nursing Assistant Series
- 0622 - Medical Supply Aide and Technician Series
- 0625 - Autopsy Assistant Series
- 0630 - Dietitian and Nutritionist Series
- 0631 - Occupational Therapist Series
- 0633 - Physical Therapist Series
- 0635 - Kinesiotherapy Series
- 0636 - Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant Series
- 0637 - Manual Arts Therapist Series
- 0638 - Recreation/Creative Arts Therapist Series
- 0639 - Educational Therapist Series
- 0640 - Health Aid and Technician Series
- 0642 - Nuclear Medicine Technician Series
- 0644 - Medical Technologist Series
- 0645 - Medical Technician Series
- 0646 - Pathology Technician Series
- 0647 - Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist Series
- 0648 - Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist Series
- 0649 - Medical Instrument Technician Series
- 0650 - Medical Technical Assistant Series
- 0651 - Respiratory Therapist Series
- 0660 - Pharmacist Series
- 0661 - Pharmacy Technician Series
- 0662 - Optometrist Series
- 0665 - Speech Pathology and Audiology Series
- 0667 - Orthotist and Prosthetist Series
- 0668 - Podiatrist Series
- 0669 - Medical Records Administration Series
- 0670 - Health System Administration Series
- 0671 - Health System Specialist
- 0672 - Prosthetic Representative Series
- 0673 - Hospital Housekeeping Management Series
- 0675 - Medical Records Technician
- 0679 - Medical Support Assistance
- 0680 - Dental Officer Series
- 0681 - Dental Assistant
- 0682 - Dental Hygiene Series
- 0683 - Dental Laboratory Aid and Technician Series
- 0685 - Public Health Program Specialist Series
- 0688 - Sanitarian Series
- 0690 - Industrial Hygiene Series
- 0696 - Consumer Safety Series
- 0698 - Environmental Health Technician Series
- 0699 - Medical and Health Student Trainee Series

The following certifications have been identified as most relevant to the broad duties of this federal occupational series. Please note that these credentials may not reflect all of the unique job functions that you perform within your organization. Also these credentials may require additional education, training or experience. For more information about any credential, click on the credential title below.
Compare | Credential | Agency | Related As | GI Bill® | Accreditation | ID | |
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Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Is Not In Demand | National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) | ![]() |
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Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
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American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) | ![]() |
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Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
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American Medical Technologists (AMT) | ![]() |
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Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
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American Medical Technologists (AMT) | ![]() |
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Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) | ![]() |
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National Registered Paramedic (NRP)
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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) | ![]() |
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Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)
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American Medical Technologists (AMT) | ![]() |
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Certified Managed Care Nurse
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American Board of Managed Care Nurses | ![]() |
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Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
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Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) | ![]() |
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Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) Is Not In Demand | Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) | ![]() |
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Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT)
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Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) | ![]() |
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Ophthalmic Surgical Assisting (OSA) Is Not In Demand | Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) | ![]() |
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ASPT-Certified Phlebotomy Technician
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American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians | ![]() |
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EKG (Electrocardiography) Technician Is Not In Demand | American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians | ![]() |
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Patient Care Technician
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American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians | ![]() |
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Certified Hemodialysis Nurse (CHN) Is Not In Demand | Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing Technology (BONENT) | ![]() |
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Certified Hemodialysis Technician (CHT) Is Not In Demand | Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing Technology (BONENT) | ![]() |
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Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse (CPDN) Is Not In Demand | Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing Technology (BONENT) | ![]() |
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Certified Urologic Associate (CUA) Is Not In Demand | Certification Board for Urologic Nurses and Associates (CBUNA) | ![]() |
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Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT)
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Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC) | ![]() |
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National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
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National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) | ![]() |
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National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT)
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National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) | ![]() |
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National Certified ECG Technician (NCET) Is Not In Demand | National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) | ![]() |
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National Certified Patient Care Technician (NCPCT)
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National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) | ![]() |
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Tech in Surgery - Certified (TS-C)
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National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) | ![]() |
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NAPNES Certified in Pharmacology (LPN/LVN, NCP) Is Not In Demand | National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Inc. (NAPNES) | ![]() |
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Long-Term Care Certification
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National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Inc. (NAPNES) | ![]() |
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IV Therapy Is Not In Demand | National Association of Licensed Professional Nurses (NALPN) | ![]() |
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Gerontology Is Not In Demand | National Association of Licensed Professional Nurses (NALPN) | ![]() |
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NHA-Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NHA-CPT)
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National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | ![]() |
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Certified EKG Technician (CET) Is Not In Demand | National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | ![]() |
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Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Is Not In Demand | National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | ![]() |
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Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
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National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | ![]() |
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Certified Phlebotomist Technologist (CPT)
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National Phlebotomy Association (NPA) | ![]() |
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National Council Licensure Examination for Practical/Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN) Is Not In Demand | National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) | ![]() |
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Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A)
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National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | ![]() |
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Wound Care Certification
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National Alliance of Wound Care | ![]() |
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Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant Is Not In Demand | National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses | ![]() |
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Certified Corrections Nurse (CCN) Is Not In Demand | American Correctional Association (ACA) | ![]() |
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Certified Wound Care Associate (CWCA) Is Not In Demand | American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) | ![]() |
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Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA) Is Not In Demand | American Medical Technologists (AMT) | ![]() |
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National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Is Not In Demand | National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) | ![]() |
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Medication Aide Certification Examination (MACE) Is Not In Demand | National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) | ![]() |
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Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator Is Not In Demand | American Board for Transplant Certification | ![]() |
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Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator Is Not In Demand | American Board for Transplant Certification | ![]() |
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Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) Is Not In Demand | Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA) | ![]() |
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Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) | ![]() |
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Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse Is Not In Demand | National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses | ![]() |
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Vascular Access Board Certified Is Not In Demand | Vascular Access Certification Corporation (VACC) | ![]() |
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Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Specialist (CCMAS) Is Not In Demand | American Education Certification Association (AECA) | ![]() |
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Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant Is Not In Demand | American Education Certification Association (AECA) | ![]() |
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Certified Phlebotomy Technician Is Not In Demand | American Education Certification Association (AECA) | ![]() |
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Activity Certified Consultant (ACC) Is Not In Demand | National Certification Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP) | ![]() |
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Home Care Coding Specialist - Diagnosis (HCS-D) Is Not In Demand | Board of Medical Specialty Coding & Compliance (BMSC) | ![]() |
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Home Care Clinical Specialist - OASIS (HCS-O) Is Not In Demand | Board of Medical Specialty Coding & Compliance (BMSC) | ![]() |
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Home Care Coding Specialist - Hospice (HCS-H) Is Not In Demand | Board of Medical Specialty Coding & Compliance (BMSC) | ![]() |
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Community Paramedic Certification (CP-C) Is Not In Demand | International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC) | ![]() |
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Home Care Specialist - Compliance (HCS-C) Is Not In Demand | Board of Medical Specialty Coding & Compliance (BMSC) | ![]() |
State Licenses
Some states have specific licensing requirements for the following related civilian occupations. These state licenses may require additional education, training or experience. Click on the occupation below to get more information on state requirements from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related Civilian Private Sector Occupations
The following civilian private sector occupations are similar to the duties performed by 0620 - Practical Nurse. These occupations may require additional education, training or experience. For more information about these occupations, click on the civilian occupation below.
Civilian Job | Duties Matched | Bright Outlook | Registered Apprenticeship | Local Salary Info | |
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Acute Care Nurses |
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Critical Care Nurses |
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Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics |
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Home Health Aides |
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Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses |
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Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians |
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Medical Assistants |
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Ophthalmic Medical Technicians |
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Ophthalmic Medical Technologists |
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Personal Care Aides |
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Phlebotomists |
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Psychiatric Technicians |
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