text: about rn's and lpn's (question inside)? i would like to be either an rn or an lpn but i need to know 2 things.. how much college you must go through for each and about how much you get paid in an hour or week for each well, as an rn student, i  can give you some info.  you can get an rn degree in 2-3 years.  an lpn takes 2-2 1/2.  starting pay for an rn varies by the area of the country you live in, but here in the midwest, i can start at about $60k per year.  lpn's is about half of that.