Want to see how your travel nurse salary stacks up in this unpredictable travel nurse job market?

How about making sure you're getting the higher compensation you should be in our challenging career?

You're in the right place to get all your questions answered about travel nurse pay.

Welcome to our interactive pay explorer - with auto-updates every month!

Since September 2019, we've been continuously tracking travel nurse pay packages.

View our full history of pay insights using the toggle in the right-hand corner of any of our graphs in this article.

edbb97a3 73f4-46c3-b9bc-6bbc2dbbafb5

More than four million jobs analyzed and four years later, we're proud to bring you objective overviews on the travel RN job market you can't find anywhere else.

Get the full scoop in this ultimate guide:

How Much Do Travel Nurses Make?

Do travel nurses earn more money than full-time registered nurses? Overall, definitely!

Keep in mind: Travel nurses make higher salaries on average.

Your potential average annual income will depend on demand for your nursing specialty and where you work.

The averages you see below are measured across all specialties and locations nationwide for a general comparison.

Average Travel Nurse Salary vs Staff Nurse Salary

Travel NursesStaff Nurses
Hourly Rates$64.58$39.05
Weekly Pay$2,324.92$1,561.92
Annual Salary$111,596$81,220

The average hourly pay for full-time staff RN's in the U.S. is $39.05, or $1,561.92 per week, according to the most recent 2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics registered nurse occupational outlook.

The average hourly rate for travel nurses is $64.58, or $2,324.92 per week, according to our Ultimate Travel Nurse Salary Guide in September 2023.

The average hourly wage for a travel RN is $25.53 higher than staff nurse pay, and the average salary per week is $736 more .

Extrapolating to compare the average annual salary of a staff nurse vs travel rn pay, the difference is significant, with travel nurses' average annual salary reaching upwards to $30,000 more.

We calculated the average annual salary for travel nurses for only 48 weeks a year. Travel nurses need time off to organize and move to new assignments.

Why Do Travel Nurses Make So Much?

In short, high demand = higher compensation.

We're all aware many healthcare facilities nationwide are experiencing "nursing shortages". Registered nurses are retiring and/or leaving the bedside altogether, a trend sped up by the pandemic.

It's estimated that by 2025 the US will have a staffing gap of 200,000-450,000 nurses. In other words, 10-20% of direct-patient care nursing jobs will be unfilled.

With nursing skills like ours in high demand, we deserve higher pay. Not to mention the inherent stress we put up with in our challenging career.

Travel nurses earn more competitive wages by having the adaptable skills necessary to fill critical staffing needs and provide meaningful patient care in a pinch with minimal to no orientation.

These critical needs are often on less desirable shifts, so preparing yourself to work night shift would open up more travel nurse job possibilities.

Healthcare facilities entice nurses with more competitive wages due to the extra hardships we take on with the lack of job stability while searching for new jobs every 13 weeks. There's also the lack of a consistent job benefits package and the inconveniences of travel costs and time.

c86c2772 5280-4fcd-b929-c343799c997c

Is Travel Nursing Worth It?

If you're looking to get more satisfaction in your nursing career, it could definitely be worth it.

It turns out it really is better to be a travel nurse than a staff nurse. A sweeping study analyzing feedback straight from our fellow nurses confirms it.

Travel nurses report higher satisfaction and less workplace stress in their jobs than permanent staff nurses.

Nurses working in travel nurse jobs are more satisfied than permanent staff nurses in key areas:

  • better job satisfaction
  • less work-related stress
  • feeling safer on the job
  • more employer support
  • higher compensation

Working in a travel nurse job isn't easy, but it could elevate your bedside nursing practice and give you more control in your nursing career.

You'll have to decide if the pros outweigh the cons for yourself. The standard contract is only 13 weeks, so I recommend every nurse give it a try.

Pro tip: You should definitely take the time to research what to expect before you commit to a travel nurse job.

Get A Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown

Understanding how travel nurses' higher wages breakdown will help you compare pay offers and spot the jobs that are worth your relocation.

Travel nurses are typically hired as contracted temporary employees of travel nursing agencies, getting paid on a weekly basis to work in a variety of healthcare facilities.

The most common travel nurse contracts offered are for hospital inpatient units in a healthcare facility. These contracts usually commit you to work:

  • 12 hours/shift
  • 3 shifts/week
  • 36 hours/week
  • 13 weeks total
  • 468 work hours total per contract

Our interactive pay explorer above standardizes all travel nurse wage data around the average 36-hour weekly pay packages.

See A Pay Package Example

Here's an average travel nurse pay package offer for a Medical-Surgical Nurse working 36 hours/week:

  • $400 M&IE (Meals & Incidental Expenses) - per Week
  • $3,200 Housing Stipend - per Month
  • $750 Travel Reimbursement - One Time payment
  • $30 Base Rate - Hourly pay rate

It's confusing! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let's break this offer down to view your pay per week and per hour. Convert all parts of your travel nurse wages to a standardized hourly rate, then combine to calculate.

Your "M&IE" (meals & incidental expenses) payment is meant to cover your living expenses and daily (diem) meal costs on assignment.

Your housing stipend covers your temporary housing in your assignment location. Remember you should be maintaining housing in your permanent tax home, as well.

Many travel nursing offer travel reimbursements to help offset the higher cost of life on the road.

Pay Package OfferPay per Week (36 hrs)Hourly rates
$400 M&IE Weekly$400$11.11
$3,200 Housing Stipend Monthly$800$22.22
$750 Travel Reimbursement One-time$57.69$1.60
$30 Base Rate Hourly$1,080$30
Total Gross Pay (Pre-Taxes)$2,337.69$64.94

Be aware you may have more living expenses coming out of your travel nursing paycheck, based on what employment benefits package you accept:

  • Taxes based on your permanent tax home rates
  • Agency health insurance - health benefits can start at $20/week
  • Agency 401k retirement plans

Ask your agency what other benefits they provide and how those affect your pay package.

Taxable vs Tax Free Pay

Following on from our pay example above, your travel nurse pay is made up of a taxable hourly wage and tax free income.

Weekly Income per OfferTaxable?
$400 M&IE (Meals & Incidental Expenses)N
$800 Housing StipendN
$57.69 Travel ReimbursementN
$1,080 Hourly Base RateY
$2,337.69 Total$1,080 Taxed

Notice that more than half of this pay package is tax free pay. Ka-ching!

Your tax free stipends, or "Per Diem" pay, are based on daily maximum rates set by the government.  Check gsa.gov's Per Diem rates for your next contract location.

Travel nurses are eligible for Per Diem tax free stipends when working away from your permanent tax home. When receiving tax free pay you MUST duplicate living/housing expenses, required per IRS rules.

This means paying fair market prices for both your accommodation at your travel nursing assignment, AND maintaining your own housing at your permanent tax home.

Many agencies also offer travel reimbursements to help you get money back you spent on travel expenses moving between assignments.

Pro tip: You can still "travel nurse" while living in your own housing at your permanent tax home. The difference is your income will be fully taxed, and you won't be eligible for the the tax free travel nursing pay.

Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses

Which states are really worth the higher cost license fees? Our map shows the highest paying states for travel nurses over the past 12 months.

To view the highest paying states averages since September 2019, use the toggle in the right-hand corner of any of our graphs.

These averages would include crisis rate market fluctuations.

Last 12 months 

Map Chart: Top Paying Travel Nursing States

Highest paying states for travel nurses. Standardized to 36/hour week contracts to compare data accurately.

For more specific travel nurse salary by state, see our table below with detailed pay trends and job availability.

We've included the standard deviation. This shows you how 68% of pay offers spread above and below the average travel RN rates. Picture a bell curve.

For example, 68% of California travel nurse salaries are $2,537.01 +/- $681.08 = pay range of $1,855.93 - $3,218.09.

The 'job count' column gives you a snapshot of each state's job availability.

Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses

Last 12 months 
State Average Weekly Pay Weekly Pay St. Deviation# Jobs Observed
Alaska$2,466.73$524.9719,281
New York$2,400.79$540.84117,068
New Jersey$2,393.80$569.7059,013
North Dakota$2,388.38$474.1223,946
California$2,382.91$562.79194,616
Massachusetts$2,373.87$520.2292,892
Wisconsin$2,297.65$445.7164,632
Hawaii$2,258.24$495.3823,510
Arizona$2,258.17$454.5651,552
West Virginia$2,227.19$413.0124,332
Ohio$2,225.00$405.1781,608
Illinois$2,221.87$412.3273,671
District Of Columbia$2,221.33$437.4610,170
Nevada$2,215.92$457.4610,717
Connecticut$2,214.50$439.8330,027
Washington$2,208.26$455.2582,891
Rhode Island$2,206.88$531.819,353
Colorado$2,206.37$470.8847,395
Maine$2,199.96$463.6629,736
Delaware$2,189.78$610.516,289
Utah$2,187.78$384.648,592
Wyoming$2,182.27$479.927,915
Nebraska$2,182.22$488.4623,704
Minnesota$2,163.27$548.3331,370
Kentucky$2,160.85$392.1234,969
Oregon$2,148.16$496.6264,498
Indiana$2,138.81$346.0963,204
New Hampshire$2,130.15$490.8837,275
Pennsylvania$2,125.06$567.1689,317
Virginia$2,123.54$417.1583,970
Vermont$2,123.07$506.8523,413
Maryland$2,101.06$464.1451,293
South Dakota$2,100.50$454.9819,815
Montana$2,093.49$423.7224,157
Iowa$2,092.13$428.0753,775
Michigan$2,079.60$418.8955,718
Idaho$2,077.56$381.3719,558
Kansas$2,066.28$373.3628,651
Missouri$2,049.36$358.7756,698
New Mexico$2,027.67$423.3037,781
Tennessee$2,018.11$346.1046,680
Oklahoma$2,010.36$374.4631,619
Texas$2,009.55$402.81115,379
North Carolina$1,990.78$360.4692,168
Arkansas$1,987.38$375.1917,843
Georgia$1,974.03$385.0968,989
Louisiana$1,973.78$389.0921,583
Mississippi$1,949.05$376.469,878
Florida$1,935.15$383.3154,073
South Carolina$1,900.26$344.0938,414
Alabama$1,860.90$345.8621,114
Table: Travel Nurse States by Highest Paying. Standard deviation explanation.

Curious what the market looked like pre-COVID19?

Below is a compilation of the states that offered the higher pay from September 2019 - March 2020. Compare this list to our above map and table to see what difference crisis rates made.

Top 5 Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses (Pre - Covid19)

  1. California Consistently has the best pay and the most jobs by a long shot. Both inside and outside of the pandemic.
  2. New Jersey Solid opportunities for both pay and job availability.
  3. Washington D.C. Great income, but fewer job openings.
  4. Alaska Decent pay and lots of jobs, despite reputation for low rates. Current rates lower than pre-covid19.
  5. Connecticut Regularly pays above average with frequent job openings.

Highest Travel Nurse Salaries by Metropolitan Area

Not sure which areas of the country pay great for travel nurses?

We've got a summary here to get you started. Get even more location-specific data on high paying opportunities using our interactive pay explorer.

Top 5 Highest Travel Nurse Salaries by Metropolitan Area

Go after high pay AND lots of job openings in these locations:

  1. California Holds 9 of our top 10 spots for highest-paying metro areas
  2. East Coast New York City-Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC
  3. Pacific Northwest Seattle-Tacoma, Portland
  4. Midwest St Louis, Chicago
  5. Arizona Phoenix, Tuscon

Pro Tip: Investing in a California license is worth your time and money if you're looking for LOTS of high-paying job options.

Highest Paying Travel Nurse Specialties

Feast your eyes on the largest travel nursing specialty comparison available including more than 130 specialties. Our interactive table shows nationwide pay averages including standard deviation for you to get an accurate overview of the highest paying specialties.

Last 12 months 
Travel Nursing Specialty Average Weekly Pay Weekly Pay St. Deviation# Jobs Observed
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA / CRNA)$6,166.42$1,254.71186
Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic Surgery (NP / CV/CT Surg)$6,109.43$984.814
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (RN / CRNA)$5,236.99$850.88118
Physicist (Non-Healthcare / Phys)$5,008.98$1,140.31275
Urgent Care (NP / Urgent Care)$4,375.62$1,512.055
Family Nurse Practitioner (NP / FNP)$4,006.36$1,518.5481
Emergency Medicine (PA / ED)$3,930.45$1,484.586
Neonatology (NP / Neonatology)$3,684.35$689.654
Adult Medicine (NP / Adult Med)$3,655.80$710.676
Assistant Nurse Manager (RN / Asst RN Mgr)$3,421.90$879.62167
Dosimetrist (Allied / Dosimetrist)$2,967.78$599.11200
Critical Care Flight / Transport Nurse (RN / Flight)$2,958.92$835.54126
Registered Nurse First Assistant (RN / RNFA)$2,817.19$722.134,770
Nurse Practitioner (NP / NP)$2,813.38$1,351.2955
Pediatric Cardiovascular Operating Room (RN / Peds CVOR)$2,811.68$516.96166
Pediatric Hematology - Oncology (RN / Peds Heme/Onc)$2,784.77$486.87187
Hematology (RN / Heme)$2,775.95$670.1091
Cardiovascular Operating Room (RN / CVOR)$2,752.46$490.8024,700
Public Health (RN / Pub Hlth)$2,745.44$531.13164
Nurse Educator (RN / Education)$2,710.64$541.11729
Pediatric Operating Room (RN / Peds OR)$2,695.09$614.651,960
Electrophysiology Lab (RN / EP Lab)$2,663.95$504.362,844
Pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (RN / Peds CVICU)$2,658.93$561.93893
Administrative (RN / Admin)$2,652.27$736.46351
Cardiac Cath Lab (RN / Cath Lab)$2,645.75$461.6848,026
Radiology (RN / Radiology)$2,643.79$538.604,221
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (RN / PICU)$2,637.00$580.1414,615
Pathology Assistant (Allied / Path Asst)$2,621.31$514.04827
Assistant Director of Nursing (RN / Asst. DON)$2,619.89$871.30194
House Supervisor (Supervisor / House Sup)$2,618.85$625.443,441
Interventional Radiology (RN / IR)$2,616.41$449.2613,603
Doctor of Pharmacy (Allied / PharmD)$2,614.02$465.693,707
Infection Control (RN / Infection)$2,593.63$575.02986
Audiologist (Allied / Aud)$2,589.85$541.84136
Perfusionist (Allied / Perf)$2,585.68$1,362.841,232
Pediatric Post Anesthesia Care Unit (RN / Peds PACU)$2,572.14$458.06331
Lactation (RN / Lactation)$2,563.82$438.8738
Hematology / Oncology (RN / Heme / Onc)$2,563.17$525.23598
Nurse Manager (RN / RN Mgr)$2,563.07$754.034,600
Special Procedures (RN / Special Procedures)$2,520.95$456.20356
Pediatric Oncology (RN / Peds Onc)$2,489.61$461.8399
Pediatric Progressive Care Unit (RN / Peds PCU)$2,483.44$434.92718
Therapeutic Apheresis (RN / Apheresis)$2,483.22$568.58160
Obstetric Ultrasound - Sonographer (Allied / OB/GYN US)$2,482.51$411.8620
Operating Room (RN / OR)$2,481.81$479.0798,964
Electrophysiology Lab Technician (Allied / EP Lab Tech)$2,469.79$401.873,210
Pediatric Emergency Department (RN / Peds ED)$2,467.18$462.333,797
Special Procedures Technologist (Allied / Special Procedures Tech)$2,464.89$414.982,128
Cardiovascular Cath Lab Technologist (Allied / Cardiac Cath Lab Tech)$2,459.26$413.9745,587
Bone Marrow Transplant (RN / BMT)$2,457.48$543.542,259
Interventional Radiology Technologist (Allied / IR Tech)$2,456.77$415.9724,574
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (School Services / School)$2,454.66$256.6636
Psychologist (Allied / CP)$2,453.01$784.64272
Director of Nursing (RN / DON)$2,452.98$765.491,570
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RN / NICU)$2,431.50$491.3812,796
Multi-Modality Technologist (Allied / Multi-Modality Technologist)$2,413.07$411.571,914
Antepartum (Allied / Ante)$2,409.45$1,011.66347
Echo-Vascular Technician (Allied / Echo/Vasc Tech)$2,407.65$406.174,998
Burn Intensive Care Unit (RN / BICU)$2,406.11$586.60830
Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (RN / CTICU)$2,405.38$525.83380
Nurse Navigator (RN / RN Navigator)$2,404.95$216.5118
Echocardiograph Technologist (Allied / Echo Technologist)$2,400.08$406.4511,960
Radiotherapist (Allied / Radiotherapy)$2,396.70$478.203,985
Vaccinations (RN / Vax)$2,394.90$0.004
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (RN / CVICU)$2,389.87$466.1920,661
Pediatrics (RN / Peds)$2,383.96$513.7612,426
Labor & Delivery (RN / L&D)$2,382.66$466.4052,864
Computed Tomography Technologist (Allied / CT Tech)$2,374.77$377.66127,999
School Psychologist, Certified (School Services / NCSP)$2,374.70$1,100.39156
Echocardiograph Technician (Allied / Echo Tech)$2,364.88$385.9413,719
Admissions (RN / ADM)$2,359.38$385.4990
Urology (RN / Urology)$2,354.64$402.83164
Neurology Intensive Care Unit (RN / Neuro ICU)$2,343.78$399.874,178
Vascular Technologist (Allied / RVT)$2,339.64$402.493,855
Pain Management (RN / Pain Mgt)$2,337.69$510.7859
Diagnostic Radiologist (Allied / Radiologist)$2,334.55$475.48560
Transplant (RN / Transplant)$2,332.11$420.45647
Float Pool (RN / Float)$2,323.14$423.871,509
Wound Care (RN / Wound)$2,322.80$425.062,047
Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Allied / CNMT)$2,321.70$361.449,108
OB/GYN (RN / OB/GYN)$2,321.20$485.163,627
Nurse Resident (RN / RN Resident)$2,320.32$686.7010
Vascular Access Nurse (RN / PICC RN)$2,315.09$332.40376
Infusion Therapy (RN / Infusion)$2,314.02$431.522,885
Same Day Surgery (RN / SDS)$2,310.09$407.9972
Patient Care Coordinator (RN / PCC)$2,308.92$654.3274
Cytotechnologist (Allied / Cyto)$2,308.25$471.34990
MRI Technologist (Allied / MRI Technologist)$2,305.98$353.1824,852
Utilization Review (RN / UR)$2,305.18$483.50799
Surgical Oncology (RN / Surg Onc)$2,303.36$397.43149
Ultrasound-Sonography Technician (Allied / US/Sono Tech)$2,302.11$347.2212,746
Cardiology (RN / Cardio)$2,299.45$418.312,012
MRI Technician (Allied / MRI Tech)$2,293.19$340.6412,690
Case Management (RN / CM)$2,292.60$426.6615,619
Perioperative (RN / Peri-op)$2,291.37$445.681,955
Ultrasound Technologist (Allied / US Technologist)$2,287.90$385.4838,846
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (RN / CDI)$2,286.47$626.3722
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (RN / PACU)$2,285.94$411.6918,390
Ambulatory Care (RN / Amb)$2,283.71$469.113,075
Cardiac Stepdown Unit (RN / CSDU)$2,279.43$354.251,220
Endoscopy (RN / Endo)$2,277.35$413.9711,520
Coronary Care Unit (RN / CCU)$2,276.49$341.108,126
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (RN / SICU)$2,273.34$426.671,612
Gastrointestinal Lab (RN / GI Lab)$2,268.28$398.402,889
Mammography Tech (Allied / Mammo Tech)$2,267.79$425.886,057
Oncology (RN / Onc)$2,266.84$421.2031,430
Emergency Department (RN / ED)$2,256.64$384.60126,225
Neurology Progressive Care Unit (RN / Neuro PCU)$2,253.70$350.49846
Postpartum (RN / PP)$2,248.49$467.825,152
Intensive Care Unit (RN / ICU)$2,248.42$374.2595,327
Step Down Unit (RN / SDU)$2,234.59$326.9824,476
Radiology Technologist (Allied / X-Ray Technologist)$2,232.14$397.6658,627
Medical Surgical Telemetry (RN / Med Surg Tele)$2,225.57$327.5372,715
Sub-Acute (RN / Sub-Acute)$2,222.85$269.9049
Urgent Care (RN / Urgent Care)$2,213.36$567.51550
Direct Observation Unit (RN / DOU)$2,204.49$329.612,009
Outpatient Clinic (Allied / Outpatient)$2,197.84$226.5063
Progressive Care Unit (RN / PCU)$2,194.72$346.4979,172
CVOR Technologist (Allied / CVOR Tech)$2,191.84$364.8415,505
Telemetry (RN / Tele)$2,184.78$355.53107,963
Postoperative (RN / Post-op)$2,183.49$390.7038
Trauma Intensive Care Unit (RN / TICU)$2,181.82$362.19621
Acute Care (RN / Acute)$2,174.42$460.554,970
Orthopedic Neurology (RN / Ortho / Neuro)$2,172.14$301.78364
Neurology (RN / Neuro)$2,159.29$343.006,031
Certified Surgical First Assistant (Allied / CSFA)$2,155.17$424.192,898
X-Ray Technician (Allied / X-Ray Tech)$2,153.47$385.1918,613
Outpatient Clinic (RN / Outpatient)$2,148.75$467.225,066
Psychiatric - Mental Health (RN / Psych)$2,144.97$381.0428,905
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Allied / LCSW)$2,130.65$363.083,982
Psychiatric - Mental Health Technician (Allied / Psych Tech)$2,129.05$1,140.94382
Medical Surgical (RN / Med Surg)$2,128.60$358.02213,281
Radiology Technician (Allied / Rad Tech)$2,128.09$363.3517,937
Telehealth (RN / Telehealth)$2,124.89$417.31105
Dialysis (RN / Dialysis)$2,122.74$359.2510,948
Orthopedic (RN / Ortho)$2,114.90$329.6010,138
Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (RN / CPCU)$2,113.75$298.582,718
Clinical Nurse Coordinator (RN / CNC)$2,113.52$405.591,483
Corrections (RN / Corr)$2,108.76$423.892,573
Occupational Health (RN / Occ Health)$2,107.32$382.20235
Nephrology (RN / Neph)$2,106.93$278.11238
Stroke / Neuro (RN / Stroke / Neuro)$2,088.94$289.54200
Home Health (RN / HH)$2,088.00$358.3436,801
Research / Clinical Research (RN / Research)$2,082.54$410.6252
Long Term Acute Care (RN / LTAC)$2,068.27$321.9415,960
Hospice (RN / Hospice)$2,052.68$306.339,161
Registered Dietician (Allied / RDCD)$2,045.89$263.16264
Respiratory Therapist (Allied / RT)$2,007.28$391.7035,418
Electroencephalogram Technician (Allied / EEG Tech)$1,987.08$389.86743
Recreational Therapist (Therapy / RT)$1,975.95$308.808
Polysomnographer (Allied / Sleep Tech)$1,970.37$371.382,992
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (School Services / BCBA)$1,968.42$279.9421
American Sign Language Teacher (School Services / ASL Teacher)$1,939.14$323.2820
Operating Room / Surgical Technician (Allied / OR / Surg Tech)$1,927.91$358.4299,172
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant (Allied / SLPA)$1,922.62$321.16320
Physical Therapy (Therapy / PT)$1,919.70$294.33145,378
Medical Tech / Medical Laboratory Scientist / Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Allied / MT / MLS / CLS)$1,907.68$439.4726,784
Long Term Care (RN / LTC)$1,906.48$402.2826,190
Speech Language Pathologist (Allied / SLP)$1,902.15$276.9536,931
Rehabilitation Therapy (Allied / Rehab Therapy)$1,901.54$417.351,958
Special Education Teacher (School Services / Special Ed)$1,882.43$324.42403
Obstetric Technician (Allied / OB Tech)$1,869.70$377.31929
Occupational Therapy (Therapy / OT)$1,854.79$284.7448,131
Skilled Nursing Facility (RN / SNF)$1,848.59$452.4414,983
Histotechnician (Allied / HT)$1,843.89$363.221,685
Electroencephalogram Technologist (Allied / EEG Technologist)$1,835.39$342.75798
School Nurse (RN / School Nurse)$1,827.93$406.48217
Charge Nurse (RN / Charge)$1,795.73$454.92742
Rehabilitation (RN / Rehab)$1,794.11$499.5823,691
Endoscopy Technician (Allied / Endo Tech)$1,773.12$459.851,280
Telemetry Monitor Technician (Allied / Tele / Monitor Tech)$1,770.37$650.60452
Anesthesia Technician (Allied / Anesthesia Tech)$1,723.82$754.36530
Home Health (Allied / HH)$1,675.93$313.9913
Emergency Department (LPN / LVN / ED)$1,616.05$395.06213
Electrocardiograph Technician (Allied / EKG Tech)$1,566.04$546.7495
Home Health (LPN / LVN / HH)$1,563.91$226.554,292
Corrections (LPN / LVN / Corr)$1,562.31$315.931,188
Psychiatric - Mental Health (LPN / LVN / Psych)$1,525.33$350.05696
Telemetry (LPN / LVN / Tele)$1,522.11$357.06439
Outpatient Clinic (LPN / LVN / Outpatient)$1,485.12$263.923,121
Antepartum (RN / Antepartum)$1,483.80$643.59647
School Nurse (LPN / LVN / School Nurse)$1,470.57$284.7768
Long Term Acute Care (LPN / LVN / LTAC)$1,462.68$235.883,180
Medical Surgical (LPN / LVN / Med Surg)$1,452.64$286.985,214
( / Rehab)$1,430.57$276.58169
Long Term Care (LPN / LVN / LTC)$1,430.29$285.6532,139
Paramedic (Allied / Paramedic)$1,430.12$342.89221
Hospice (LPN / LVN / Hospice)$1,411.17$207.221,558
Skilled Nursing Facility (LPN / LVN / SNF)$1,402.14$287.06579
LPN / LVN (LPN / LVN / LPN / LVN)$1,367.53$290.0919,442
Emergency Department Technician (Allied / ED Tech)$1,360.35$403.22140
Dialysis Technician (Allied / Dialysis Tech)$1,330.62$188.24468
Pharmacy Technician (Allied / Pharm Tech)$1,323.18$311.39830
Occupational Therapy Assistant (Therapy / OTA)$1,321.00$200.9611,371
Physical Therapy Assistant (Therapy / PTA)$1,317.76$220.2327,070
Home Health (CNA / HH)$1,309.67$705.9613
Sterile Processing Technician (Allied / SPT)$1,308.13$252.467,035
Patient Care Technician (Allied / PCT)$1,244.57$519.43209
Phlebotomy (Allied / Phlebotomist)$1,182.52$293.51275
Clerical (Non-Healthcare / Clerical)$1,127.00$417.2510
Medical Surgical (CNA / Med Surg)$1,113.69$231.41235
Skilled Nursing Facility (Allied / SNF)$1,112.66$474.99704
Certified Medical Assistant (Allied / CMA)$1,064.19$327.07845
Long Term Care (CNA / LTC)$984.18$281.121,553
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA / CNA)$916.94$267.571,945
Table: Travel Nurse Specialties

We removed specialties with very low job counts and supervisory roles. This keeps our data relevant to the travel nursing specialties with high pay AND regular job availability.

For a different view, we've got an interactive bubble chart displaying the highest paying travel nurse specialties by their job availability. Hover over the bubbles to identify the specialties.

Last 12 months 
Chart: Travel Nurse Specialties Bubble Chart

Not all nursing specialties have a regular high need for travel nurses. For example, RN's in Electrophysiology Lab (EP Lab) regularly have higher pay offerings, but don't have the plentiful job options that ICU or L&D nurses have.

Pro tip: If you aspire to work consistently as a travel nurse, gain experience in a specialty with higher job availability.

I repeat: Higher demand = Higher compensation.

How To Find the Highest Paying Travel Nursing Jobs

How can you cut through the lowball offers to find and land the best paying travel nurse salaries? We started StellarNurse to help you.

After analyzing the market for 4+ years, here's our best advice:

  • Use our interactive pay explorer to check pay trends, job availability and best agencies for your specialty
  • Check out the newest & highest-paying travel nursing jobs to get an objective overview on your best current opportunities
  • Message agencies anonymously on our StellarNurse jobs marketplace, focus on agencies that pay best and have lots of jobs for your specialty
  • Keep current state licenses for the locations that have your specialty's best pay and highest job availability
  • Breakdown pay packages to weekly or hourly income to accurately compare job offers
  • Prioritize high pay - above personal convenience, best locations, nicest recruiter or agency loyalty
  • Move fast for Crisis or Rapid Response rate offers

In a nutshell, stay flexible. The best offers are competitive and often need help fast. Be ready to adjust plans quickly, coordinate with a new agency or arrange travel to an unexpected location.

Bonus tip: If you like your agency, tell fellow travel nurses. Make an easy $500-$1,000. Every agency offers referral bonuses if a nurse you referred works with them too.

How To Find The Best Paying Travel Nurse Agencies

With more than 500 agencies posting travel nursing jobs daily it’s overwhelming to find which ones might be the best travel nurse companies for you.

After analyzing 4 million jobs over the past 4 years, we’ve organized our data to help you make informed decisions on which agencies to prioritize contacting first.

Find the best paying travel nurse agencies for your specialty and preferred locations. Use the filters to see which agencies have the most jobs available.

Last 12 months 
Agency Average Weekly Pay Weekly Pay St. Deviation# Jobs Observed
Aequor Healthcare$2,080.75$447.31102,684
MedPro Healthcare Staffing$2,156.42$434.5098,881
Aureus Medical Group$2,244.71$520.7698,031
CoreMedical Group$1,989.26$448.2794,665
Epic Travel Staffing (formerly Emerald Health)$2,233.52$441.5282,591
Ventura MedStaff$1,992.35$429.6777,741
Host Healthcare$2,275.66$538.2077,062
TotalMed$2,156.37$463.3652,286
Healthcare Staffing - IDR, Inc$2,106.98$453.8846,950
Access Healthcare Staffing$2,325.03$520.9640,672
ADEX Medical Staffing$2,254.09$374.7640,543
OneStaff Medical$1,983.04$503.3137,910
LeaderStat$2,128.45$514.9636,308
LanceSoft$2,397.54$428.1933,077
Marvel Medical Staffing$2,047.06$408.9831,778
Stability Healthcare$2,178.19$430.1231,137
CrossMed$2,071.34$387.4930,554
RNnetwork$2,129.84$707.8429,773
Focus Staff$2,214.06$403.2229,052
Healthcare Support$2,108.12$440.7528,436
Cross Country Healthcare$2,180.99$538.5228,172
Premier Healthcare Professionals$2,224.42$496.2627,825
Medical Solutions$2,247.02$517.0527,418
GLC On-The-Go$1,922.57$554.0227,120
Go Healthcare$2,090.42$404.9626,912
Jackson Therapy Partners$1,817.99$405.4426,760
Jackson Nurse Professionals$2,175.67$441.1926,667
Nurse First Travel Agency$2,201.38$411.2826,633
Ardor Health Solutions$2,062.45$474.5826,491
Triage Staffing$2,106.20$529.5725,857
KPG Healthcare$2,231.14$472.5223,809
Nomad Health$2,350.09$443.4323,682
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions$2,045.35$379.9322,789
Planet Healthcare$2,211.42$400.7022,243
Uniti Med$1,925.91$548.7521,486
Genie Healthcare$2,148.72$507.3421,136
Coast Medical Service$2,299.61$425.4420,811
Amare Medical Network$1,980.19$587.7320,470
Anders Group$2,138.55$454.3218,982
ADN Healthcare$2,165.14$396.2918,725
Phaxis$2,134.18$342.1517,998
TactStaff$2,303.72$404.0417,288
PRN Healthcare$2,095.99$454.9317,049
MedUS Healthcare$2,185.78$440.1716,336
trustaff$2,278.20$514.8316,226
Synergy Medical Staffing$2,056.75$477.3515,478
TRS Healthcare$2,193.02$473.9815,360
Nationwide Therapy Group$1,780.28$525.3215,197
Advantis Medical Staffing$2,193.16$415.5614,605
Destination Travelcare$2,210.00$472.9514,208
American Traveler$2,210.10$375.6214,102
GetMed Staffing, Inc.$2,075.69$456.3613,410
Springboard Healthcare$2,380.77$402.6713,395
Atlas MedStaff$2,152.85$430.8213,047
Travel Nurses Inc.$2,120.92$443.2312,891
3D Medical Staffing$2,264.80$451.8712,765
GHR Travel Nursing$2,478.20$465.9712,552
AHS Staffing$2,134.56$399.5012,296
Assured Nursing$2,085.77$411.9612,019
CareTeam Solutions$2,118.23$471.6911,690
Vital Workforce Solutions$2,225.24$423.2511,390
FlexCare Medical Staffing$2,162.23$482.2310,667
Vocaday$2,226.10$514.2010,312
American Mobile Healthcare (AMN)$2,190.01$564.7010,266
NuWest Group$2,368.79$450.719,881
IntellaPro Staffing$2,166.42$504.109,768
Skyline Med Staff$2,011.17$481.849,682
Travel Nurse Across America$2,254.40$446.589,496
Sharp Medical Staffinglife$2,339.42$460.209,473
TLC Travel Staff$2,124.23$480.799,385
Health Specialists, Inc.$2,209.63$356.049,366
Republic Health Resources$2,140.09$512.049,297
SkyBridge Healthcare$1,924.65$427.069,277
Wellspring Nurse Source$2,373.67$373.509,148
Supplemental Health Care$2,042.31$538.639,100
Magnet Medical$2,258.13$445.498,963
Junxion Med Staffing$2,128.13$426.388,597
LRS Healthcare$2,411.11$525.058,577
Vibra Travels$2,268.28$349.718,525
Lead Health$2,414.96$507.858,460
Premier Medical Staffing$2,165.25$358.448,247
Gifted Healthcare$2,263.05$521.277,825
Next Move, Inc.$2,088.52$430.117,449
Solomon Page$2,275.48$457.517,151
Prime Time Healthcare$2,380.10$486.646,917
Nightingale Nurses$2,306.77$474.846,832
Health Carousel - Allied Travel$2,034.87$390.876,771
Cynet Health$2,241.02$425.706,169
ARM Staffing$2,194.43$464.896,166
ALOIS Healthcare$2,128.10$532.206,002
Nurses First Solutions$2,173.06$450.015,637
Excel Medical Staffing$2,036.88$506.425,412
Guardian HealthStaff, LLC.$2,165.29$369.955,042
Summit Medical Staffing$2,380.13$441.455,023
Arrow Healthcare Staffing and Recruiting$2,049.95$433.594,849
Ethos Medical Staffing$2,137.29$418.344,754
Critical Connection, inc$1,938.53$252.774,569
Pioneer Healthcare$1,776.02$553.334,569
Thrive Staffing$1,836.23$479.224,545
GQR Healthcare$2,442.21$653.984,441
Accountable Healthcare Staffing$2,297.42$452.904,367
Centra Healthcare$1,733.20$400.044,285
Source Medical Staffing$2,395.37$436.964,239
Ink - A Healthcare Staffing Co.$2,316.03$476.274,101
Health Advocates Network$2,261.36$398.834,014
Aya Healthcare$2,275.33$448.793,816
Impresiv Health$2,203.20$438.563,719
Titan Medical Group$2,336.66$411.193,608
GrapeTree Medical Staffing$1,582.70$448.173,558
RKA Recruiting$2,483.27$423.633,404
Club Staffing (AMN)$2,000.81$298.203,397
Prime HealthCare Staffing$2,102.59$432.683,352
HumanEdge$2,169.53$425.833,187
Delta Healthcare Providers$1,999.07$229.403,151
FlexUp Direct$2,099.68$565.173,150
The Judge Group$2,565.65$446.403,119
NURSES Etc. STAFFING$2,111.84$584.943,106
Mynela Staffing$2,215.64$539.183,069
Corratel Healthcare$2,802.90$644.623,062
Voyage Healthcare$2,163.23$499.003,023
RCM Healthcare Services$2,086.47$500.262,981
Nurse 2 Nurse Staffing$2,309.67$520.772,946
Plains Medical Staffing$2,334.09$510.242,885
SambaCare$2,270.73$540.362,805
Galaxy Healthcare$2,157.97$376.522,800
Specialty Professional Services$1,931.94$513.802,768
Zack Group$2,196.83$371.952,677
Remede Consulting Group, Inc.$2,069.70$410.692,607
Fusion Medical Staffing$2,062.39$507.812,597
Catapult Healthcare$2,440.74$463.932,589
QS Nurses$1,861.61$583.072,489
Malone Healthcare Solutions$2,444.16$443.392,434
AMN Healthcare Allied$1,701.14$394.802,305
Health Carousel$2,111.85$431.002,171
Reliable Nurse Staffing$2,326.86$340.022,155
Bluebird Staffing$2,191.94$323.582,097
Trusted Resource Associates (TRA)$2,267.72$442.112,016
Allyon$2,259.11$575.122,007
Med Travelers (AMN Allied)$1,853.54$421.921,980
Nurses 24/7$2,248.12$644.031,807
TinkBird Healthcare Staffing$2,397.90$418.981,727
Triage Consulting Group$2,193.59$410.961,704
MedWave Healthcare Staffing$2,336.27$558.751,696
KingFish Healthcare$2,185.23$353.241,695
AB Staffing Solutions$2,122.32$634.961,654
Firstat Medical Staffing$2,259.75$424.971,643
Vighter$2,385.12$370.741,586
Trinity Health FirstChoice$2,291.27$362.321,544
Onyx Health Care Staffing$2,142.53$450.041,539
Marshall Healthcare Staffing$2,324.94$528.141,529
MSSI$2,295.33$536.771,514
Spire Workforce Solutions$2,347.22$461.031,483
IMCS Group$1,963.13$536.531,482
National Staffing$2,019.95$480.891,451
Northside Hospital Choice+Local$2,162.37$472.521,428
Refined Medical Staffing$2,258.75$447.041,428
Consolidated Medical Travel$2,878.44$523.131,398
Maxim Healthcare Services$2,525.28$597.341,386
Explore Tek$2,537.33$527.931,345
Bestica$2,435.97$390.381,331
MAS Medical Staffing$2,188.78$323.481,272
Providence Health Care Staffing$1,905.15$549.191,262
Lifeline Healthcare Professionals$2,520.30$587.031,200
Alliance Healthcare Solutions$1,985.80$470.901,199
MedCall Staffing$2,262.24$308.501,199
Convergence Medical Staffing$2,070.93$420.681,198
Soliant Health$2,424.78$529.011,187
TheraEX Staffing Services$2,192.73$611.471,180
Modern Healthcare Solutions$2,393.65$498.121,164
MedQ GLOBAL STAFFING$2,480.83$458.991,158
Quality Clinicians$1,995.48$681.541,155
Cure Healthcare Staffing$2,540.79$335.321,074
Kiwi Healthcare$2,308.68$489.341,072
Med Ninjas$2,249.52$671.711,068
Rock Medical Group$2,080.90$528.321,041
Medmetry$2,107.48$588.151,032
Trusted Health$1,916.71$603.951,027
City Mobile Group$2,185.81$309.43995
Ascend National Healthcare Staffing$2,338.69$494.57988
Halcyon Nurse Staffing$2,148.17$360.64967
PRIDE Health$2,228.14$434.31959
Lahey Health$2,518.35$567.33957
FocusPoint$2,606.99$425.84946
The Good Life MedStaff$2,404.91$585.37934
eTeam Inc$2,536.75$515.26906
Reliable Source Talent$2,476.30$379.67891
White Glove Placement$2,433.86$468.16889
Connected Health Care$2,394.95$553.34879
iDeal Personnel$2,176.80$479.70841
Lifeline Medical Staffing$2,196.86$422.42806
Journey Healthcare Solutions$2,258.40$502.69779
Innovate Healthcare Staffing$2,350.92$346.48776
Custom Healthcare Solutions$2,095.45$512.82769
The Stepping Stones Group$1,997.86$394.40723
Medical Talent$2,227.43$445.21716
Vero Travel Nursing$2,260.78$404.80682
Fiber Staffing$2,013.50$341.59661
Treva Corporation$2,262.56$401.72652
American Medical Staffing$2,349.34$440.02623
Sunbelt Staffing$2,585.68$550.14601
Formation, Inc.$2,697.60$607.43575
Winston Staffing$2,397.34$533.39525
Alliance Medical Staffing$2,062.53$435.82485
Advocate Health Staffing$2,551.53$464.71479
Insight Global$2,504.27$533.90423
Mindlance Health$2,573.50$485.89423
Seven Healthcare$2,429.82$535.62421
Care Partners Staffing$2,071.23$386.93418
Innovent Global$2,328.28$553.82398
Health Reserves LLC$2,430.36$592.06394
Nurse Hustle$2,208.56$417.40386
Adventure Nursing LLC$2,479.11$414.30385
CareNational$2,231.82$624.80380
Professional Nursing Service$3,085.30$575.69364
Reliant Staffing Solutions$2,449.76$345.30353
MedicalPeople Staffing, LLC$2,765.29$525.95349
Hire Up Healthcare$2,517.65$410.48343
PS Companies$2,528.77$353.59341
Pulse Healthcare Services$2,289.44$453.76340
Avani Healthcare Staffing$2,367.47$520.12328
Blu Medstaff$2,203.82$527.48314
DT-Trak Consulting$2,607.92$374.59312
WalkerHealthcare$2,232.26$316.61292
Becker Health$2,716.83$546.79282
Delta Medical Staffing$2,367.47$483.78269
Origin Travel Nurses$2,581.73$352.64263
MARS Solutions Group$2,392.47$624.81261
Siemens Healthineers$2,410.28$606.26260
CareerStaff Unlimited$3,057.08$2,630.03259
Vivino Group$1,878.09$640.34258
PeopleFirst RN Staffing$2,060.88$218.22249
Cerebral Staffing$2,285.23$602.16242
Froedtert Health$2,317.26$429.59240
TLC Nursing$2,403.38$657.38230
Medmasa$2,278.18$536.01228
Novo Connections$2,131.57$760.31224
Greenstaff Medical$2,549.98$590.24201
Wayward Medical$1,503.93$288.65191
EGA Associates$2,107.32$581.90188
Excite Health Partners$2,762.30$568.28188
Oloop Technology Solutions$2,243.50$476.72185
Cambay Healthcare$2,284.33$574.96177
Saratoga Medical Staffing$2,574.09$525.52176
Southeast HEALTH$2,630.76$362.83176
Raisso Inc.$2,679.89$566.97170
Platinum Healthcare Staffing$2,496.70$1,230.46155
NavAid Health$2,119.00$479.13152
Millbrook$2,531.20$504.36144
Leaders in Care$2,130.95$456.98141
Fusion HCR$2,403.49$379.81137
MSG Staffing$2,510.72$592.97137
Favorite Healthcare Staffing$2,383.24$434.12130
Loyal Source$2,275.22$540.18115
Phoenix MedStaff$2,509.84$367.01115
TruMED Healthcare Staffing$2,439.23$371.79114
Fastaff Travel Nursing$2,823.83$573.95113
DirectShifts$3,248.32$1,221.73109
Contemporary Healthcare Solutions$2,392.75$454.0998
Solutions by Sanford$2,559.94$404.0494
SojouRN$2,721.12$611.7791
Medasource$2,464.04$245.3390
Peregrine Team$2,960.26$628.0488
Open Door Personnel$2,066.41$382.8577
Lucid Staffing Solutions$2,605.50$889.3673
Grady Works$1,931.92$256.4071
ICONMA$2,281.80$448.0364
Pluto Healthcare Staffing$2,398.15$357.8464
Elite365$2,435.79$532.5458
Beebe Healthcare$2,525.22$594.7357
ATC Healthcare$2,666.78$675.0054
GardaWorld Federal Services$2,062.72$491.9750
Aura Staffing Partners$1,758.82$154.1047
Actriv Healthcare$2,028.08$745.2745
WorkSquare$2,309.10$420.1644
CT Assist$2,794.86$692.1241
Scout Nurse Staffing$1,732.50$394.5440
VitalHire$2,259.05$354.0939
VitalSolution (formerly CardioSolution)$2,982.43$396.4235
Primrose Group$2,458.04$455.4634
First Class Nurses, Inc.$2,347.53$625.6333
HealthCare Connections$2,366.59$481.1428
Capstone Healthcare Staffing$2,394.09$250.3521
CareStaff Partners$2,569.13$445.9215
Exquisite Staffing Solutions$2,220.53$255.0315
TrailBlazer Staffing Solutions$2,133.80$462.0215
Alto Healthcare Staffing$2,453.83$261.6810
Gale Healthcare Solutions$2,706.28$409.3010
RightPro Staffing$2,139.79$781.5910
Softpath System, LLC$2,579.36$544.6310
Frontline Healthcare Staffing$2,002.15$468.608
Tallavera$2,637.15$1,007.637
Prolink Staffing$2,954.25$379.756
Hamilton Staffing Solutions$2,126.08$485.145
Headwaters Healthcare$2,955.07$559.443
Table: Top Travel Nursing Agencies with Pay Transparency

Refer back to our interactive pay explorer for in-depth pay trends on the best travel nursing agencies for your specialty and locations.

StellarNurse answers three important questions you should consider in your travel nurse agency choices.

Which travel nurse agencies have:

  • The highest paying jobs for your specialty?
  • The most jobs available for your locations?
  • The benefits you’re looking for?

More questions you should consider when choosing a travel nurse agency are:

  • What sets this agency apart?
  • What agency resources are available if you have issues?
  • How responsive is this agency?

Furthermore, find unbiased reviews to guide your choices.

Since I prefer to read reviews directly from my fellow nurses, here's where I look:

Bonus tip: You can message recruiters anonymously on the StellarNurse jobs marketplace totally risk-free. Get all your questions answered before giving up your contact info.

Our Data Sources

All our data is publicly available on the named travel nursing agency's website or Google jobs listings.

Methodology

We'll be publishing more technical details on our GitHub in the near future.

Dropping the Mic 🖐🎤

We can't wait to hear your success stories - Tell us how our travel nurse salary interactive pay explorer has helped you.

Did we miss any questions you have about finding how much travel nurses can make?

Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook so we can add your requests to future updates.

Share with your registered nurse friends so they can see their earning potential too!