How much do travel nurses make?
About these figures: BLS does not publish separate pay for travel nurses. The pay figures on this page are for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141), the occupation travel nurses belong to. What differs for travel nurses.
Answer
BLS does not publish pay for travel nurses separately. Registered nurses, the occupation travel nurses belong to, earned a median of $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $80,330 to $112,350.
- Median annual pay
- $97,550
- Mean $101,420
- Median hourly pay
- $46.90
- Mean $48.76
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $68.9K–$137K
- $68,940 to $137,470
- US jobs
- 3,379,720
- +5.6% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026; figures for all registered nurses. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become a travel nurse: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: California
Pay range for all registered nurses
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$68,940
- 25th percentile$80,330
- Median$97,550
- 75th percentile$112,350
- 90th percentile$137,470
Half of all registered nurses earned more than $97,550 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $68,940; the top 10% made over $137,470. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $80,330 to $112,350.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 | $33.14 | $5,745 |
| 25th | $80,330 | $38.62 | $6,694 |
| Median (50th) | $97,550 | $46.90 | $8,129 |
| 75th | $112,350 | $54.02 | $9,363 |
| 90th | $137,470 | $66.09 | $11,456 |
| Mean (average) | $101,420 | $48.76 | $8,452 |
Travel Nurse salary by state: pay for all registered nurses
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. California $140,270
- 2. Hawaii $136,320
- 3. Oregon $129,010
- 4. Washington $124,200
- 5. Alaska $109,480
Lowest-paying states
- 51. Alabama $77,080
- 50. Mississippi $77,090
- 49. South Dakota $78,060
- 48. Iowa $78,630
- 47. Arkansas $78,940
Best after cost of living: California. Its median of $140,270 is worth about $126,689 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | $77,080 | 51 | $86,779 | 49 | $37.06 | 54,340 | 25.71 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $109,480 | 5 | $106,957 | 5 | $52.64 | 7,510 | 23.06 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | 18 | $98,831 | 16 | $47.84 | 73,150 | 22.58 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | 47 | $90,801 | 32 | $37.95 | 29,400 | 22.55 |
| California | $140,270 | 1 | $126,689 | 1 | $67.44 | 338,940 | 18.61 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | 14 | $97,291 | 21 | $48.20 | 54,490 | 18.96 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | 10 | $99,160 | 13 | $49.39 | 40,110 | 23.65 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | 17 | $99,711 | 11 | $47.85 | 14,290 | 29.48 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | 11 | $93,302 | 29 | $49.30 | 11,440 | 16.30 |
| Florida | $84,190 | 34 | $81,411 | 51 | $40.48 | 229,940 | 23.16 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | 27 | $97,151 | 22 | $44.98 | 100,950 | 20.65 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | 2 | $123,983 | 3 | $65.54 | 12,940 | 20.62 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | 28 | $96,823 | 23 | $44.45 | 16,880 | 19.69 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | 21 | $96,030 | 24 | $46.15 | 138,910 | 22.78 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | 36 | $89,468 | 41 | $40.14 | 68,980 | 21.55 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | 48 | $89,595 | 39 | $37.80 | 34,420 | 22.08 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | 46 | $88,067 | 47 | $38.14 | 33,800 | 23.51 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | 42 | $89,886 | 37 | $38.96 | 50,300 | 25.14 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | 44 | $90,957 | 31 | $38.57 | 48,970 | 25.31 |
| Maine | $86,990 | 29 | $89,634 | 38 | $41.82 | 16,540 | 25.83 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | 15 | $95,075 | 26 | $47.98 | 52,910 | 19.15 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | 8 | $98,859 | 15 | $50.27 | 88,200 | 24.25 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | 25 | $98,008 | 19 | $45.34 | 104,950 | 23.83 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | 12 | $102,929 | 7 | $48.80 | 70,110 | 23.77 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | 50 | $88,657 | 45 | $37.06 | 29,060 | 24.99 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | 40 | $90,049 | 36 | $39.32 | 76,310 | 25.99 |
| Montana | $85,280 | 30 | $90,105 | 35 | $41.00 | 10,950 | 21.41 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | 31 | $94,037 | 28 | $40.74 | 24,720 | 24.14 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | 9 | $103,692 | 6 | $49.84 | 27,070 | 17.45 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | 16 | $95,714 | 25 | $47.93 | 15,390 | 22.52 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | 7 | $97,882 | 20 | $51.20 | 92,680 | 21.62 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | 24 | $102,308 | 8 | $45.36 | 17,980 | 20.65 |
| New York | $109,440 | 6 | $101,408 | 10 | $52.62 | 205,810 | 21.24 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | 33 | $89,424 | 42 | $40.56 | 111,120 | 22.49 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | 43 | $90,750 | 33 | $38.81 | 11,340 | 26.40 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | 38 | $88,937 | 43 | $39.67 | 143,730 | 25.90 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | 37 | $94,396 | 27 | $39.87 | 38,270 | 22.41 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | 3 | $124,815 | 2 | $62.02 | 39,730 | 20.20 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | 20 | $98,830 | 17 | $46.36 | 146,520 | 24.16 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | 13 | $98,397 | 18 | $48.39 | 10,090 | 20.13 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | 39 | $87,852 | 48 | $39.60 | 49,750 | 21.58 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | 49 | $88,118 | 46 | $37.53 | 14,710 | 32.17 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | 41 | $88,712 | 44 | $39.18 | 72,200 | 22.02 |
| Texas | $95,970 | 22 | $98,880 | 14 | $46.14 | 271,380 | 19.29 |
| Utah | $84,600 | 32 | $85,572 | 50 | $40.67 | 27,420 | 15.80 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | 19 | $99,492 | 12 | $46.86 | 7,410 | 24.39 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | 26 | $92,578 | 30 | $45.00 | 77,490 | 18.86 |
| Washington | $124,200 | 4 | $116,061 | 4 | $59.71 | 69,260 | 19.51 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | 45 | $89,534 | 40 | $38.52 | 23,430 | 33.39 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | 23 | $101,525 | 9 | $45.93 | 68,060 | 23.14 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | 35 | $90,365 | 34 | $40.27 | 5,330 | 19.00 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for registered nurses
374 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $196,282 | 22,930 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $187,400 | 4,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $161,409 | 41,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $161,944 | 3,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $160,739 | 23,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $155,565 | 1,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $143,256 | 1,080 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | $131,955 | 1,270 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $124,697 | 28,680 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | $125,504 | 9,680 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197,740 | $119,720 | $106,358 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 109,360 | $135,560 | $119,367 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 100,240 | $100,490 | $97,003 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 76,680 | $101,420 | $98,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 73,790 | $101,180 | $98,660 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 65,910 | $99,830 | $101,218 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,240 | $106,180 | $98,073 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 61,670 | $91,380 | $80,049 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 56,460 | $100,490 | $100,432 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53,700 | $100,830 | $97,594 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves travel nurse pay: employers and settings
BLS does not publish separate pay for travel nurses. The figures on this page are for all registered nurses, the parent occupation, which includes staff, travel, per diem and agency nurses in every setting. They do not include the housing and meal stipends that many travel contracts pay on top of wages.
For RNs as a whole, the work setting moves pay. Hospitals, which employ more than half of RNs, pay a median of $100,210; outpatient care centers $99,350; employment services, the staffing industry that includes many agency nurses, $90,840; and nursing facilities $85,510. Federal government nurses have a median of $121,240.
State is the other major lever, and it matters for travelers because they choose where to go. California leads with a median of $140,270, followed by Hawaii at $136,320, Oregon at $129,010, Washington at $124,200, and Alaska at $109,480. At the low end are South Dakota at $78,060, Mississippi at $77,090, and Alabama at $77,080. California still leads after adjusting for living costs.
RN pay overall runs from $68,940, the 10th percentile, to $137,470, the 90th, reflecting setting, state, specialty and shifts.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 56.3% | $100,210 |
| Offices of Physicians | 6.9% | $85,000 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5.9% | $84,930 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 5.1% | $99,350 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 4.2% | $85,510 |
| Employment Services | 3% | $90,840 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 2,841,730 | $97,170 |
| Federal government (incl. Postal Service) | 101,140 | $121,240 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 157,270 | $102,440 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 279,580 | $85,420 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Registered nurses pay over time
Median annual pay, 2015–2025
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $67,490 in 2015 to $97,550 in 2025, up 45% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $91,233 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 7% over the period.
BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.
What differs for travel nurses
Travel nursing is not a separate license or degree; it is an employment arrangement for experienced RNs. What differs is the setting and the paperwork. Travelers work short contracts, often 13 weeks, at facilities that need help quickly, and they are expected to function with minimal orientation. For that reason, employers want nurses with solid recent experience in a specialty. The VA's own travel program, for example, requires at least two years of current hospital experience in areas such as ICU, emergency, OR or med-surg and at least three assignments a year.
Licensing is the other big difference. A nurse whose home state is in the Nurse Licensure Compact can hold one multistate license that covers 43 member jurisdictions. Assignments in other states require a separate state license.
People usually move into travel work after a couple of years as a staff RN in a hospital specialty, often adding certifications such as BLS, ACLS or a specialty credential that hospitals list for that unit.
What travel nurses do
A travel nurse is a registered nurse who takes short, fixed-length contracts at hospitals and other facilities away from home, usually through a staffing agency. Hospitals bring in travelers to cover staff shortages, seasonal surges, new unit openings, leaves of absence or strikes. A typical assignment lasts about 13 weeks, after which the nurse extends, moves to a new facility or goes home.
On the unit, the clinical work is the same as a staff RN's: assessing patients, giving medications, managing IV lines and drips, charting, and coordinating with doctors and other nurses. The difference is everything around it. Travel nurses must learn a new hospital's charting system, policies and layout in a day or two of orientation, then carry a full patient load. They are hired for experience, so most work in busy specialties such as ICU, emergency, operating room, telemetry, labor and delivery, or medical-surgical units.
Travelers move often, live in short-term housing, and must hold a license valid in each state where they work. Many like the variety; others find the constant change and distance from family hard.
A typical day
- Finish a short hospital orientation and learn a new unit's routines and charting system fast
- Take report, assess assigned patients and plan care for the shift
- Give medications, start IVs, titrate drips and respond to changes in a patient's condition
- Chart care and assessments in the facility's electronic health record
- Work with physicians, charge nurses and staff nurses who know the unit better than you
- Track license, certifications and health records for the next contract
- Search and interview for the next assignment, and arrange housing and travel
Also called: traveling nurse.
How to become a travel nurse
Full guideTo become a travel nurse you first become a registered nurse: earn an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, pass the NCLEX-RN and get a state license. Then work about two years as a hospital staff nurse in a specialty before signing with a travel agency or program, so expect 5-6 years in total.
- Typical time
- 6 years
- Fastest: About 5 years
- Minimum education
- Associate degree or diploma in nursing from an approved program; a BSN is preferred by many hospitals
- License
- RN license required in every state; you need a multistate compact license or a license in each state where you take an assignment
- Typical training cost
- $14.3K–$38.0K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a travel nurse: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 6 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $14.3K–$38.0K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $97,550
- All registered nurses; $46,570 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 15–39%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($46,570 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for registered nurses
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 3,465,400
- 3,660,100 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 180,800
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 0.5%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects registered nurse jobs, the occupation travel nurses belong to, to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 3,465,400 to 3,660,100, faster than the 3.5% average. About 180,800 RN openings are expected each year, many from retirements.
BLS points to an aging population with more chronic illness and growing care in hospitals, outpatient centers and homes. BLS does not project travel nursing separately. Demand for travelers rises and falls with hospital staffing shortages and budgets, so contract availability can swing more than staff nursing jobs.
Related careers and their pay
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- LPN$64,400
- Nurse Midwife$134,040
- CRNA$236,590
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- CNA$42,260
- Paramedic$60,600
- EMT$44,470
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Travel Nurse salary FAQ
How much do travel nurses make an hour?
BLS does not publish separate pay for travel nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, the median hourly wage was $46.90 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33.14 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $66.09. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays travel nurses the most?
BLS does not publish separate pay for travel nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, California has the highest median pay, $140,270 a year, followed by Hawaii ($136,320) and Oregon ($129,010). After adjusting for each state's price level, California comes out ahead at about $126,689 in national-average dollars.
Do travel nurses make six figures?
BLS does not publish separate pay for travel nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of registered nurses earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $97,550, and the top 10% earn more than $137,470. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
How long are travel nurse assignments?
Most contracts are about 13 weeks, though shorter and longer assignments exist and many facilities offer extensions. The VA's travel program, for example, generally uses assignments of at least 13 weeks. IRS rules matter here: an assignment in one place realistically expected to last more than a year is treated as indefinite, which can change how travel-related payments are taxed.
How do travel nurses get licensed in other states?
If your primary state of residence belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, you can hold one multistate license that lets you work in all 43 member jurisdictions. For a state outside the compact, you apply to that state's board of nursing for a license by endorsement before the assignment starts. If you move your permanent home to another compact state, you must apply for a license there within 60 days.
What is a tax home for travel nurses?
The IRS defines your tax home as your regular place of business, not simply where your family lives. Whether travel stipends can be paid tax-free depends on keeping a genuine tax home you are traveling away from, and on assignments being temporary, meaning expected to last a year or less in one place. Rules are detailed, so many travelers consult a tax professional.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1141
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1141.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice, American Association of Colleges of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Fees & Payment, NCLEX, National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse Licensure Compact, National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Office of Nursing Services Travel Corps (ONS-TC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · checked October 28, 2026
- Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, Internal Revenue Service · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.