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Best states for a traveling nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for traveling nurses? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for traveling nurse jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In order to help you decide which state is the best for traveling nurses, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for traveling nurse jobs.
In order to get you the best states for traveling nurses, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the South is best for traveling nurses, and the Northeast is the worst. Detroit, MI is the best city in the country for traveling nurse jobs, where as Connecticut is the best state in the country.
10 best states for traveling nurses in 2026
1. Connecticut
Total traveling nurse jobs: 2,203 Average annual salary: $111,005 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. Massachusetts
Total traveling nurse jobs: 6,384 Average annual salary: $105,266 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. Indiana
Total traveling nurse jobs: 5,211 Average annual salary: $93,092 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
4. New York
Total traveling nurse jobs: 6,962 Average annual salary: $112,944 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. Michigan
Total traveling nurse jobs: 3,971 Average annual salary: $108,277 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
6. Washington
Total traveling nurse jobs: 4,570 Average annual salary: $107,658 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
7. New Hampshire
Total traveling nurse jobs: 1,238 Average annual salary: $95,063 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Wisconsin
Total traveling nurse jobs: 2,846 Average annual salary: $98,435 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. Rhode Island
Total traveling nurse jobs: 487 Average annual salary: $109,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
10. Maine
Total traveling nurse jobs: 1,109 Average annual salary: $90,520 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
Traveling nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a traveling nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a traveling nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $111,005 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,203 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $105,266 | $62,000 | 6,859,819 | 6,384 |
| 3 | Indiana | $93,092 | $53,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,211 |
| 4 | New York | $112,944 | $66,000 | 19,849,399 | 6,962 |
| 5 | Michigan | $108,277 | $64,000 | 9,962,311 | 3,971 |
| 6 | Washington | $107,658 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,570 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $95,063 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,238 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $98,435 | $59,000 | 5,795,483 | 2,846 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $109,043 | $64,000 | 1,059,639 | 487 |
| 10 | Maine | $90,520 | $52,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,109 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $124,372 | $90,000 | 1,427,538 | 314 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $91,807 | $52,000 | 12,805,537 | 7,211 |
| 13 | Delaware | $91,711 | $52,000 | 961,939 | 807 |
| 14 | Colorado | $98,220 | $61,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,451 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $87,679 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,230 |
| 16 | Vermont | $86,240 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 559 |
| 17 | Nevada | $91,862 | $57,000 | 2,998,039 | 989 |
| 18 | Georgia | $86,852 | $46,000 | 10,429,379 | 6,442 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $96,940 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,285 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $81,504 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 636 |
| 21 | Illinois | $90,763 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 6,057 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $103,776 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 524 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $80,194 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,795 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $83,550 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 3,415 |
| 25 | Maryland | $93,994 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,570 |
| 26 | Arizona | $87,190 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,480 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $86,413 | $46,000 | 10,273,419 | 4,566 |
| 28 | California | $97,974 | $60,000 | 39,536,653 | 12,042 |
| 29 | Alaska | $74,299 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 598 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $89,793 | $56,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,716 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $80,739 | $47,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,326 |
| 32 | Montana | $80,009 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 795 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $79,907 | $52,000 | 579,315 | 371 |
| 34 | Missouri | $85,683 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 2,756 |
| 35 | Virginia | $87,999 | $48,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,936 |
| 36 | Texas | $80,436 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 12,993 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $81,370 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 1,780 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $73,846 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 866 |
| 39 | Idaho | $83,166 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 821 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,520 | $42,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,654 |
| 41 | Florida | $74,846 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 15,978 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $73,407 | $40,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,058 |
| 43 | Oregon | $85,917 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,853 |
| 44 | Ohio | $76,751 | $43,000 | 11,658,609 | 5,804 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $78,431 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 2,305 |
| 46 | Kansas | $74,871 | $43,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,917 |
| 47 | Alabama | $77,588 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,143 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,188 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 990 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $74,217 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 987 |
| 50 | Iowa | $64,402 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,150 |
| 51 | Utah | $71,628 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 695 |
Highest paying states for traveling nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Traveling Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $111,005 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $105,266 |
| 3 | Indiana | $93,092 |
| 4 | New York | $112,944 |
| 5 | Michigan | $108,277 |
| 6 | Washington | $107,658 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $95,063 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $98,435 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $109,043 |
| 10 | Maine | $90,520 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $124,372 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $91,807 |
| 13 | Delaware | $91,711 |
| 14 | Colorado | $98,220 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $87,679 |
| 16 | Vermont | $86,240 |
| 17 | Nevada | $91,862 |
| 18 | Georgia | $86,852 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $96,940 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $81,504 |
| 21 | Illinois | $90,763 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $103,776 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $80,194 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $83,550 |
| 25 | Maryland | $93,994 |
| 26 | Arizona | $87,190 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $86,413 |
| 28 | California | $97,974 |
| 29 | Alaska | $74,299 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $89,793 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $80,739 |
| 32 | Montana | $80,009 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $79,907 |
| 34 | Missouri | $85,683 |
| 35 | Virginia | $87,999 |
| 36 | Texas | $80,436 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $81,370 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $73,846 |
| 39 | Idaho | $83,166 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,520 |
| 41 | Florida | $74,846 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $73,407 |
| 43 | Oregon | $85,917 |
| 44 | Ohio | $76,751 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $78,431 |
| 46 | Kansas | $74,871 |
| 47 | Alabama | $77,588 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,188 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $74,217 |
| 50 | Iowa | $64,402 |
| 51 | Utah | $71,628 |
Expert opinions on the best states for traveling nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for traveling nurses to find work opportunities?
Vilma Davis
Assistant Director and Assistant Professor, Lincoln University
As previously mentioned, there is a need for nurses throughout the United States. Most nursing programs will intermittently have nurse recruiters come on campus, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and get information about the job market. This is one way that graduates can get plugged into where the needs of nurses are. Graduates can also visit the websites of various hospitals and see what openings are available for which they can apply. Doing a simple google search for "nursing jobs" will yield a plethora of available jobs that they can review and make the decision which they would like to pursue.
Traveling nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025