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Traveling nurse salary
Average traveling nurse salary
$83,961
Average Traveling Nurse Salary
The average salary for a traveling nurse stands at $83,961 per year, equating to approximately $40 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare needs of a region.
How Much Does a Traveling Nurse Make?
Traveling nurses' earnings can vary widely, with entry-level positions earning less than more experienced counterparts. According to recent data, nurses with less than one year of experience can expect to earn around $60,000, while those with over ten years in the field may command salaries exceeding $100,000.
Where Can a Traveling Nurse Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for traveling nurses. These states not only have a high demand for healthcare professionals but also offer competitive compensation packages to attract skilled nurses. Additional factors like travel stipends, housing allowances, and bonuses can further enhance overall earnings. Explore opportunities across various states to maximize your career potential.
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Where can a Traveling Nurse earn more?
Traveling nurse salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level traveling nurse | $66,600 | $32.01 |
| Mid-level traveling nurse | $83,700 | $40.26 |
| Senior-level traveling nurse | $115,000 | $55.22 |
Traveling nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average traveling nurse salary by state
The average traveling nurse salary in Hawaii, New York, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average traveling nurse salary states are Alaska, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for traveling nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $111,005 | $53.37 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $105,266 | $50.61 |
| 3 | Indiana | $93,092 | $44.76 |
| 4 | New York | $112,944 | $54.30 |
| 5 | Michigan | $108,277 | $52.06 |
| 6 | Washington | $107,658 | $51.76 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $95,063 | $45.70 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $98,435 | $47.32 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $109,043 | $52.42 |
| 10 | Maine | $90,520 | $43.52 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $124,372 | $59.79 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $91,807 | $44.14 |
| 13 | Delaware | $91,711 | $44.09 |
| 14 | Colorado | $98,220 | $47.22 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $87,679 | $42.15 |
| 16 | Vermont | $86,240 | $41.46 |
| 17 | Nevada | $91,862 | $44.16 |
| 18 | Georgia | $86,852 | $41.76 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $96,940 | $46.61 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $81,504 | $39.18 |
| 21 | Illinois | $90,763 | $43.64 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $103,776 | $49.89 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $80,194 | $38.55 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $83,550 | $40.17 |
| 25 | Maryland | $93,994 | $45.19 |
| 26 | Arizona | $87,190 | $41.92 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $86,413 | $41.54 |
| 28 | California | $97,974 | $47.10 |
| 29 | Alaska | $74,299 | $35.72 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $89,793 | $43.17 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $80,739 | $38.82 |
| 32 | Montana | $80,009 | $38.47 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $79,907 | $38.42 |
| 34 | Missouri | $85,683 | $41.19 |
| 35 | Virginia | $87,999 | $42.31 |
| 36 | Texas | $80,436 | $38.67 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $81,370 | $39.12 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $73,846 | $35.50 |
| 39 | Idaho | $83,166 | $39.98 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,520 | $37.27 |
| 41 | Florida | $74,846 | $35.98 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $73,407 | $35.29 |
| 43 | Oregon | $85,917 | $41.31 |
| 44 | Ohio | $76,751 | $36.90 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $78,431 | $37.71 |
| 46 | Kansas | $74,871 | $36.00 |
| 47 | Alabama | $77,588 | $37.30 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,188 | $37.59 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $74,217 | $35.68 |
| 50 | Iowa | $64,402 | $30.96 |
| 51 | Utah | $71,628 | $34.44 |
Highest paying cities for traveling nurses
The highest-paying cities for traveling nurses are Detroit, MI, Tacoma, WA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, MI | $109,298 | $52.55 |
| 2 | Tacoma, WA | $108,135 | $51.99 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $105,669 | $50.80 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $104,672 | $50.32 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $100,488 | $48.31 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs, CO | $98,649 | $47.43 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $94,522 | $45.44 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $93,333 | $44.87 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,583 | $44.51 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $92,244 | $44.35 |
| 11 | Aurora, IL | $90,733 | $43.62 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $87,245 | $41.94 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $87,037 | $41.84 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $86,532 | $41.60 |
| 15 | Johnson City, TN | $85,589 | $41.15 |
| 16 | Portland, OR | $85,585 | $41.15 |
| 17 | El Paso, TX | $81,375 | $39.12 |
| 18 | Albuquerque, NM | $80,790 | $38.84 |
| 19 | Little Rock, AR | $80,188 | $38.55 |
| 20 | Columbia, SC | $78,527 | $37.75 |
Traveling Nurses are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Traveling nurse salary details
A traveling nurse's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a traveling nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| Average | $83,961 | $6,997 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying traveling nurse jobs
The highest paying types of traveling nurses are registered nurse in the icu, telemetry registered nurse, and registered nurse med/surg.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Nurse Extern | $37,156 | $3,096 | $17.86 | 569,180 |
| Registered Nurse In The ICU | $92,881 | $7,740 | $44.65 | 631,825 |
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | $84,812 | $7,068 | $40.78 | 515,200 |
| Oncology Registered Nurse | $74,716 | $6,226 | $35.92 | 636,524 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for traveling nurses, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sophia Thomas
President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
-Starting salaries for NPs are exceptional, and usually hover between $80,000-100,000, but that can vary significantly based on geographic location, work setting, and certification/specialty. Some salaries are higher.
-The bureau of labor statistics (BLS) offers an excellent breakdown of salaries by region and state as well: link
-(Note: some stats on the BLS website are reflective of the Mean or Average salary and others represent the Median or midpoint. AANP data are all reported in Median)
-As NPs advance in their careers, there is a clear and positive relationship between number of years' experience and salary growth.
Top companies hiring traveling nurses now:
Which companies pay traveling nurses the most?
Traveling nurse salaries at Maxim Healthcare Group and RNnetwork are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average traveling nurse salary at companies like Senior Living Properties and Soliant are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $113,095 | $54.37 |
| 2 | RNnetwork | $111,079 | $53.40 |
| 3 | Senior Living Properties | $110,974 | $53.35 |
| 4 | Soliant | $108,291 | $52.06 |
| 5 | The Arora Group | $105,630 | $50.78 |
| 6 | MAS Medical Staffing | $102,756 | $49.40 |
| 7 | Aya Healthcare | $101,349 | $48.73 |
| 8 | Nomad Health | $98,625 | $47.42 |
| 9 | Southern Health Partners | $95,866 | $46.09 |
| 10 | Wellpath | $95,664 | $45.99 |
| 11 | Tenet Healthcare | $95,484 | $45.91 |
| 12 | DaVita Kidney Care | $94,458 | $45.41 |
| 13 | Prestige Care | $94,273 | $45.32 |
| 14 | Kindred at Home | $91,551 | $44.01 |
| 15 | Systems | $90,319 | $43.42 |
| 16 | Ascension Michigan | $89,599 | $43.08 |
| 17 | Nanny | $89,569 | $43.06 |
| 18 | UCHealth | $89,293 | $42.93 |
| 19 | Kamana | $89,223 | $42.90 |
| 20 | Signify Health | $89,054 | $42.81 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Traveling nurse salary trends
The average traveling nurse salary has risen by $11,753 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average traveling nurse earned $72,208 annually, but today, they earn $83,961 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for traveling nurses over the last decade.
Compare traveling nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average traveling nurse salary over time
Compare traveling nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Traveling nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,000 | $40.37 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $81,700 | $39.28 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $79,900 | $38.44 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $78,000 | $37.51 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $76,300 | $36.68 | +1.4% |
Recently added traveling nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solutions By Design | Med/Surg Travel Nurse | Sioux Falls, SD | 06/29/2025 | $127,720 |
| Solutions By Design | ICU Travel Nurse | Fargo, ND | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Welbehealth | Traveling Nurse Provider Np/Pa | Ione, CA | 06/29/2025 | $168,895 |
| Gentiva Hospice | AIM Statewide Travel Nurse Practitioner | Dayton, OH | 06/29/2025 | $96,390 |
| Advanced Correctional Healthcare | Regional Travel Nurse (RN) | Kansas City, MO | 06/28/2025 | $105,000 |
| Commonspirit Health | Medical Surgical Travel Nurse | Chattanooga, TN | 06/28/2025 | $52,175 |
| The Wound Pros | Travel Nurse Practitioner | Youngstown, OH | 06/27/2025 | $150,000 |
| WSi Healthcare Personnel | Travel RN Corrections-Work Hard, Travel More, Earn BIG! | Boone, CO | 06/26/2025 | $187,830 |
| Care Team Solutions | Interventional Radiology Travel Nurse | Atlanta, GA | 06/25/2025 | $127,111 |
| University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore Washington | Urgent Care Advanced Practitioner-Traveling Provider: NP or PAC | Glen Burnie, MD | 06/25/2025 | $133,568 |
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