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The differences between traveling nurses and private duty nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a traveling nurse and a private duty nurse. Additionally, a traveling nurse has an average salary of $83,961, which is higher than the $55,518 average annual salary of a private duty nurse.
The top three skills for a traveling nurse include patients, acute care and healthcare. The most important skills for a private duty nurse are home health, patients, and medication administration.
| Traveling Nurse | Private Duty Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $83,961 | $55,518 |
| Hourly rate | $40.37 | $26.69 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 585,515 | 256,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Often employed under a staffing agency, a travel nurse primarily works short-term on different limited-staffed hospitals in cities all over a country, and even abroad on rare occasions. They are mainly responsible for providing treatment and immediate care to patients, administering medicine, assisting in various tasks, preparing meals, and other functions that the supervising colleague delegates. Furthermore, as a travel nurse, one must quickly familiarize the surroundings and colleagues to work efficiently, all while upholding their oath as health care workers.
A private duty nurse is responsible for providing quality health care services for a specific patient's medical needs. Private duty nurses work within a large health care institution or in a private household setting, depending on their scope and availability. They assist the medical staff in administering medications for the patients, conducting medical procedures, evaluating the patients' condition, and reporting progress and any updates to the attending physician for immediate attention. A private duty nurse must be highly attentive, especially on supporting the patient's daily activities and self-care needs.
Traveling nurses and private duty nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Traveling Nurse | Private Duty Nurse | |
| Average salary | $83,961 | $55,518 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $41,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Detroit, MI | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Maxim Healthcare Group | Health First |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a traveling nurse and a private duty nurse in terms of educational background:
| Traveling Nurse | Private Duty Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between traveling nurses' and private duty nurses' demographics:
| Traveling Nurse | Private Duty Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |