Travel Nurse Salary by State: How Much Do Travel Nurses Make Across the US in 2024?

Traveling nurse is a profession fit for those who like to combine work and leisure. It requires nurses to go to healthcare facilities that struggle with personnel shortage and work there for a specific amount of time. These assignments usually last from 4 to 13 weeks, during which most travel nurses perform tasks similar to those of a regular RN.

The travel nurse profession is one of the most sought out nurse professions out there, not only for the benefit of traveling the world but also because of the competitive wages it offers.

If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse you need to either earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which might soon become the norm for registered nurses in many states.

Become a learner in our accredited BSN Program and embark on your traveling nurse journey today!

Is a Travel Nurse Salary Really That Good?

Travel nurses typically earn far more than regular nurses and their contracts include different base pays and benefits such as paid housing and travel costs reimbursement.

This is why calculating the annual salary of a travel nurse is a bit tricky. However, ZipRecruiter, one of the top job platforms out there, managed to collect data on travel nurse salaries across all 50 states of the USA.

In January 2024, ZipRecruiter reported that the average annual pay for a Travel Nurse in the United States is $121,710, with a monthly wage of $10,142, and an hourly wage of $59.

The travel nurse salary you may expect will vary depending on the percentile you find yourself in, with top earners in the field taking home around $66,000 more than travel nurses in the bottom percentile.   

Here is a breakdown of the expected traveling nurse salary based on performance percentiles:

A travel nurse’s salary will also be affected by the place of employment and state they reside and work in. Next, we will look at the variation in salaries for travel nurses based across the 50 US states.

How Much Do Travel Nurses Make By State?

The highest paying state for travel nurses is New York, with a $135,031 travel nurse annual salary with an hourly wage of $64.92. This may be the case because the Big Apple is one of the most expensive US states to live in. Since travel nurses' wages include both housing and travel expenses, it makes sense that the most expensive states to live in are the ones that offer the highest pay for travel nurses.

On the opposite end, Florida has a $91,074 travel nurse annual salary (with a $43.79 hourly wage), which makes it the lowest paying state in America.

Here is a list with the best and worst paying states for travel nurses, ranked from highest to lowest pay:

New York

• Annual salary: $64.92
• Monthly pay: $11,252
• Hourly wage: $135,031

Vermont

• Annual salary: $63.80
• Monthly pay: $11,058
• Hourly wage: $132,707

California

• Annual salary: $130,341
• Monthly pay: $10,861
• Hourly wage: $62.66

Maine

• Annual salary: $126,575
• Monthly pay: $10,547
• Hourly wage: $60.85

Idaho

• Annual salary: $125,217
• Monthly pay: $10,434
• Hourly wage: $60.20

Washington

• Annual salary: $124,240
• Monthly pay: $10,353
• Hourly wage: $59.73

Pennsylvania

• Annual salary: $123,669
• Monthly pay: $10,305
• Hourly wage: $59.46

Massachusetts

• Annual salary: $122,156
• Monthly pay: $10,179
• Hourly wage: $58.73

Alaska

• Annual salary: $121,382
• Monthly pay: $10,115
• Hourly wage: $58.36

New Jersey

• Annual salary: $120,934
• Monthly pay: $10,077
• Hourly wage: $58.14

New Hampshire

• Annual salary: $120,647
• Monthly pay: $10,053
• Hourly wage: $58.00

Oregon

• Annual salary: $119,997
• Monthly pay: $9,999
• Hourly wage: $57.69

North Dakota

• Annual salary: $119,877
• Monthly pay: $9,989
• Hourly wage: $57.63

Wisconsin

• Annual salary: $119,111
• Monthly pay: $9,925
• Hourly wage: $57.27

Wyoming

• Annual salary: $118,043
• Monthly pay: $9,836
• Hourly wage: $56.75

Hawaii

• Annual salary: $117,602
• Monthly pay: $9,800
• Hourly wage: $56.54

Colorado

• Annual salary: $116,968
• Monthly pay: $9,747
• Hourly wage: $56.23

Indiana

• Annual salary: $115,975
• Monthly pay: $9,664
• Hourly wage: $55.76

Nevada

• Annual salary: $114,771
• Monthly pay: $9,564
• Hourly wage: $55.18

New Mexico

• Annual salary: $114,453
• Monthly pay: $9,537
• Hourly wage: $55.03

Minnesota

• Annual salary: $114,294
• Monthly pay: $9,524
• Hourly wage: $54.95

Arizona

• Annual salary: $113,577
• Monthly pay: $9,464
• Hourly wage: $54.60

South Dakota

• Annual salary: $113,297
• Monthly pay: $9,441
• Hourly wage: $54.47

Montana

• Annual salary: $111,865
• Monthly pay: $9,322
  
• Hourly wage: $53.78

Ohio

• Annual salary: $111,315
• Monthly pay: $9,276
  
• Hourly wage: $53.52

Rhode Island

• Annual salary: $111,146
• Monthly pay: $9,262
  
• Hourly wage: $53.44

Delaware

• Annual salary: $110,939
• Monthly pay: $9,244
  
• Hourly wage: $53.34

Alabama

• Annual salary: $110,469
• Monthly pay: $9,205
  
• Hourly wage: $53.11

Virginia

• Annual salary: $109,735
• Monthly pay: $9,144
  
• Hourly wage: $52.76

Connecticut

• Annual salary: $108,976
• Monthly pay: $9,081
  
• Hourly wage: $52.39

Iowa

• Annual salary: $108,771
• Monthly pay: $9,064
  
• Hourly wage: $52.29

Illinois

• Annual salary: $107,945
• Monthly pay: $8,995
  
• Hourly wage: $51.90

Mississippi

• Annual salary: $107,802
• Monthly pay: $8,983
  
• Hourly wage: $51.83

Maryland

• Annual salary: $107,540
• Monthly pay: $8,961
  
• Hourly wage: $51.70

Tennessee

• Annual salary: $106,277
• Monthly pay: $8,856
  
• Hourly wage: $51.09

Utah

• Annual salary: $106,005
• Monthly pay: $8,833
  
• Hourly wage: $50.96

Nebraska

• Annual salary: $105,533
• Monthly pay: $8,794
  
• Hourly wage: $50.74

Missouri

• Annual salary: $104,121
• Monthly pay: $8,676
  
• Hourly wage: $50.06

South Carolina

• Annual salary: $103,067
• Monthly pay: $8,588
  
• Hourly wage: $49.55

Georgia

• Annual salary: $102,909
• Monthly pay: $8,575
  
• Hourly wage: $49.48

Oklahoma

• Annual salary: $102,199
• Monthly pay: $8,516
  
• Hourly wage: $49.13

Texas

• Annual salary: $102,065
• Monthly pay: $8,505
  
• Hourly wage: $49.07

Kansas

• Annual salary: $101,486
• Monthly pay: $8,457
  
• Hourly wage: $48.79

North Carolina

• Annual salary: $100,940
• Monthly pay: $8,411
  
• Hourly wage: $48.53

Louisiana

• Annual salary: $99,788
• Monthly pay: $8,315
  
• Hourly wage: $47.98

Kentucky

• Annual salary: $96,957
• Monthly pay: $8,079
  
• Hourly wage: $46.61

Michigan

• Annual salary: $96,919
• Monthly pay: $8,076
  
• Hourly wage: $46.60

West Virginia

• Annual salary: $95,511
• Monthly pay: $7,959
  
• Hourly wage: $45.92

Arkansas

• Annual salary: $92,113
• Monthly pay: $7,676
  
• Hourly wage: $44.29

Florida

• Annual salary: $91,074
• Monthly pay: $7,589
• Hourly wage: $43.79

What Are the Highest Travel Nursing Jobs in 2024?

According to ZipRecruiter, the highest paying jobs in traveling nursing are received by NICU and PACU travel nurses, with annual salaries reaching $154,500 and $147,500, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, the salary for a visiting nurse ranges from $70,000 and $105,500 per year, being the lowest in the industry.

Here is an overview of the travel nurse salary ranges, based on the specialization and role they occupy:

If you want to discover the 20 best-paying positions as a travel nurse, read our Highest Paying Travel Nursing Jobs in the US article and orient yourself towards the best career choice, from a financial perspective.

Is the Travel Nurse Salary Better Than for Other Nursing Staff?

Travel nurses take home $32,700 more annually, compared to registered nursing staff, the difference being equivalent to making $16.2 more per hour. Additionally, traveling nurses make on average $740 less per year than nurse midwives, and $2,970 less per year than nurse practitioners.

So, is it better to be a travel nurse or staff nurse? From an economic standpoint, the answer is a clear yes, as travel nurses can win considerably more on average and have greater opportunities for advancement than staff RNs. And, since both job positions have similar academic requirements, you can simply earn a lot more with your ADN.

The downsides to a higher travel nurse salary are a lack of flexibility in working hours, less job security and varying pay, lack of paid leave, and many other benefits that come with a stabler nursing staff position. The choice between these options will depend on your priorities and ability to adapt to a more dynamic work environment.

If you’re interested in the average annual income for Registered Nurses of all career specialties, check out our Nurse Salaries in the US study and find out which are the happiest states for RNs, from a financial point of view.