Travel nurses typically earn between $2,000 and $3,200 per week on standard assignments, with many full-time travel RNs bringing in $110,000 to $140,000 per year when working 48 to 52 weeks. That’s significantly more than most staff nurses, but the actual number you take home depends on your specialty, location, and how well you understand the unique pay structure.
Weekly and Annual Pay Ranges
The national average for travel nurse contracts sits around $2,165 per week. That figure covers a wide range, though. Less demanding assignments in lower-cost areas advertise around $1,800 weekly, while standard contracts in most metros fall between $2,000 and $3,000. Crisis or rapid-response roles, where hospitals need nurses urgently during staffing emergencies, can push above $3,500 per week, with blended hourly rates running 50 to 100 percent above standard packages.
Rapid-response contracts that don’t quite qualify as full crisis assignments still pay 15 to 30 percent above standard rates for the same specialty and location. These shorter, higher-paying contracts tend to come with less flexibility on scheduling and location, but they can significantly boost your annual income if you’re willing to take them between regular assignments.
How Travel Nurse Pay Actually Works
Travel nurse compensation isn’t a single hourly rate. Your pay package has two distinct pieces: a taxable hourly rate and tax-free stipends. The hourly rate works like any normal nursing job, with taxes withheld from each paycheck. On top of that, you receive stipends for housing, meals and incidentals, and sometimes travel reimbursement. If you maintain a qualifying tax home (more on that below), those stipends are completely tax-free.
This structure is why travel nurse pay can look confusing at first glance. A contract advertising $2,500 per week might break down as $22 per hour in taxable wages plus $1,600 or more in tax-free stipends. Your W-2 at the end of the year will show a much lower income than what you actually earned, which matters for things like mortgage applications and loan approvals.
One detail that catches people off guard: overtime is calculated on your taxable hourly rate only, not your total compensation. So if your taxable rate is $22 per hour, overtime pays $33 per hour, not time-and-a-half of your full package. Completion bonuses, typically around $1,000 for finishing a standard 13-week contract, are also taxable.
Highest-Paying States
Location creates real pay differences. The top-paying states for travel nurses in 2025:
- Washington: $2,202 per week
- District of Columbia: $2,197 per week
- New York: $2,127 per week
- Massachusetts: $2,124 per week
- Alaska: $2,094 per week
These averages reflect a combination of higher base rates and more generous stipends driven by cost of living. A contract in Washington paying $2,200 per week might not stretch further than a $1,900 contract in a lower-cost state once you account for rent, food, and transportation. Always compare your expected take-home pay against local living costs before choosing an assignment based on the headline number.
Specialty Matters for Pay
Your nursing specialty directly affects what you can earn. ICU, operating room, and emergency department nurses consistently command higher rates than med-surg or telemetry nurses. The gap between specialties can be $8 to $10 or more per hour, which translates to roughly $15,000 to $20,000 more per year at full-time hours. Labor and delivery, NICU, and cardiac cath lab nurses also tend to see premium rates due to the specialized skills required.
If you’re early in your career and considering travel nursing down the road, building experience in a high-acuity specialty first can meaningfully increase your earning potential. Most agencies require at least one to two years of bedside experience before placing you on assignments, and that experience in a specialty like ICU opens doors to higher-paying contracts.
The Tax Home Requirement
Tax-free stipends are a major part of why travel nursing pays so well, but they’re not automatic. The IRS requires you to maintain a “tax home,” a permanent residence you keep while traveling for work. Without one, you’re classified as an itinerant worker, and your entire compensation becomes taxable.
To qualify, you need to meet at least two of three criteria. First, you should maintain some form of income near your tax home, whether that’s per diem shifts, freelance work, or rental income. Second, you need to show duplicate expenses by paying for a permanent residence (rent, mortgage, utilities) while also covering housing on assignment. Third, you should demonstrate a regular pattern of returning to your tax home between contracts, keeping your driver’s license and voter registration there, and maintaining personal ties to the area.
Staying in a single assignment location for more than 12 months can disqualify you from stipend eligibility entirely. This is why most travel contracts run 13 weeks and many nurses rotate locations.
Costs That Cut Into Your Pay
Travel nursing comes with out-of-pocket expenses that staff nurses don’t face. You’ll likely pay for your own certifications like BLS and ACLS renewals. Some agencies won’t cover annual physicals and TB tests required for onboarding. If you take an assignment across the country, the travel reimbursement may not fully cover your actual moving and transportation costs.
State licensing is another expense. Many states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which lets you practice across member states with a single license. But if your assignment is in a non-compact state, you’ll need to apply and pay for a separate license, which can cost $100 to $400 depending on the state. Some agencies reimburse licensing fees, but not all do, and reimbursement sometimes comes only after you complete the contract.
Housing is the biggest variable cost. If your stipend is $2,000 per month but rent near your assignment runs $2,500, that difference comes straight out of your pocket. Nurses who find housing below their stipend amount effectively pocket the difference tax-free, which is one reason many travel nurses become skilled at finding affordable short-term rentals, using travel nurse housing groups, or splitting apartments with other travelers.
What Realistic Take-Home Looks Like
A mid-range example helps put the numbers in perspective. A travel nurse working a standard 36-hour-per-week contract at $2,200 per week grosses about $114,400 over 52 weeks. After accounting for taxes on the hourly portion, licensing fees, certification renewals, and any housing costs above the stipend, realistic take-home for a full year of consistent work typically falls between $85,000 and $110,000, depending on the state and specialty.
That said, few travel nurses work 52 straight weeks. Time between contracts for onboarding, credentialing, and personal breaks usually means 44 to 48 working weeks per year. Some nurses prefer to work intensively for 9 or 10 months and take extended time off, which is one of the lifestyle benefits that draws people to travel nursing even beyond the pay.