Travel Nurse Salary by Specialty

Compare average weekly pay, demand levels, work settings, and certification requirements across 22 nursing specialties and allied health roles. Click any column to sort. Data reflects early 2026 market conditions.

Demand Level:

High

Medium

Low


ICU (Intensive Care Unit)	$2,700	High	Hospital	CCRN preferred	2+ years
CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU)	$2,850	High	Hospital	CCRN preferred, ACLS	2+ years
ER (Emergency Department)	$2,600	High	Hospital, Freestanding ED	CEN preferred, TNCC, ACLS, PALS	2+ years
OR (Operating Room)	$2,750	High	Hospital, Ambulatory Surgery	CNOR preferred	2+ years
L&D (Labor & Delivery)	$2,600	High	Hospital	NRP, AWHONN fetal monitoring	2+ years
NICU (Neonatal ICU)	$2,650	High	Hospital (Level III/IV)	NRP, RNC-NIC preferred	2+ years
PICU (Pediatric ICU)	$2,600	Medium	Children's Hospital	CCRN-Peds preferred, PALS	2+ years
Cath Lab	$2,800	High	Hospital	ACLS, RCIS preferred	2+ years
Interventional Radiology	$2,700	Medium	Hospital	ACLS, CRN preferred	2+ years
PACU (Post-Anesthesia)	$2,500	Medium	Hospital, Ambulatory Surgery	CPAN preferred, ACLS	1-2 years
Telemetry	$2,300	High	Hospital	ACLS, cardiac rhythm interpretation	1-2 years
Step-Down / PCU	$2,350	High	Hospital	ACLS	1-2 years
Med-Surg	$2,100	High	Hospital	CMSRN preferred	1-2 years
Oncology	$2,300	Medium	Hospital, Cancer Center	OCN preferred, chemo/bio certification	2+ years
Psych / Behavioral Health	$2,200	High	Hospital, Psych Facility	PMH-BC preferred, CPI/NCI training	1-2 years
Rehab	$2,050	Medium	Rehab Hospital, LTACH	CRRN preferred	1-2 years
Home Health	$1,950	Medium	Home, Community	OASIS certification helpful	1-2 years
Dialysis	$2,100	Medium	Outpatient Clinic, Hospital	CDN preferred	1+ years
Endoscopy / GI Lab	$2,350	Medium	Hospital, Ambulatory Center	ACLS, CGRN preferred	1-2 years
Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC)	$2,150	Medium	LTACH Facility	Vent management experience	1-2 years
Travel RT (Respiratory Therapist)	$2,050	High	Hospital	RRT, ACLS, NRP for NICU	2+ years
Surgical Tech (Travel CST)	$1,800	Medium	Hospital, Ambulatory Surgery	CST certification	2+ years

Key Takeaways

Highest-Paying Specialties

Cath Lab, CVICU, OR, and ICU consistently top the pay charts. These specialties require advanced skills, specialized certifications, and at least two years of experience. The limited talent pool and high acuity drive premium rates.

Highest-Demand Specialties

ICU, ER, Med-Surg, Telemetry, and Psych have the most open positions nationwide. Med-Surg pays less per week but offers the widest selection of assignments, the most geographic flexibility, and the lowest experience threshold.

Allied Health Roles

Travel Respiratory Therapists (RTs) and Surgical Techs (CSTs) are included because the travel healthcare market has expanded beyond nursing. RT demand surged during the pandemic and remains elevated. Surgical tech travel positions offer competitive pay for a non-RN role.

What Affects Your Actual Pay

Location: The same specialty pays differently in California vs. Mississippi. See Salary by State.
Time of year: Winter and flu season drive up rates for ICU, ER, and respiratory roles.
Market demand: Crisis and rapid-response contracts offer 50-100% premiums over standard rates.
Agency margin: Different agencies offer different rates for the same facility. Always compare.
Tax home status: Your stipends are only tax-free if you have a valid tax home.

Methodology

Weekly pay figures represent estimated total gross compensation (taxable hourly wages for a 36-hour week + non-taxable stipends) based on a composite of job board postings, agency-reported rates, and recruiter-confirmed data from early 2026. Actual pay varies by location, facility, contract terms, and individual negotiation. Demand levels are based on the relative volume of open positions compared to available candidates.