Travel Nurse Salary by State
Average weekly pay, hourly rates, GSA-based stipends, Compact status, cost of living, and net value scores for all 50 states. Click any column header to sort. Data reflects early 2026 market conditions.
Best-Value State (Top 10 net value)
Compact License State
| Alabama AL | $2,050 | $28/hr | $1,120/wk | Yes | 88 | 82 |
| Alaska AK | $2,750 | $38/hr | $1,580/wk | No | 127 | 76 |
| Arizona AZ | $2,350 | $32/hr | $1,260/wk | Yes | 103 | 80 |
| Arkansas AR | $2,000 | $27/hr | $1,080/wk | Yes | 86 | 81 |
| California CA | $3,100 | $45/hr | $1,750/wk | No | 142 | 77 |
| Colorado CO | $2,500 | $34/hr | $1,380/wk | Yes | 105 | 83 |
| Connecticut CT | $2,650 | $37/hr | $1,420/wk | No | 111 | 83 |
| Delaware DE | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,300/wk | Yes | 103 | 81 |
| Florida FL | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,250/wk | Yes | 100 | 77 |
| Georgia GA | $2,250 | $31/hr | $1,200/wk | Yes | 93 | 84 |
| Hawaii HI | $2,800 | $40/hr | $1,700/wk | No | 170 | 58 |
| Idaho ID | $2,150 | $29/hr | $1,100/wk | Yes | 95 | 79 |
| Illinois IL | $2,450 | $34/hr | $1,320/wk | No | 94 | 91 |
| Indiana IN | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,150/wk | Yes | 90 | 85 |
| Iowa IA | $2,100 | $29/hr | $1,080/wk | Yes | 89 | 82 |
| Kansas KS | $2,100 | $29/hr | $1,100/wk | Yes | 88 | 83 |
| Kentucky KY | $2,150 | $29/hr | $1,120/wk | Yes | 90 | 83 |
| Louisiana LA | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,150/wk | Yes | 92 | 83 |
| Maine ME | $2,350 | $32/hr | $1,200/wk | Yes | 99 | 83 |
| Maryland MD | $2,550 | $35/hr | $1,400/wk | Yes | 110 | 81 |
| Massachusetts MA | $2,800 | $40/hr | $1,520/wk | No | 135 | 73 |
| Michigan MI | $2,300 | $31/hr | $1,200/wk | No | 91 | 88 |
| Minnesota MN | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,280/wk | No | 98 | 85 |
| Mississippi MS | $2,050 | $28/hr | $1,060/wk | Yes | 84 | 85 |
| Missouri MO | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,150/wk | Yes | 89 | 86 |
| Montana MT | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,140/wk | Yes | 96 | 80 |
| Nebraska NE | $2,150 | $29/hr | $1,100/wk | Yes | 91 | 82 |
| Nevada NV | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,300/wk | No | 104 | 80 |
| New Hampshire NH | $2,500 | $34/hr | $1,320/wk | Yes | 106 | 82 |
| New Jersey NJ | $2,700 | $38/hr | $1,480/wk | Yes | 115 | 82 |
| New Mexico NM | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,140/wk | Yes | 93 | 82 |
| New York NY | $2,900 | $42/hr | $1,600/wk | No | 125 | 81 |
| North Carolina NC | $2,250 | $31/hr | $1,180/wk | Yes | 95 | 82 |
| North Dakota ND | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,120/wk | Yes | 92 | 83 |
| Ohio OH | $2,250 | $31/hr | $1,180/wk | Yes | 90 | 87 |
| Oklahoma OK | $2,100 | $28/hr | $1,080/wk | Yes | 87 | 84 |
| Oregon OR | $2,600 | $36/hr | $1,380/wk | No | 113 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania PA | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,280/wk | No | 96 | 87 |
| Rhode Island RI | $2,550 | $35/hr | $1,360/wk | No | 107 | 83 |
| South Carolina SC | $2,150 | $29/hr | $1,120/wk | Yes | 93 | 80 |
| South Dakota SD | $2,100 | $28/hr | $1,060/wk | Yes | 92 | 79 |
| Tennessee TN | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,150/wk | Yes | 91 | 84 |
| Texas TX | $2,350 | $32/hr | $1,250/wk | Yes | 93 | 88 |
| Utah UT | $2,250 | $31/hr | $1,180/wk | Yes | 101 | 78 |
| Vermont VT | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,250/wk | Yes | 103 | 81 |
| Virginia VA | $2,400 | $33/hr | $1,300/wk | Yes | 101 | 83 |
| Washington WA | $2,700 | $38/hr | $1,460/wk | No | 115 | 82 |
| West Virginia WV | $2,100 | $28/hr | $1,060/wk | Yes | 84 | 87 |
| Wisconsin WI | $2,300 | $31/hr | $1,200/wk | Yes | 93 | 86 |
| Wyoming WY | $2,200 | $30/hr | $1,120/wk | Yes | 95 | 81 |
How to Read This Data
What Each Column Means
- Avg Weekly Pay: Estimated total weekly gross compensation (taxable wages + non-taxable stipends) for a standard 36-hour/week contract.
- Avg Hourly Rate: The taxable hourly wage component. Your actual take-home depends on stipends, tax status, and deductions.
- Stipend (GSA): Approximate weekly housing + M&IE stipend based on GSA per diem rates for the state's major metro areas.
- Compact?: Whether the state participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), allowing you to work with your multistate license.
- COL Index: Cost of living relative to the national average (100). Higher = more expensive.
- Net Value Score: A composite score (0-100) factoring in pay, stipends, cost of living, and state income tax. Higher = more money in your pocket.
Important Notes
These are averages across specialties and metro areas within each state. Actual pay varies significantly based on your specialty (ICU pays more than med-surg), the specific city, facility type, time of year, and market demand. Use our Pay Package Calculator to compare specific offers.
Stipend amounts are only tax-free if you maintain a valid tax home. If you don't have a tax home, your entire compensation is taxable, which changes the math significantly.