Top Destinations for Travel Nurses: Pay & Demand

The top destinations for travel nurses are usually California, New York, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona and Florida. These states combine strong pay, steady demand, large hospital systems or seasonal patient surges. The best choice for you depends on your specialty, your license, cost of living, and whether you want a big-city teaching hospital or a smaller community or rural facility.

What are the top destinations for travel nurses?

Several states attract travel nurses year after year. Each has different reasons, and each comes with tradeoffs.

California: high pay and strict staffing ratios

California is the only state that sets mandated nurse-to-patient ratios across hospital units. Many nurses value that predictability on the floor. Pay packages are often among the strongest in the country, but housing in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego can take a large share of your stipend.

California is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a California RN license. Start the application well before you plan to work there.

New York: large hospital systems and specialty demand

New York City has major academic medical centers, Level I trauma centers and specialty hospitals. That creates demand for ICU, ER, OR, oncology and pediatric nurses. Upstate New York also has regional hospitals that hire travelers.

New York is a non-compact state and requires its own license. Housing in Manhattan and nearby boroughs is expensive, so some travelers live farther out and commute.

Texas: high volume and Nurse Licensure Compact access

Texas has large metro healthcare markets in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin, plus many rural facilities. The high patient volume supports steady travel contracts across many specialties.

Texas is a compact state. If you hold a multistate license from another compact state, you can usually start a Texas contract without applying for a separate license.

Washington and Oregon: strong pay in the Pacific Northwest

Washington and Oregon often post competitive travel contracts, especially in Seattle, Portland and surrounding regions. Oregon passed hospital staffing legislation in 2023 that includes nurse-to-patient ratios, phased in over time.

Oregon is not a compact state. Washington enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation in 2023. Check current implementation status with the Washington State Department of Health or NCSBN before you rely on a multistate license there.

Alaska and Hawaii: high stipends and remote assignments

Alaska and Hawaii regularly need travelers because their local nursing workforces can't always cover demand. Contracts may include higher stipends to offset relocation and living costs. Some Alaska assignments are in remote communities that are reachable only by plane.

Both states are non-compact and require their own licenses. Housing in Hawaii is costly and can be hard to find. Remote Alaska assignments may sometimes include housing, but terms vary by facility.

Arizona and Florida: seasonal winter demand

Arizona and Florida both see patient census rise in winter, when seasonal residents arrive. That drives a wave of travel contracts roughly from fall through spring.

Both are compact states, which makes them accessible first or second assignments for nurses with a multistate license.

Which states pay travel nurses the most?

Travel nurse pay varies by state, specialty, facility, experience and timing. A contract that pays well in one month may look very different a season later. For current figures by state and specialty, see our travel nurse pay data.

Highest-paying states for travel nurse contracts

States with high costs of living, strong unions, or chronic shortages tend to offer higher packages. California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii often appear near the top. Even so, pay within a single state can differ widely between a downtown academic center and a rural hospital.

Pay adjusted for cost of living

A high weekly rate doesn't always mean more money saved. Compare each offer against local rent, transportation and everyday costs.

When you compare offers, look at:

Weekly gross pay, split into taxable hourly wage and stipends
Local rent for a short-term furnished unit
Commute and parking costs
State income tax, which differs by state
Travel costs to and from the assignment

A moderate package in a lower-cost market can leave you with more take-home pay than a top-dollar contract in an expensive city.

How housing and meal stipends affect take-home pay

Many travel packages combine a lower taxable hourly rate with non-taxable housing and meal (per diem) stipends. These stipends are generally tax-free only if you maintain a permanent tax home and duplicate living expenses while you travel. The rules are specific, so talk with a tax professional who works with travel nurses.

A low taxable base rate can also affect overtime pay, retirement contributions and disability coverage. Ask the recruiter to explain how each part of the package is calculated.

Crisis and rapid-response rates

Rapid-response or crisis contracts fill urgent needs, often with short notice and a fast start date. They may pay more than standard contracts. They can also involve heavy schedules, less orientation and shorter terms. These contracts depend on local conditions, so they come and go.

Where is demand for travel nurses highest?

Demand follows specialty, season and geography. A state with modest demand overall may still have strong need in one specialty or region.

Specialties in highest demand by region (ICU, ER, OR, L&D)

Critical care, emergency, perioperative and labor and delivery nurses are consistently sought after in most regions. Large metro areas with trauma centers tend to need ICU and ER nurses. Hospitals with high surgical volume need OR nurses.

Specialty certifications can strengthen your application. Relevant ones include:

CCRN from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
CEN from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN)
CNOR from the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI)
RNC-OB from the National Certification Corporation (NCC)

Facilities also commonly require BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP or TNCC, depending on the unit. Requirements vary by employer.

Rural and critical access hospitals

Rural and critical access hospitals often rely on travelers because they struggle to recruit permanent staff. These assignments can offer broad clinical exposure, since you may care for a wider range of patients with fewer specialists on site. They suit experienced nurses who are comfortable working with more autonomy.

Seasonal demand and snowbird season

Seasonal residents (snowbirds) raise winter census in Arizona, Florida and parts of Texas and Southern California. Flu and respiratory virus season can increase demand more widely from fall into early spring. Summer can bring its own needs in tourist areas and when staff take vacations.

Major metro areas vs smaller markets

Large cities offer more contracts, more specialty units and more to do on your days off. They also bring higher rent and more competition for good assignments. Smaller markets may have fewer openings but lower costs and, sometimes, an easier interview process.

Do travel nurses need a license in each state?

You need authorization to practice in the state where the patient is located. That can come from a multistate compact license or from a single-state license issued by that state's board of nursing.

How the Nurse Licensure Compact works

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets RNs and LPN/LVNs with a multistate license practice in other compact states without getting a separate license in each one.

Here is how it generally works:

Your primary state of residence must be a compact state.
You apply for a multistate license through that state's board of nursing.
You meet the uniform licensure requirements, including a fingerprint-based background check.
Once you're approved, you can practice in any other compact state.
If you move your primary residence to another compact state, you apply for a license there.

NCSBN keeps the current list of compact states at nursecompact.com.

Non-compact states such as California and New York

California, New York, Oregon, Nevada, Illinois, Hawaii and Alaska are among the states that are not part of the compact. To work in these states, you apply for licensure by endorsement with each state's board. Membership changes over time, so confirm the current status before you apply.

States with fast or temporary licensing

Some boards offer temporary licenses so you can start work while your permanent application is processed. California, for example, offers a temporary license to eligible endorsement applicants. Availability, eligibility and processing times vary by state and can change, so check with the board directly.

Licensing costs and processing times

Fees, fingerprinting requirements and timelines differ by state. Some boards process applications within weeks, while others can take months. Some agencies reimburse licensing costs. Ask about this before you apply, and keep your Nursys record up to date so boards can verify your license quickly.

How do you choose the right travel nurse destination?

The best destination fits your finances, your career and your life outside work.

Cost of living and housing availability

Research short-term furnished housing before you accept an offer. Popular areas can have little availability, especially during peak season. Decide whether to take agency-provided housing or the stipend and arrange your own.

Career goals: teaching hospitals vs community hospitals

The type of facility shapes your experience as much as the state does.

Factor	Teaching hospital	Community hospital
Patient acuity	Often higher, with complex and rare cases	Varies; often more routine cases
Specialty exposure	Broad subspecialty units	Fewer subspecialties
Resources	Residents, specialists, rapid-response teams	Leaner teams, more nurse autonomy
Orientation	May be more structured	Often brief
Resume value	Strong for advancing specialty skills	Strong for adaptability and breadth

Lifestyle, climate and location

Think about weather, distance from family, outdoor activities and transportation. A winter in Alaska and a winter in Arizona are very different experiences. Assignments are short, so many travelers use them to try out regions before settling.

Assignment length and extension options

Most assignments run about 13 weeks, though some are shorter or longer. Ask whether the facility tends to extend contracts, and whether pay stays the same if you extend. Extensions can save you the cost and effort of moving.

Working with recruiters to find open contracts

A good recruiter explains the package clearly and answers questions about the unit, schedule and cancellation terms. Questions worth asking include:

What is the guaranteed number of hours?
What happens if the facility cancels shifts or the contract?
How are floating and on-call handled?
Is there a reimbursement for licensing or travel?

You can also search open travel nurse jobs by specialty and location to see what's currently available.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest-paying state for travel nurses?

No single state always pays the most, because pay shifts with demand, season and specialty. California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii often rank high. Check our pay data for current figures.

Which states are part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Most states have joined the compact, including Texas, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia and Colorado. California, New York, Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska are among those that have not. Membership changes, so check NCSBN's current map before you apply.

Can new grad nurses take travel assignments?

It's uncommon. Most agencies and facilities ask for at least one to two years of recent experience in your specialty, because travelers receive limited orientation. Requirements vary by employer.

How long does a typical travel nurse assignment last?

Most assignments last about 13 weeks. Shorter contracts and longer ones also exist, and many facilities offer extensions.

What is the best city for a first travel nurse contract?

A good first contract is often in a compact state you can access easily, at a facility similar to the one you already know. Choose a place with available housing and reasonable living costs, so you can focus on adjusting to the new unit.

Ready to find your next assignment? Browse travel nurse jobs on NurseTide.