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Travel Nursing Pay Package Rankings and Cost Of Living By State

Travel nursing pay packages can provide plenty of confusion but for many, the only thing they want to know is how much money they can make in their state of choice.

Below, we’ve put together the current highest weekly travel nursing pay packages you can expect for each state, based on current StaffDNA job board data (1),  and ranked them in order of highest to lowest. We’ve also listed the current number of opportunities in each state (2), as well as their overall cost of living based on a 2018 regional price parity study from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (3). Click here to read our process for creating this list.

Make sure to bookmark this page, travelers, because we plan on updating this info often, so some of the pay rates and available jobs are subject to change.

Most of the data is not surprising—California, for instance, has always been known as one of the most expensive states to live in. It ranks No. 1 among pay packages as well. But there are a few surprises on the list.

See for yourself how much you can potentially make in each state as a travel nurse.

Editor’s Note: For the cost of living rating, states above 100 are considered to have above average living expenses, including rent. States below 100 have below average living expenses.

California

RN, Trisha A. in California

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $3,216

Highest Hourly: $80.40

Cost of Living Rating: 114.4

View travel nursing jobs in California now >>


Texas

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $3,162

Highest Hourly: $79.06

Cost of Living Rating: 96.9

Find travel nursing jobs in Texas now >> 


New York

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2814

Highest Hourly: $70.35

Cost of Living Rating: 115.6

View travel nursing job opportunities in New York now >>


Florida

Gulf Breeze - Florida - United States

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2626.4

Highest Hourly: $65.66

Cost of Living Rating: 99.7

Find travel nursing job opportunities in Florida now >>


Virginia

Richmond-Virginia

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2626.4

Highest Hourly: $65.66

Cost of Living Rating: 102.3

View travel nursing jobs in Virginia now >>


New Jersey

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2492.4

Highest Hourly: $62.31

Cost of Living Rating: 113.2

Check out travel nursing jobs in New Jersey now >>


Alaska

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2465.60

Highest Hourly: $61.64

Cost of Living Rating: 105.4

Check out travel nursing job opportunities in Alaska now >>


Iowa

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2465.6

Highest Hourly: $61.64

Cost of Living Rating: 90.2

Discover travel nursing jobs in Iowa now >>


Nevada

nicole-harrington-nevada-unsplash

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2412

Highest Hourly: $60.30

Cost of Living Rating: 97.4

View travel nursing jobs in Nevada now >>


Pennsylvania

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2412

Highest Hourly: $60.3

Cost of Living Rating: 98.4

Discover travel nursing job opportunities in Pennsylvania now >>


Montana

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2398.60

Highest Hourly: $59.97

Cost of Living Rating: 94.1

Look for travel nursing jobs in Montana now >>


Indiana

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2342.32

Highest Hourly: $58.56

Cost of Living Rating: 90.3

Look for travel nursing job opportunities in Indiana now >>


Massachusetts

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2331.60

Highest Hourly: $58.29

Cost of Living Rating: 107.8

See travel nursing jobs in Massachusetts now >>


Michigan

RN, Samantha P. in Michigan

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,315.52

Highest Hourly: $57.89

Cost of Living Rating: 93.3

See travel nursing job opportunities in Michigan now >>


Maryland

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,278

Highest Hourly: $56.95

Cost of Living Rating: 109.5

See travel nursing job openings in Maryland now >>


Washington

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,278

Highest Hourly: $56.95

Cost of Living Rating: 105.5

View travel nursing job openings in Washington now >>


Wisconsin

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,266.21

Highest Hourly: $56.66

Cost of Living Rating: 92.8

Find travel nursing job openings in Wisconsin now >>


Wyoming

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,264.60

Highest Hourly: $56.62

Cost of Living Rating: 96.7

See travel nursing job openings in Wyoming now >>


Minnesota

Downtown Minneapolis Minnesota at night time as seen from the famous stone arch bridge

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,251.20

Highest Hourly: $56.28

Cost of Living Rating: 97.5

Look for travel nursing job openings in Minnesota now >>


Louisiana

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,240.48

Highest Hourly: $56.01

Cost of Living Rating: 90.4

Look for travel nursing jobs in Louisiana now >>


Georgia

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,237.80

Highest Hourly: $55.94

Cost of Living Rating: 92.1

View travel nursing jobs in Georgia now >>


West Virginia

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,224.40

Highest Hourly: $55.61

Cost of Living Rating: 87.6

View travel nursing jobs in West Virginia now >>


New Mexico

Albuquerque-New-Mexico

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,197.60

Highest Hourly: $54.94

Cost of Living Rating: 93.6

View travel nursing jobs in New Mexico now >>


Ohio

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,144

Highest Hourly: $53.60

Cost of Living Rating: 89.3

View travel nursing jobs in Ohio now >>


Illinois

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,144

Highest Hourly: $53.60

Cost of Living Rating: 98.3

View travel nursing jobs in Illinois now >>


Delaware

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,144

Highest Hourly: $53.60

Cost of Living Rating: 100.2

View travel nursing jobs in Delaware now >>


Arkansas

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,090.40

Highest Hourly: $52.26

Cost of Living Rating: 86.2

View travel nursing jobs in Arkansas now >>


Tennessee

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,090.40

Highest Hourly: $52.26

Cost of Living Rating: 90.2

View travel nursing jobs in Tennessee now >>


Oregon

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,074.32

Highest Hourly: $57.62

Cost of Living Rating: 99.8

View travel nursing jobs in Oregon now >>


Missouri

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,063.60

Highest Hourly: $51.59

Cost of Living Rating: 89.5

View travel nursing jobs in Missouri now >>


Maine

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,050.20

Highest Hourly: $56.95

Cost of Living Rating: 98.4

View travel nursing jobs in Maine now >>


Kentucky

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,045.38

Highest Hourly: $51.13

Cost of Living Rating: 87.8

View travel nursing jobs in Kentucky now >>


Nebraska

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,016.43

Highest Hourly: $56.01

Cost of Living Rating: 90.5

View travel nursing jobs in Nebraska now >>


Colorado

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,010

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 103.0

View travel nursing jobs in Colorado now >>


Vermont

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,010

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 101.6

View travel nursing jobs in Vermont now >>


Oklahoma

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,010

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 89.0

View travel nursing jobs in Oklahoma now >>


Arizona

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,010

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 95.9

View travel nursing jobs in Arizona now >>


Hawaii

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $2,010

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 118.4

View travel nursing jobs in Hawaii now >>


Idaho

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,977.84

Highest Hourly: $54.94

Cost of Living Rating: 93.0

View travel nursing jobs in Idaho now >>


South Carolina

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,929.60

Highest Hourly: $48.24

Cost of Living Rating: 90.3

View travel nursing jobs in South Carolina now >>


New Hampshire

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,929.60

Highest Hourly: $48.24

Cost of Living Rating: 105.9

View travel nursing jobs in New Hampshire now >>


North Dakota

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,929.60

Highest Hourly: $48.24

Cost of Living Rating: 91.5

View travel nursing jobs in North Dakota now >>


Alabama

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,876

Highest Hourly: $46.9

Cost of Living Rating: 86.6

View travel nursing jobs in Alabama now >>


District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,822.40

Highest Hourly: $45.56

Cost of Living Rating: 115.9

View travel nursing jobs in District of Columbia now >>


South Dakota

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,822.40

Highest Hourly: $45.56

Cost of Living Rating: 88.3

View travel nursing jobs in South Dakota now >>


Kansas

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,809

Highest Hourly: $50.25

Cost of Living Rating: 90.5

View travel nursing jobs in Kansas now >>


Rhode Island

Newport Bridge in Newport Rhode Island with the Goat Island Lighthouse in the foreground

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,795.60

Highest Hourly: $44.89

Cost of Living Rating: 99.6

View travel nursing jobs in Rhode Island now >>


Connecticut

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,795.60

Highest Hourly: $44.89

Cost of Living Rating: 108.7

View travel nursing jobs in Connecticut now >>


North Carolina

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,742

Highest Hourly: $43.55

Cost of Living Rating: 90.9

View travel nursing jobs in North Carolina now >>


Mississippi

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,688.40

Highest Hourly: $42.21

Cost of Living Rating: 86.4

View travel nursing jobs in Mississippi now >>


Utah

Highest Travel RN Weekly Pay: $1,340

Highest Hourly: $33.50

Cost of Living Rating: 97.3

View travel nursing jobs in Utah now >>


How We Made This List

  1. Pay package data is sourced with permission from the StaffDNA job board and displays the highest listed pay regardless of RN specialty. This data is updated at the start of each month. Because of this, some specialties may see lower weekly pay packages in their state than what is listed. This list is not meant to be comprehensive for all variations across specialties, or contract terms.
  2. The number of available jobs per state is sourced with permission from the StaffDNA job board. This data is updated at least once per month, although additional updates may occur based on the rapidly changing travel nurse job market. While several staffing agencies post job opportunities on the StaffDNA job board, this list does not display all possible job opportunities from every facility or staffing agency.
  3. The Cost of Living rating is based on regional price parity index data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which can be found here. The numbers displayed are a percentage of the overall national price level and aggregates data on all consumer goods and services including rents. Areas with high ratings (above 100.0) and low ratings (below 100.0) typically
    correspond to areas with high or low price levels for rents, according to the BEA.

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