What is the salary range of the travel nurse?

If you are interested in becoming a traveling nurse, you have probably heard many different things about what to expect from your traveling nurse salary. That’s simply because there are thousands of hospitals that employ these healthcare providers and hundreds of agencies that recruit and place them. While there are some general trends that span the entire field, the only way to be sure what to expect is to ask a travel nurse agency about your payment options. Other than that, the best we can do is generalize.

Travel nurse salary and hourly wage Generally, nurses who travel earn more than their counterparts who do not travel. While the national average hourly wage for a registered nurse is around $ 25, traveling registered nurses generally earn between $ 30 and $ 40 per hour. But it is important to note that most agencies do not have one-size-fits-all rates, but instead make offers based on the training and experience of each individual. As with any other nursing position, the more experience you have, the more you can expect to earn.

And there are other factors that enter the equation. For example, there are some areas of the country where nurses can expect to earn more due to higher costs of living and higher wages overall. Also, as all registered nurses know, different types of nurses have different salary expectations. This is as true in travel nursing as anywhere else.

Supplemental benefits There are other benefits of this career field that are difficult to quantify in dollar terms. For example, many employers in the medical industry consider travel nursing to be an impressive item on their resume, so the experience you gain from your travel assignment period could translate into higher salaries and desirable positions down the road. Plus, you are likely to get a lot of value out of your experience on a personal level.

Many travel nursing agencies provide additional monetary benefits beyond salary and hourly wages. You can expect your housing to be paid for. Given the long hours you will be working, this almost guarantees that you will have a good amount of money saved by the end of your contract. Finally, if you work with a large agency, you can also get bonuses at the end of each job, and these can add up to 25% or more or your base travel nurse salary.

We know the time and frustration it can take to find a good travel nurse agency given the large number of hits on an internet search. We encourage you to find other friends or co-workers who are or have been in this field and get their opinion. Other sources are the nursing organizations you belong to or a good forum where other nurses share their experiences.