SOC 29-1141 · May 2025 wage baseline
Travel nurse (RN) salary and pay benchmarks
Audit-ready, pre-tax gross-wage benchmarks across 120 covered metros and 53 states or jurisdictions. These figures exclude stipends and premium pay and are comparison data—not live jobs or package quotes.
What this dataset says
Among covered metros, San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA ranks highest at $3,608/week and San Juan–Bayamon, PR ranks lowest at $628/week. The middle metro benchmark is $1,967/week.
As of 2026-07-19, PayBeacon models travel Registered Nurse gross wages from May 2025 BLS wages and FY2024 CMS contract-labor filings. The CMS premium is nursing-anchored, matching this occupation.
How much do travel nurses make?
Across PayBeacon's covered metros, the middle modeled travel nurse gross-wage benchmark is $1,967/week before tax. San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA is the highest-ranked covered metro at $3,608/week, while San Juan–Bayamon, PR is the lowest-ranked at $628/week.
These are comparison benchmarks—not live jobs, guaranteed salaries, or take-home pay. They exclude stipends, overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, benefits, and reimbursements.
Travel Registered Nurse salary and pay by metro
Ranked by modeled weekly gross wage. Open any row for its local wage, state comparison, percentile spread, hospital sample, and downloadable record.
| Metro | Weekly | P25–P75 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA | $3,608 | $2,747–$3,721 | #1 of 120 |
| San Francisco–Oakland, CA | $3,106 | $2,283–$3,590 | #2 of 120 |
| Sacramento–Roseville, CA | $2,854 | $2,195–$3,306 | #3 of 120 |
| New York–Newark, NY | $2,637 | $2,290–$2,934 | #4 of 120 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $2,602 | $1,896–$2,693 | #5 of 120 |
| Portland–South Portland, ME | $2,449 | $2,295–$2,876 | #6 of 120 |
| Madison, WI | $2,423 | $2,089–$2,469 | #7 of 120 |
| Providence–Warwick, RI | $2,414 | $2,004–$2,645 | #8 of 120 |
| Bridgeport–Stamford, CT | $2,393 | $2,210–$2,930 | #9 of 120 |
| Chicago–Naperville, IL | $2,391 | $1,966–$2,580 | #10 of 120 |
| New Haven, CT | $2,366 | $1,932–$2,944 | #11 of 120 |
| Denver–Aurora, CO | $2,356 | $1,989–$2,557 | #12 of 120 |
| Portland–Vancouver, OR | $2,340 | $1,944–$2,450 | #13 of 120 |
| Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI | $2,331 | $1,977–$2,514 | #14 of 120 |
| San Diego–Chula Vista, CA | $2,323 | $2,137–$2,828 | #15 of 120 |
| Seattle–Tacoma, WA | $2,309 | $1,882–$2,463 | #16 of 120 |
| Hartford–West Hartford, CT | $2,297 | $1,974–$2,626 | #17 of 120 |
| Las Vegas–Henderson, NV | $2,282 | $1,947–$2,722 | #18 of 120 |
| Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie, NY | $2,266 | $1,893–$2,597 | #19 of 120 |
| Los Angeles–Long Beach, CA | $2,257 | $1,866–$2,793 | #20 of 120 |
| Allentown–Bethlehem, PA | $2,253 | $1,862–$2,326 | #21 of 120 |
| Boston–Cambridge, MA | $2,251 | $2,011–$2,725 | #22 of 120 |
| Philadelphia–Camden, PA | $2,247 | $2,003–$2,509 | #23 of 120 |
| Manchester–Nashua, NH | $2,243 | $1,880–$2,456 | #24 of 120 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $2,240 | $1,953–$2,444 | #25 of 120 |
| Stockton–Lodi, CA | $2,240 | $2,041–$2,780 | #26 of 120 |
| Riverside–San Bernardino, CA | $2,230 | $1,793–$2,755 | #27 of 120 |
| Albany–Schenectady, NY | $2,202 | $1,822–$2,282 | #28 of 120 |
| Trenton–Princeton, NJ | $2,197 | $2,093–$2,490 | #29 of 120 |
| Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA | $2,189 | $1,951–$2,414 | #30 of 120 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $2,184 | $1,851–$2,856 | #31 of 120 |
| Oxnard–Thousand Oaks, CA | $2,183 | $1,779–$2,706 | #32 of 120 |
| Buffalo–Cheektowaga, NY | $2,182 | $1,880–$2,391 | #33 of 120 |
| Omaha, NE | $2,174 | $2,036–$2,638 | #34 of 120 |
| Phoenix–Mesa, AZ | $2,170 | $1,771–$2,342 | #35 of 120 |
| Harrisburg–Carlisle, PA | $2,149 | $1,833–$2,293 | #36 of 120 |
| Bakersfield–Delano, CA | $2,144 | $1,680–$2,630 | #37 of 120 |
| Charleston–North Charleston, SC | $2,136 | $1,802–$2,265 | #38 of 120 |
| Baltimore–Columbia, MD | $2,135 | $1,795–$2,317 | #39 of 120 |
| Worcester, MA | $2,125 | $1,899–$2,725 | #40 of 120 |
| Fresno, CA | $2,088 | $1,767–$2,355 | #41 of 120 |
| Springfield, MA | $2,086 | $1,842–$2,351 | #42 of 120 |
| Indianapolis–Carmel, IN | $2,083 | $1,955–$2,521 | #43 of 120 |
| Boise City, ID | $2,068 | $1,719–$2,173 | #44 of 120 |
| Detroit–Warren, MI | $2,053 | $1,741–$2,198 | #45 of 120 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $2,049 | $1,880–$2,360 | #46 of 120 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $2,041 | $1,795–$2,246 | #47 of 120 |
| Charlotte–Concord, NC | $2,033 | $1,821–$2,326 | #48 of 120 |
| Tucson, AZ | $2,025 | $1,685–$2,253 | #49 of 120 |
| Spokane–Spokane Valley, WA | $2,012 | $1,738–$2,240 | #50 of 120 |
| Washington–Arlington, DC | $2,005 | $1,651–$2,335 | #51 of 120 |
| Cleveland, OH | $2,004 | $1,942–$2,446 | #52 of 120 |
| Columbus, OH | $2,003 | $1,911–$2,419 | #53 of 120 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $1,997 | $1,922–$2,449 | #54 of 120 |
| Lancaster, PA | $1,990 | $1,825–$2,326 | #55 of 120 |
| Richmond, VA | $1,984 | $1,692–$2,089 | #56 of 120 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN | $1,978 | $1,978–$1,978 | #57 of 120 |
| Rochester, MN | $1,978 | $1,978–$1,978 | #58 of 120 |
| Dayton–Kettering, OH | $1,969 | $1,895–$2,380 | #59 of 120 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $1,969 | $1,910–$2,464 | #60 of 120 |
| St. Louis, MO | $1,965 | $1,829–$2,368 | #61 of 120 |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,962 | $1,841–$2,332 | #62 of 120 |
| Miami–Fort Lauderdale, FL | $1,937 | $1,707–$2,212 | #63 of 120 |
| Toledo, OH | $1,934 | $1,872–$2,361 | #64 of 120 |
| Winston–Salem, NC | $1,932 | $1,768–$2,325 | #65 of 120 |
| Akron, OH | $1,928 | $1,891–$2,336 | #66 of 120 |
| Peoria, IL | $1,928 | $1,804–$2,329 | #67 of 120 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | $1,928 | $1,665–$2,091 | #68 of 120 |
| Syracuse, NY | $1,915 | $1,743–$2,240 | #69 of 120 |
| Atlanta–Sandy Springs, GA | $1,909 | $1,567–$2,065 | #70 of 120 |
| Lexington–Fayette, KY | $1,908 | $1,832–$2,348 | #71 of 120 |
| Rochester, NY | $1,907 | $1,823–$2,219 | #72 of 120 |
| Raleigh–Cary, NC | $1,903 | $1,760–$2,334 | #73 of 120 |
| Virginia Beach–Chesapeake, VA | $1,896 | $1,637–$2,063 | #74 of 120 |
| Columbia, SC | $1,886 | $1,748–$2,214 | #75 of 120 |
| Springfield, MO | $1,875 | $1,758–$2,134 | #76 of 120 |
| Greenville–Anderson, SC | $1,874 | $1,797–$2,223 | #77 of 120 |
| Wichita, KS | $1,866 | $1,600–$2,004 | #78 of 120 |
| Tulsa, OK | $1,865 | $1,759–$2,191 | #79 of 120 |
| Greensboro–High Point, NC | $1,859 | $1,742–$2,220 | #80 of 120 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV | $1,852 | $1,741–$2,286 | #81 of 120 |
| Scranton–Wilkes, PA | $1,835 | $1,743–$2,172 | #82 of 120 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $1,829 | $1,748–$2,243 | #83 of 120 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | $1,826 | $1,470–$1,992 | #84 of 120 |
| North Port–Bradenton, FL | $1,826 | $1,641–$2,126 | #85 of 120 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,825 | $1,709–$2,190 | #86 of 120 |
| Salt Lake City–Murray, UT | $1,824 | $1,718–$2,241 | #87 of 120 |
| Wilmington, NC | $1,817 | $1,785–$2,317 | #88 of 120 |
| Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL | $1,812 | $1,680–$2,167 | #89 of 120 |
| Nashville–Davidson, TN | $1,802 | $1,750–$2,220 | #90 of 120 |
| Houston–Pasadena, TX | $1,797 | $1,474–$2,088 | #91 of 120 |
| Deltona–Daytona Beach, FL | $1,785 | $1,669–$2,043 | #92 of 120 |
| Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL | $1,782 | $1,603–$1,986 | #93 of 120 |
| Grand Rapids–Wyoming, MI | $1,771 | $1,709–$2,133 | #94 of 120 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,771 | $1,671–$2,125 | #95 of 120 |
| Orlando–Kissimmee, FL | $1,771 | $1,663–$2,125 | #96 of 120 |
| Austin–Round Rock, TX | $1,762 | $1,468–$1,917 | #97 of 120 |
| Cape Coral–Fort Myers, FL | $1,757 | $1,689–$2,145 | #98 of 120 |
| Little Rock–North Little Rock, AR | $1,751 | $1,615–$2,049 | #99 of 120 |
| Memphis, TN | $1,748 | $1,692–$2,054 | #100 of 120 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $1,741 | $1,738–$2,245 | #101 of 120 |
| Mobile, AL | $1,738 | $1,482–$1,869 | #102 of 120 |
| Gainesville, FL | $1,736 | $1,652–$2,093 | #103 of 120 |
| New Orleans–Metairie, LA | $1,722 | $1,579–$2,002 | #104 of 120 |
| Birmingham, AL | $1,720 | $1,390–$1,861 | #105 of 120 |
| Palm Bay–Melbourne, FL | $1,715 | $1,661–$2,109 | #106 of 120 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,711 | $1,666–$2,009 | #107 of 120 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $1,707 | $1,405–$1,845 | #108 of 120 |
| Jackson, MS | $1,699 | $1,383–$1,820 | #109 of 120 |
| San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX | $1,699 | $1,406–$1,814 | #110 of 120 |
| Huntsville, AL | $1,685 | $1,329–$1,818 | #111 of 120 |
| Shreveport–Bossier City, LA | $1,685 | $1,444–$2,078 | #112 of 120 |
| Killeen–Temple, TX | $1,682 | $1,423–$1,963 | #113 of 120 |
| Augusta–Richmond County, GA | $1,667 | $1,459–$1,909 | #114 of 120 |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,656 | $1,534–$1,780 | #115 of 120 |
| Pensacola–Ferry Pass, FL | $1,652 | $1,611–$1,961 | #116 of 120 |
| El Paso, TX | $1,550 | $1,338–$1,766 | #117 of 120 |
| Lubbock, TX | $1,467 | $1,298–$1,794 | #118 of 120 |
| McAllen–Edinburg, TX | $1,450 | $1,172–$1,682 | #119 of 120 |
| San Juan–Bayamon, PR | $628 | $580–$757 | #120 of 120 |
Travel Registered Nurse salary and pay by state
| State / jurisdiction | Weekly | P25–P75 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $2,547 | $1,890–$2,693 | #1 of 53 |
| Delaware | $2,478 | $2,139–$2,781 | #2 of 53 |
| Rhode Island | $2,433 | $1,978–$2,589 | #3 of 53 |
| New York | $2,411 | $2,089–$2,856 | #4 of 53 |
| Maine | $2,408 | $2,212–$2,809 | #5 of 53 |
| Alaska | $2,352 | $2,099–$2,773 | #6 of 53 |
| New Jersey | $2,340 | $2,191–$2,807 | #7 of 53 |
| Colorado | $2,336 | $1,971–$2,538 | #8 of 53 |
| California | $2,335 | $2,038–$2,883 | #9 of 53 |
| Connecticut | $2,326 | $1,950–$2,759 | #10 of 53 |
| Oregon | $2,316 | $1,925–$2,414 | #11 of 53 |
| Wisconsin | $2,287 | $1,961–$2,456 | #12 of 53 |
| Illinois | $2,284 | $1,904–$2,521 | #13 of 53 |
| Nevada | $2,276 | $1,907–$2,640 | #14 of 53 |
| New Hampshire | $2,268 | $1,886–$2,467 | #15 of 53 |
| Vermont | $2,268 | $1,914–$2,449 | #16 of 53 |
| North Dakota | $2,243 | $1,934–$2,586 | #17 of 53 |
| Washington | $2,236 | $1,856–$2,417 | #18 of 53 |
| Wyoming | $2,224 | $2,069–$2,685 | #19 of 53 |
| Massachusetts | $2,217 | $1,854–$2,725 | #20 of 53 |
| Iowa | $2,189 | $1,901–$2,393 | #21 of 53 |
| Nebraska | $2,178 | $2,036–$2,560 | #22 of 53 |
| Arizona | $2,141 | $1,760–$2,336 | #23 of 53 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,141 | $1,790–$2,326 | #24 of 53 |
| Maryland | $2,140 | $1,796–$2,302 | #25 of 53 |
| Montana | $2,067 | $1,944–$2,444 | #26 of 53 |
| Indiana | $2,065 | $1,947–$2,483 | #27 of 53 |
| New Mexico | $2,005 | $1,720–$2,184 | #28 of 53 |
| District of Columbia | $2,001 | $1,676–$2,494 | #29 of 53 |
| South Dakota | $1,997 | $1,665–$2,157 | #30 of 53 |
| Michigan | $1,990 | $1,732–$2,184 | #31 of 53 |
| Virginia | $1,985 | $1,698–$2,184 | #32 of 53 |
| Minnesota | $1,978 | $1,933–$1,978 | #33 of 53 |
| Ohio | $1,969 | $1,890–$2,364 | #34 of 53 |
| Kentucky | $1,957 | $1,827–$2,347 | #35 of 53 |
| Idaho | $1,954 | $1,710–$2,162 | #36 of 53 |
| Kansas | $1,934 | $1,787–$2,308 | #37 of 53 |
| Missouri | $1,932 | $1,797–$2,329 | #38 of 53 |
| South Carolina | $1,896 | $1,780–$2,238 | #39 of 53 |
| North Carolina | $1,893 | $1,767–$2,290 | #40 of 53 |
| West Virginia | $1,832 | $1,558–$2,281 | #41 of 53 |
| Oklahoma | $1,825 | $1,702–$2,176 | #42 of 53 |
| Utah | $1,797 | $1,700–$2,233 | #43 of 53 |
| Florida | $1,785 | $1,668–$2,145 | #44 of 53 |
| Georgia | $1,777 | $1,502–$2,020 | #45 of 53 |
| Tennessee | $1,748 | $1,618–$2,042 | #46 of 53 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $1,744 | $1,687–$2,120 | #47 of 53 |
| Texas | $1,728 | $1,425–$1,892 | #48 of 53 |
| Arkansas | $1,705 | $1,440–$1,950 | #49 of 53 |
| Louisiana | $1,688 | $1,453–$1,970 | #50 of 53 |
| Alabama | $1,685 | $1,388–$1,823 | #51 of 53 |
| Mississippi | $1,585 | $1,335–$1,737 | #52 of 53 |
| Puerto Rico | $596 | $571–$738 | #53 of 53 |