Maryland Travel Nurse Pay Guide: Salaries, Top Hospitals, Licensing & Taxes (2026)

Maryland punches above its weight as a travel nursing market. It sits at the geographic center of the Northeast corridor, has one of the most prestigious hospital ecosystems in the country anchored by Johns Hopkins, a robust MedStar system with consistent travel demand, and compact licensing that makes onboarding fast. The tax picture is more complex than most states — Maryland has both a state income tax and a mandatory county-level local income tax that catches travel nurses off guard — but the market fundamentals are strong.

This guide covers what Maryland travel nurses actually earn in 2026, the state and local tax structure every nurse needs to understand before accepting an assignment, licensing requirements, and the key hospital systems where assignments are concentrated.

Maryland Travel Nurse Pay at a Glance (2026)

Pay by Specialty in Maryland

Maryland’s travel nursing market is driven heavily by its major academic and regional medical systems. Specialty pay in Maryland reflects the state’s proximity to Washington D.C. and the dense hospital infrastructure in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

Maryland Licensing: The First NLC State

Maryland holds a notable distinction in travel nursing history — it was the first state in the country to sign the Nurse Licensure Compact into law. That commitment to nurse mobility is still reflected in how the state operates today. Maryland is a full NLC compact member, meaning nurses who hold a multistate license through their compact home state can accept Maryland assignments immediately without additional licensure.

For nurses residing in non-compact states — New York, California, Michigan — a Maryland license by endorsement is required before starting an assignment. The endorsement process typically takes four to eight weeks. Plan ahead if Maryland is on your target list and you’re coming from a non-compact state.

Maryland’s compact status is particularly valuable for nurses working the Mid-Atlantic corridor. Combined with Pennsylvania (compact), New Jersey (compact), Virginia (compact), and Delaware (compact), a nurse with a multistate license can build an entire Northeast travel rotation without applying for a single additional state license.

Maryland Income Tax: State Plus County — A Double Layer

Maryland’s tax structure is the most important financial detail to understand before accepting any Maryland assignment. It is the only state in the country where every county and Baltimore City levies a mandatory local income tax on top of the state income tax — and that local layer applies to non-residents who earn income in Maryland.

State income tax: Progressive, running from 2% at the lowest bracket to 6.50% at the top. Maryland’s legislature added two new high-earner brackets for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024 — a 6.25% bracket and a 6.50% bracket for very high income earners. Most travel nurses on taxable wages will land in the 4.75%-5.75% marginal range, well below the new top brackets.

Local income tax: This is the detail most travel nurses miss. Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City all levy their own income tax, ranging from 2.25% to 3.30% depending on jurisdiction. These are not optional — they apply to income earned in Maryland. Non-residents working in Maryland pay a flat 2.25% nonresident local rate regardless of which county they’re working in. This rate is added on top of the state income tax.

Major Hospital Systems for Maryland Travel Nurses

Maryland’s hospital landscape is anchored by two dominant forces — Johns Hopkins Medicine and MedStar Health — along with the University of Maryland Medical System and several large regional systems. Understanding where travel assignments concentrate helps nurses identify which facilities to target.

Hospital job volume data from Vivian Health (November 2025). MedStar dominates the travel nursing market by volume — operating multiple campuses across Maryland and Washington D.C., the system runs a consistent travel program. Johns Hopkins is the prestige assignment in the state and typically requires strong specialty credentials and documented experience at comparable academic centers.

The University of Maryland Medical Center deserves specific mention for trauma-specialty nurses — it houses the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, one of the top trauma programs in the country and the origin of the “Golden Hour” concept in emergency trauma care. UMMC is a meaningful resume-builder for ER and trauma-trained travel nurses.

The Baltimore-Washington Corridor Advantage

One of Maryland’s strongest advantages for travel nurses is geographic. The state sits at the center of the densest healthcare corridor on the East Coast — with Baltimore and Washington D.C. less than an hour apart and Philadelphia two hours north. A nurse based in Maryland has realistic access to assignments in three major metro markets without relocating.

This also means Maryland is a natural hub state for nurses building a multi-state Northeast rotation. Working a Maryland assignment while maintaining a tax home in a compact state with lower taxes (Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania, for example) is a strategy experienced Mid-Atlantic travelers have used effectively. The compact network across this region is among the strongest in the country — see our New Jersey travel nurse pay guide and Pennsylvania travel nurse pay guide for comparison of neighboring market rates.

How Maryland Compares to Neighboring States

Maryland’s gross pay runs below New Jersey but above Pennsylvania. The combined state-plus-local tax burden is the key differentiator — it’s higher than Pennsylvania and Virginia, which can close the gap on net take-home even when gross packages look comparable. Pennsylvania’s 3.07% flat tax in particular makes it a meaningfully more favorable tax environment for travel nurses on similar gross packages.

Cost of Living Considerations

Maryland’s cost of living is above the national average, particularly in the Baltimore metro and the suburban Maryland counties surrounding Washington D.C. (Montgomery County, Prince George’s County). Housing costs in these areas can be substantial — budget housing stipend usage carefully, especially if you’re targeting assignments in the DC corridor counties.

Baltimore City and the surrounding Baltimore County offer more affordable housing options than the DC suburbs. A travel nurse taking an assignment at Johns Hopkins or UMMC in Baltimore will generally find better stipend-to-housing cost ratios than one working at a MedStar facility in suburban Maryland closer to DC.

Southern Maryland — where MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital is located in Clinton — offers a middle ground: close enough to both Baltimore and DC for facility access, but with lower housing costs than either urban core. This is why MedStar Southern Maryland has such high travel job volume — it’s an accessible assignment with good facility infrastructure and reasonable housing economics.

Contract Red Flags for Maryland Assignments

Local tax withholding. Confirm your agency is withholding Maryland’s nonresident local tax (2.25%) from your taxable wages in addition to state income tax. Some agencies don’t set this up correctly upfront, creating an unexpected tax bill at filing time. Ask your payroll contact explicitly before your first paycheck.

DC-adjacent assignments. Some Maryland postings are for facilities technically in or very near Washington D.C. — which has its own tax structure as a non-compact jurisdiction. If a posting lists a D.C. address, Maryland licensing may not cover you. Confirm the exact facility location and jurisdiction before accepting.

MedStar system float provisions. MedStar operates numerous campuses across Maryland and D.C. System-wide contracts may include float language permitting movement between facilities. Review our travel nurse contract red flags guide and confirm whether your contract is campus-specific or system-wide before signing.

Bottom Line

Maryland is a solid Mid-Atlantic travel nursing market with strong hospital infrastructure, NLC compact licensing, and easy access to the broader Northeast corridor. Pay averages near the national baseline, with meaningful upside in high-acuity specialties at Johns Hopkins and UMMC. The tax picture — state income tax plus a mandatory nonresident local rate of 2.25% — is more complex than most states and requires factoring into any take-home calculation.

For nurses building a Northeast compact rotation, Maryland integrates cleanly alongside Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Delaware. The state’s historic role as the first NLC member reflects an enduring commitment to nurse mobility that continues to benefit travel nurses working the Mid-Atlantic market today.

References

Pay Data
Vivian Health. Travel Nursing Jobs in Baltimore, MD. Based on 2,010 active jobs. Last updated March 21, 2026.
Vivian Health. Travel Nursing Jobs in Maryland (state-level). Based on 3 active jobs. Last updated February 18, 2026. (Small sample — used for directional context only.)
Vivian Health. Travel Nursing Jobs in Maryland (hospital volume). Last updated November 21, 2025.
Vivian Health. Travel ED Nurse jobs in Maryland. Based on 213 active jobs. January 7, 2026.
Vivian Health. Travel Emergency Department Nurse salary in Maryland. February 19, 2026.
Vivian Health. Travel Labor and Delivery Nurse salary in Maryland. February 8, 2026.
Vivian Health. Travel Dialysis Nurse jobs in Maryland. March 15, 2026.
TravelNurseCalc.com. Maryland blended hourly rate benchmark. Accessed April 2026.

Tax Information
RemoteLaws.com. Maryland Income Tax Rates & Brackets (Tax Year 2025 – Filed 2026). Last verified February 18, 2026.
Maryland Comptroller. Tax Alert: Changes to Standard and Itemized Deductions and State and Local Income Tax Rates. 2025 Legislative Session.
Maryland Comptroller. Payroll Changes Effective January 1, 2026.

Licensing
Maryland Department of Health. Nurse Licensure Compact. Accessed April 2026.
TravelNursing.org. Maryland was the first state to join the NLC. Confirmed via Nurse.org NLC history.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). NLC member state list. Accessed April 2026.

Methodology
Weekly pay figures reflect total travel packages including taxable wages and tax-free stipends. Specialty figures from small Vivian samples are directional benchmarks only. Tax information is for general awareness — consult a qualified CPA for advice specific to your situation. Last updated: April 2026.