Your travel nurse contract determines everything—your weekly pay, housing arrangements, work schedule, cancellation protections, and financial guarantees. Sign the right contract and you’ll earn premium compensation while exploring new cities. Sign the wrong one and you could face surprise pay cuts, forced permanent conversion, sudden cancellations, or discover your “high-paying” contract was actually below market…
Editorial note: Pay figures sourced from Vivian Health (December 2025, 62,947 active jobs), ZipRecruiter, and TRS Healthcare. Individual contract rates vary by location, facility type, certifications, and agency. Medical-surgical (Med-Surg) nursing represents the foundation of hospital nursing—the specialty where most registered nurses begin their careers and develop the broad clinical skills that make them adaptable,…
Editorial note: Pay figures sourced from Vivian Health (March 2026, 754 active jobs), cross-referenced with Indeed, AMN Healthcare, and ZipRecruiter. Cost of living data from BEA, ConsumerAffairs, and RentCafe (2026). Alaska is a non-compact state — plan 4-6 weeks for license processing. Alaska offers travel nurses something no other state can match: premium pay, zero…
Editorial note: Pay structure information in this guide reflects standard travel nurse contract practices as of 2026. IRS per diem rates and mileage figures cited reflect 2026 published figures. Tax law is complex — consult a qualified tax professional familiar with travel healthcare before making decisions about your pay structure or tax home. Travel nurse…
Editorial note: Pay figures in this guide are sourced from Vivian Health active job listing data (March 2026), cross-referenced with ZipRecruiter and AMN Healthcare. Figures reflect total weekly packages including taxable wages and tax-free stipends. Individual offers vary by facility type, market, shift, certifications, and agency. Emergency Room travel nurses are among the most in-demand…
Editorial note: This guide covers how travel nurse housing stipends work under IRS rules as they apply in 2026. Tax law is complex and individual situations vary. This article is for informational purposes only — consult a qualified tax professional familiar with travel healthcare before making decisions about your stipend structure or tax home. For…
Editorial note: Pay figures in this guide are sourced from Vivian Health active job listing data (March–April 2026), cross-referenced with AMN Healthcare and independent salary aggregators. Ranges reflect total weekly packages including taxable wages and tax-free stipends. Individual offers vary by specialty, facility, location, and agency. Washington has become one of the most strategically compelling…
Editorial note: Pay figures in this guide are sourced from agency contract listing data, recruiter trends, and salary aggregators for 2025–2026. New York pay is highly bifurcated between New York City and Upstate regions — figures are presented separately where possible. Tax information reflects New York State and NYC rates as of 2026. Individual offers…
Editorial note: Pay figures in this guide are sourced from Vivian Health active job listing data and AMN Healthcare (2025–2026). Ranges reflect total weekly packages including taxable wages and tax-free stipends. Florida sits at the lower end of the national pay range — figures in earlier versions of this guide reflected pre-normalization estimates and have…
Editorial note: Pay figures in this guide are sourced from Vivian Health active job listing data (April 2026) and AMN Healthcare (December 2025). Ranges reflect total weekly packages including taxable wages and tax-free stipends. Individual offers vary by specialty, facility, location, shift, and agency. Texas is one of the most active travel nursing markets in…