Travel nurses are an elite group. They’re willing to leave their homes, friends, and often families behind for a unique, on-the-road lifestyle.
But have you ever wondered who is most likely to become a travel nurse, how much they make, or who employs them?
If you want to find out what’s really going on in the world of travel nursing, this article is for you. We’ve compiled the latest statistics and figures to bring you up to date on the business of travel nursing.
Table of Contents
- Travel Nursing Statistics By Category
- Salary
- Gender
- Age
- Ethnicity
- Family Status
- Education
- Industry
- Contract Duration
- Miscellaneous
- Trusted Nurse Staffing: Helping Travel Nurses Find Top Assignments
Travel Nursing Statistics by Category
Salary
#1: Travel Nurses Can Make Up to $160 an Hour
According to the 2024 NSI (Nursing Solutions, Inc.) National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, travel nurses make an average hourly rate of $102 and, in some cases, may receive as much as $160.
Trusted Nurse Staffing is committed to helping our travel nurses find the best contacts with the rates they deserve. Sign up for Pronto to get started looking for potential travel nursing jobs today.
#2: Intensive Care Travel Nurses Earn the Highest Wage
According to ZipRecruiter, here are the top six highest-paying travel nursing specialties:
- NICU — $93,000-$154,500 per year
- PACU — $110,500-$147,500 per year
- Oncology — $105,500-$144,000 per year
- ICU — $104,000-$143,000 per year
- General nurse — $97,500-$140,500 per year
- Homecare — $70,000-$105,500 per year
#3: Two Hot Spots Nurses Can Earn the Most Money Are Hawaii and California
Currently, the states where travel nurses have the highest earning potential are Hawaii and California. According to Indeed, a travel nurse visiting the Aloha state makes an average salary of $113,254 a year, and travel nurses working in the Golden State can earn an average of $133,505 annually.
Curious where your journey as a travel nurse will take you? Check out Pronto for travel nurse jobs in California and Hawaii.
#4: Travel Nurses Earn the Least Money in Arkansas
According to the same source, travel nurses in Arkansas generally make the lowest salaries, at an average of around $97,000 per year.
Gender
#5: Most Travel Nurses Are Women
Women dominate the travel nursing profession. The National Nursing Workforce Survey reveals that a whopping 84.1% of traveling nurses are female while 15.9% of nurses on the road are men.
#6: More Men Are Going Into Nursing
According to Zippia, the number of men entering the nursing profession is on the rise. In 2008, a mere 7% of all registered nurses were male.
By the year 2021, just over 13% of registered nurses were men.
#7: Slightly More Men Are Choosing Travel Nursing Over Staff Nursing
In the U.S., 10% of all travel nurses are male, according to data from Becker’s Healthcare review. This compares to just 13% of male registered nurses working as staff nurses.
Age
#8: The Average Age of Travel Nurses Is 40+ Years
According to Zippia, 59% of all travel nurses are over the age of 40. The representation from other age groups is considerably lower, with 28% between 30–40 years old and 14% under 30.
Ethnicity
#9: Most Travel Nurses Are White
While travel nurses are a diverse racial group, according to the National Nursing Workforce Survey, the majority (73%) of the nurses currently on the road are white.
11.8% of travel nurses reported being African American/Black, 7.9% reported being Asian, and 7.9% were Hispanic.
#10: The Number of Minority Travel Nurses Is Increasing
While the majority of travel nurses are primarily white, more minority healthcare workers are entering the field. For example, according to Zippia, in 2010, there were approximately 6.1% Hispanic travel nurses. That number has now risen to over 7.93%.
#11: Over Half of All Travel Nurses Speak Spanish
Travel nurses are a diverse ethnic community, and Zippia reveals that travelers speak a range of different foreign languages.
Spanish speakers rank first, with 65.9% of all travel nurses speaking the language. Spanish is followed by French (4.9%), Swedish (3.3%), and Chinese (3.3%).
Family Status
#12: Most Travel Nurses Are Single
Statistics from the National Nursing Workforce Survey show that the lifestyle of a travel nurse seems to be most popular among nurses who haven’t tied the knot.
Single nurses make up 70% of nurses on the road, compared to 30% who are married.
Contrast these numbers to staff registered nurses who have permanent nursing contracts — 29% of these nurses are single, while 71% are married.
Education
#13: Most Travel Nurses Hold a Bachelor’s Degree
The field of travel nursing doesn’t necessarily require years of endless study. Often, travel nurses can hit the road with short-term contracts and a minimum of education based on their nursing experience.
According to Zippia:
- 47% of all traveling nurses hold a bachelor’s degree
- 38% have obtained an associate’s degree
- 7% have achieved their master’s; and
- 5% have a diploma
#14: Travel Nurses With Advanced Degrees Earn More
As you might expect, traveling nurses with a doctorate generally make the highest income and average roughly $92,800 a year according to Zippia.
A traveling nurse with a master’s degree generally will take home $99,122 a year, while nurses with a bachelor’s degree typically earn around $86,312 yearly. So, while obtaining a higher degree brings additional pay, the increase can often be fairly minimal.
Industry
#15: Private Companies Employ Most Travel Nurses
The National Nursing Workforce Survey reveals that most on-the-road nurses are employed by private companies and agencies. And of those nurses:
- 56% work for companies that employ from 1,000 to 10,000 workers
- 16% are hired by companies with over 10,000 employees
- 15% are employed by companies with 500 to 1,000 employees
- 76% work for private companies
- 11% are hired by public companies
- 10% work as educators
#16: Most Travel Nurses Work in the Healthcare Industry
Zippia reports that 76% of all traveling nurses are hired by the healthcare sector.
About 8% of travel nurses work in the professional industry, 3% work for the education sector, and 2% are employed by either Fortune 500 companies or nonprofits.
#17: The Demand for Travel Nurses Is Not Going Away Any Time Soon
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing industry is expected to grow 9% from 2023 to 2033, meaning that 194,500 nursing jobs will need to be filled with new nurses per year.
#18: There Is a Growing Demand for Behavioral Nurses
In 2023, the estimated percentage of adults in the United States with any type of mental illness was 21%, and experts believe this number will increase in the coming years. Currently, 15% of all American adults have some sort of substance abuse disorder, another figure that is expected to increase in the near future.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by 2025, the country will be 250,000 professionals short of what we will need to keep facilities well-staffed.
Contract Duration
#19: Travel Nurses Prefer To Be on the Go
Most travel nurses work 13-week contracts and are free to move from one role to another with each new contract.
Zippia found that 54% of travel nurses stay in the same position for less than a year, with 25% remaining in the same role for between 1–2 years. Long-term data shows that only 3% of travel nurses remain in one position for over 11 years.
Miscellaneous
#20: You Can Become a Travel Nurse With Just One Year of Experience
In general, a registered nurse can join the ranks of travel nurses after only 12 to 18 months of specialized hospital-based experience. This, of course, can vary depending on the requirements of your chosen hiring agency or company.
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, we prefer our travel nurses to have two to three years of experience.
#21: Travel Nurses Get Paid More During a Crisis
On average, the current weekly pay for a travel nurse averages around $2,089. But in times of crisis, that amount can skyrocket.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some travel nurses were making up to $5,000 per week.
#22: Travel Nurses Don’t Have To Travel Alone
If you want to take a roommate along when you hit the road as a travel nurse, no problem!
A travel nurse is free to travel with their family or significant other, a friend, a pet, or even their best travel nurse buddy.
#23: Growing Population of Travel Nurses
There are over 1.7 million travel nurses currently working in the United States as of 2024.
#24: Travel Nurses Gain Experience at Top Facilities
Many traveling nurses get to experience working at top medical facilities with the most renowned doctors, specialists, and state-of-the-art equipment.
Their varied assignments and experiences look great on a resume and can go a long way in advancing their careers.
#25: Travel Nurses Get Free Job Placement Services
If searching for nursing jobs is not on your list of favorite things to do, you’ll be glad to find out that travel nursing agencies actually do the work for you. And their services are totally free of charge. It’s all just a part of signing on with the agency.
Your travel nurse recruiter will take a look at your personal and professional goals and match you with the best travel nursing assignments across the country.
Paired with Pronto, Trusted Nurse Staffing makes it easy for travel nurses to scroll through potential jobs until they find their ideal placement.
Trusted Nurse Staffing: Helping Travel Nurses Find Top Assignments
Is it time for you to join the travel nursing community?
Trusted Nurse Staffing is here to get you started — and to support you throughout your travel nursing journey.
We’re the premier provider of travel nursing positions across the U.S. and have positions for nurses, allied health professionals, and therapists in top facilities.
Why choose Trusted Nurse Staffing?
We offer the top professional advantages in the travel nursing industry, such as:
- Sign-on bonuses
- Stipends for travel, housing, and meals
- High rates of pay
- Flexible contracts
- Full or part-time work
- Referral and completion bonuses
- Dental, health, and vision benefits
- 24/7 access to your recruiter
- Student loan reimbursements up to $5,250 per year
- And more
Buffalo Business First named us the “Best Place to Work” for three years running. You can count on our reputation to guide and support you through every assignment to ensure that you’re confident, comfortable, and fully compliant.
Search Pronto to create your profile and find available jobs now.