How Much Does a Travel Nurse Make Per Week? (2025 Breakdown)
How Much Does a Travel Nurse Make Per Week in 2025?
The short answer: $2,200–$3,800 per week gross, depending on your specialty, location, and agency.
But that single number hides a lot. Travel nurse compensation is split between taxable wages and tax-free stipends — and understanding the difference can mean thousands of dollars a year.
The Two Parts of a Travel Nurse Pay Package
1. Taxable Hourly Wage This is what appears on your W-2 and what unemployment and Social Security are calculated from. Travel nurses often have a lower taxable hourly rate than staff nurses — intentionally — so the agency can offset it with...
2. Tax-Free Stipends
- Housing stipend: $800–$2,500/month
- Meals & incidentals (M&IE): $35–$59/day (per IRS GSA rates)
- Completion bonuses: $500–$3,000 for full contract completion
These stipends are completely tax-free if you maintain a verified tax home.
Weekly Pay by Specialty (2025)
| Specialty | Weekly Gross Range | |---|---| | ICU / Critical Care | $2,800–$3,800 | | Emergency Room | $2,600–$3,500 | | Operating Room | $2,500–$3,200 | | Labor & Delivery | $2,400–$3,000 | | NICU | $2,600–$3,400 | | Med-Surg | $2,000–$2,600 | | PACU | $2,400–$3,000 | | Telemetry | $2,200–$2,800 |
Top-Paying States for Travel Nurses
- California — Highest base wages due to mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios
- Washington — Strong union influence and high cost of living adjustments
- New York / New Jersey — Metro premium for NYC-area hospitals
- Massachusetts — Boston academic medical centers pay top packages
- Hawaii — Remote premium, but cost of living offsets gains
How to Maximize Your Weekly Pay
- Keep your tax home — losing it means losing stipends = 20–30% less take-home
- Negotiate the bill rate — ask your recruiter for the bill rate; aim for 55–60% of it
- Work overtime — OT in California pays time-and-a-half on your blended rate, not just base
- Stack certifications — CCRN, CEN, CNOR often unlock higher-tier packages
- Compare 2–3 agencies — packages vary widely for identical jobs
Ready to Find Your Next Assignment?
Browse open travel nursing jobs on Clinivo — filter by specialty, state, and salary range to find your next high-paying contract.
Clinivo Editorial Team
Healthcare career contributor at Clinivo.
