How much does a Travel RN make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Travel RN in the United States is $88,977 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

However, a Travel RN's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,793
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,279 to $99,349
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,270

Key Factors That Influence Travel RN Salaries

A Travel RN's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Travel RN Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Travel RN's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $85,713
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $85,940
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $88,977
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $93,248
  • Expert (over 8 years): $93,553
Levels Salary
Entry Level Travel RN$85,713
Intermediate Level Travel RN$85,940
Senior Level Travel RN$88,977
Specialist Level Travel RN$93,248
Expert Level Travel RN$93,553

Top Paying Cities for Travel RNs

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $112,226
  • San Francisco: $110,997
  • Oakland: $108,658

What Skills Can Increase a Travel RN's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 5.85% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Nursing Practice (Mentioned in 2.7% Job Postings): Nursing practice may be work experience that is direct and/or indirect patient care in clinical practice, nursing administration, education, research, or consultation in the specialty represented by the credential.
  • Life Support (Mentioned in 2.17% Job Postings): Life support refers to the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic and advanced life support procedures; however, basic life support is sometimes provided at the scene of an emergency by family members or bystanders before emergency services arrive. In the case of cardiac injuries, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initiated by bystanders or family members 25% of the time. Basic life support techniques, such as performing CPR on a victim of cardiac arrest, can double or even triple that patient's chance of survival. Other types of basic life support include relief from choking (which can be done by using the Heimlich maneuver), staunching of bleeding by direct compression and elevation above the heart (and if necessary, pressure on arterial pressure points and the use of a manufactured or improvised tourniquet), first aid, and the use of an automated external defibrillator.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 5.85%
Nursing Practice 2.7%
Life Support 2.17%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Travel RN's salary.

  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Staff Development $96,984
9%
Risk Management $94,315
6%
Telecommunications $93,425
5%

Travel RN Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Travel RN roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Travel RN positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Travel RN as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Travel RN

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$106,772$51.020%

How Education impacts a Travel RN's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Travel RNs enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Travel RN with a Associate's Degree is between $83,595 and $88,593).

Travel RN Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Travel RN
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 1.1%
Associates 40.1%
Bachelors 53.0%
Masters 5.2%
Doctorate 0.4%

Travel RN Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Travel RN's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$81,279
Average $88,977/year
$99,349
$6,773
Average $7,415/month
$8,279
$1,563
Average $1,711/week
$1,911
$39
Average $43/hour
$48
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $99,349 $8,279 $1,911 $48
Average $88,977 $7,415 $1,711 $43
25th Percentile $81,279 $6,773 $1,563 $39

Most common benefits for Travel RN

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Travel RN

Here are companies hiring for Travel RN and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Travel RN Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Travel RN job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Travel RN

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Travel RN?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Travel RN roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst