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Working as a travel nurse comes with great perks, including the freedom and flexibility to work anywhere across America as you explore a healthcare career. With great freedom, however, comes great responsibility. In this case, it’s a life-changing decision that impacts where you work, where you live and how comfortably you do so.
To empower travel nurses’ decisions across the country, we’ve created a Travel Nurse Location Index, awarding each state a score out of 100 based on its performance across four key categories.
To reach this score, we analyzed all 50 states based on a range of criteria, including:
- The average travel nurse salary per week as of February 20, 2023
- The number of available travel nurse jobs on Vivian per 100k people as of February 20, 2023
- The number of hospitals per 100k people per the American Hospital Association
- Cost of living estimates from Sperling’s Best Places compared to the US average
Factoring in performance across these four categories, the Travel Nurse Location Index helps pinpoint the best states for travel nursing in the U.S.
The Top States to Work As a Travel Nurse
Working as a travel nurse, America is your oyster. That’s why we’ve factored in all the important aspects to provide the pearl-like states that are the ideal choice for your next job, depending on your personal priorities.
Combining all ranking factors, here’s how our scoring system ranked the 50 states for travel nurses.
© Vivian Health 2023
The index revealed that overall, the Dakotas are the best states to work as a travel nurse, scoring high marks across the board for salary, cost of living and travel nurse job opportunities statewide. Taking the top spot, South Dakota scored a full 100, followed closely by North Dakota, with a score of 96.62.
Scoring lowest in the index, California ranked as the worst state for travel nurses to work. While it scored high for salary, the state scored low for jobs available per capita and the number of hospitals available for work. The state also ranked last for its cost of living compared to the national average, bringing its overall average down and placing it at the bottom of the list.
© Vivian Health 2023
The Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses
Despite all the reasons you may have become a travel nurse, money is inevitably an important factor. If you want to go where the money is, don’t worry; we’re here to help.
In support of salary transparency, we analyzed travel nurse salary data from Vivian within our index. When comparing average weekly salaries from January 2023 to those from the same month last year (Jan 2022), we see that salaries are down 16% overall this year. The only state with a positive salary change is Hawaii, where wages increased by 2%. The state with the biggest decrease is Georgia, where January salaries dropped by 27% compared to figures from the same month last year.
Our index ranked the states below as the best for travel nurses based on average weekly salaries.
Source: Vivian salary data. © Vivian Health 2023
Despite coming last in the overall index ranking, California has the highest salaries for travel nurses, paying an average of $3,070 per week. An important factor for most during the current economic situation, it’s no wonder California has proven a popular state for healthcare professionals overall.
If you want to know more about the Golden State, our California Location Guide can help you navigate its sunny cities to find one that suits you.
Other top-paying states include New Jersey ($3,011) and North Dakota ($3,002).
The Lowest Salary States for Travel Nurses
Our index revealed Florida has the lowest salaries for travel RNs, paying (on average) $2,220 per week for these positions. Oklahoma ($2,303) and Texas ($2,323) follow closely behind.
If money is the biggest priority for you when it comes to your next job, you may want to be wary of the following states that ranked lowest in pay. However, many states with lesser pay may have lower costs of living or don’t collect state income tax, which helps offset smaller paychecks.
Source: Vivian salary data. © Vivian Health 2023
The Best Cost of Living States for Travel Nurses
When relocating as a travel nurse, you not only have to think about the money coming in but also expenses. With a nomadic lifestyle, you must consider the money spent on rent, utilities and travel to have a comfortable living situation outside the workplace.
With this in mind, Arkansas, where the cost of living is 22.5% lower than the national average, is the best state for travel nurses looking to hold on to more of their paychecks. Mississippi (21.3% lower) and West Virginia (20.6% lower) come in second and third, based on data from Sperling’s Best Places.
In comparison, Hawaii has the highest cost of living at 65.7% higher than the national average. California (49.9% higher) and Massachusetts (27.5% higher) have the next-highest living costs.
States with the Lowest Cost of Living |
|
| State | Cost of Living as % of US Average |
| Arkansas | -22.5% |
| Mississippi | -21.3% |
| West Virginia | -20.6% |
| Iowa | -19.9% |
| Oklahoma | -17.8% |
| Kentucky | -17.7% |
| Ohio | -17.3% |
| Kansas | -16.9% |
| Indiana | -16.3% |
| Alabama | -15.9% |
Within our research, we also looked at data from Numbeo. This user-generated platform asks real-life residents about their actual costs of living. For the purposes of this analysis, we collected information on each state’s most populated city since state-wide averages weren’t available.
Our research found that Mississippi has the cheapest rent. The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is $763.33, making it one of best states for nurses to afford. Arkansas ($977.60) and West Virginia ($1,000) were second and third for cheapest rent.
Unsurprisingly, New York has the highest average rent. A one-bedroom apartment in the Big Apple could set you back $3,974.40 per month. Massachusetts ($2,745.71) and California ($2,643) were the next highest.
If you’re looking for the states where you might find the cheapest rentals, the states below are your best bet.
States with the Lowest Average Rent |
|
| State | Avg. Cost of Rent* |
| Mississippi | $763.33 |
| Arkansas | $977.60 |
| West Virginia | $1,000.00 |
| Iowa | $1,006.33 |
| Montana | $1,050.00 |
| South Dakota | $1,095.00 |
| Wyoming | $1,100.00 |
| Kansas | $1,106.25 |
| North Dakota | $1,112.50 |
| Nebraska | $1,120.00 |
* One-bedroom apartment in the city center
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But day-to-day living requires more than just rent. That’s why we also looked into data covering the average cost of utilities such as electricity, heating, cooling, water and garbage so you can consider your monthly bills in your relocation strategy, too.
The data suggested that Virginia has the cheapest basic utilities at an average cost of $98.96 per month, followed by Montana ($109.43) and Delaware ($131.53). People in Oklahoma pay the most for utilities at an average cost of $287.59 per month, followed by Hawaii ($280.07) and Connecticut ($279.31).
States with the Lowest Basic Utilities |
|
| State | Cost of Basic Utilities* |
| Virginia | $98.96 |
| Montana | $109.43 |
| Delaware | $131.53 |
| Utah | $132.93 |
| Maryland | $142.83 |
| Minnesota | $143.19 |
| Florida | $147.65 |
| New Mexico | $152.14 |
| California | $152.60 |
| North Dakota | $153.70 |
* Monthly average for electricity, heating, cooling, water and garbage
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Finally, we considered the cost of the daily commute when it came to day-to-day outings. Traveling on local transportation is the most expensive in New Jersey, where a one-way ticket on the cheapest form of transport, be that bus or rail, will cost you $4.03. Tennessee was the next highest at $3.08. By contrast, a one-way ticket in New Mexico costs $1, the cheapest in our dataset, followed by Nebraska and Texas at $1.25.
The States with the Most Travel Nurse Positions
If you’re a travel nurse because you love the job variety and the range of opportunities available to you, it’s worth considering the states with more positions and more hospitals that may require travel nurses.
At the time of writing, New Hampshire had the most travel nurse positions on Vivian per capita, at 81.56 jobs per 100k of the population, followed by Alaska (76.47) and Vermont (57.49). By contrast, Utah had the fewest jobs available, with just 2.93 travel nurse positions available per 100k of the population, followed by Mississippi (6.09) and New Jersey (6.59).
Based on data from the American Hospital Association, South Dakota has the most hospitals per capita, at 6.26 hospitals per 100k of the population, followed by North Dakota (5.26) and Montana (4.99). Delaware has the fewest hospitals per capita, with less than one (0.69) hospital per 100k of the population.
Making Informed Decisions as a Travel Nurse
While your nomad lifestyle as a travel nurse can be exciting, it doesn’t have to be sporadic. Utilizing our index, you should be able to pin your next work location on the map in a strategic way by considering your key lifestyle priorities and making a decision that’s right for you and your family.
For further state-specific breakdowns, head to our travel guides which offer more information on locations across the country. If you need further assistance in finding your next travel nurse position, Vivian Health can help. Getting started is quick and easy with a Vivian Reusable Profile, which gives you access to 1,000s of travel jobs from 100s of agencies with a single application.
© Vivian Health 2023
Do you have case managers assignments?
Hello Paula and thanks for reaching out! You’ll find some travel RN case manager jobs and case management jobs when you browse jobs. You can also set up job alerts to get notified when new jobs get posted matching your criteria. We publish new jobs hourly. If you need help navigating the platform or setting up your alerts, please don’t hesitate to reach out by clicking on “Contact Vivian” under the “Resources” tab. We’re always happy to help!
Do you accept LPN’s.
Hello Lolly and thanks for reaching out! Currently, Vivian has over 600 staff LPN jobs on our site, which you can explore here https://www.vivian.com/lpn-lvn/ and almost 3,400 travel LPN jobs here https://www.vivian.com/lpn-lvn/travel/. We also have around 100 per diem LPN jobs here https://www.vivian.com/lpn-lvn/per-diem/ and about the same amount of local contract LPN jobs here https://www.vivian.com/lpn-lvn/local-contract/. If you complete a Vivian Reusable Profile, you can apply for multiple jobs using the same profile, even if the jobs are with different healthcare facilities or staffing agencies. Once you’ve created your profile, you can also sign up for alerts to receive a message when a job matches what you’re looking for, such as being in a particular area. If you have any questions about our website, please don’t hesitate to go to the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to speak with our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope we can help!
I live in FL and looking a Rn travel assignment after my contract ends 5/15/24.
Hi Glenda and thanks for reaching out! If you’re currently working with a recruiter, you should contact them at least 6 weeks before your contract ends to let them know you’re ready to start planning your next move. If you don’t currently have a recruiter, compare the staffing agencies Vivian works with and read reviews here https://www.vivian.com/agencies/. If you’re interested in browsing what’s currently available in Florida, visit our travel nursing jobs in Florida page here https://www.vivian.com/nursing/travel/florida/ or browse all jobs here https://www.vivian.com/browse-jobs/landing. You can also create a free profile here https://www.vivian.com/register/ if you don’t already have one, and sign up for alerts to receive a message when a job that matches what you’re looking for posts on our site. If you have any questions about our website, please don’t hesitate to go to the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to speak with our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope we can help!
I’m interesting to Orlando or close to Orlando travel. I’m living in Miami and I want to moved permanently to Orlando.
Hello Yanira and thanks for reaching out! Currently, Vivian has around 170 travel nursing jobs in or around Orlando, which you can explore here https://www.vivian.com/nursing/travel/orlando-fl/ and we have over 970 staff nursing jobs in or around Orlando here https://www.vivian.com/nursing/orlando-fl/. You can also create a free profile here https://www.vivian.com/register/ and sign up for alerts to receive a message when a job that matches what you want posts on our site. If you have any questions about our website, please don’t hesitate to go to the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to speak with our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope we can help!
Buenas tardes .Soy Lic.en enfermeria.Cubano Aun estoy en proceso con mis Documentos .quisiera Saber si puedo aplicar .
Hello Ezequiel and thanks for reaching out! To work as a nurse in the U.S. when educated in another country, you must complete several steps to follow U.S. immigration laws and meet basic educational and professional requirements. You must obtain a Registered Nurse Immigrant Visa or H-1B visa, pass an English proficiency exam, have your academic and professional credentials evaluated and pass a licensure exam to be registered as a nurse by the state board where you will practice. You can find more information about the process here https://www.cgfns.org/steps-to-working-as-nurse-in-united-states/. We wish you the best of luck and hope we can help!
CNA jobs in Alabama
Hello Andrea and thanks for reaching out! We currently have over 100 staff CNA jobs here https://www.vivian.com/cna/ and more than 250 travel CNA jobs here https://www.vivian.com/cna/travel/. Unfortunately, none of them are currently located in Alabama but there are several in Florida. However, you can create a free profile (https://www.vivian.com/register/) and sign up for alerts to receive a message when a job that matches your preferences posts on the site. If you have any questions about our website, please don’t hesitate to go to the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to speak with our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope we can help!
Looking for travel work for a social worker
Hi Brittani and thanks for reaching out! We currently have nearly 200 travel jobs for social workers, which you can explore here https://www.vivian.com/social-work/travel/. You can also create a free profile (https://www.vivian.com/register/) and sign up for alerts to receive a message when a job that matches your preferences posts on the site. If you have any questions about our website, please don’t hesitate to go to the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to speak with our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope we can help!