What is a traveling nurse?
A traveling nurse is a registered nurse who takes temporary contract assignments, commonly around 13 weeks, at hospitals and clinics that need extra staff. Assignments are arranged through a staffing agency.
Requirements
Agencies typically want an active RN license and one to two years of experience in a specialty, since travelers begin working with little orientation. New graduates usually do not qualify.
Licensing
You need a license valid in the state where you work. States in the Nurse Licensure Compact accept a multistate license, so a nurse licensed in a compact state can work in the others without a new license. Other states require their own, and processing can take weeks. Check each state on our state guides.
Pay and trade-offs
Agencies advertise high weekly pay, and the package may include housing and travel stipends. Pay depends on the specialty, region and demand, and it fluctuates. The federal data does not track travel nurses separately: the median RN earned $97,550 in May 2025. Trade-offs include moving often, new teams and a gap in benefits between contracts.
Pay and projections: Bureau of Labor Statistics. NCLEX figures: NCSBN. Enrollment: AACN. Sources and years are ondata sources.