How much do travel nurses make in 2026?

Travel nurse weekly pay in 2026 ranges from roughly $2,200 to $3,200 per week for a 36-hour contract, depending on metro, specialty, and shift. High-cost markets like San Francisco and New York top the range; mid-tier metros like Denver settle around $2,500. Pay packages blend a taxable hourly base with tax-free housing and meals stipends.

What is the average travel nurse pay package?

A typical 2026 package is about $2,500–$2,800 weekly gross for a 36-hour contract. Roughly 45–47% is taxable base (around $33–$40/hr) and 53–55% is tax-free stipend for housing and meals, assuming the nurse maintains a valid tax home.

What is a tax home for travel nurses?

A tax home is a permanent residence where you pay duplicate living expenses and return at least once every 12 months. IRS rules require a tax home for your housing and meals stipends to remain tax-free. Without one, those stipends become taxable income — a meaningful hit, typically $20,000+ per year.

How long is a typical travel nursing contract?

Travel nursing contracts are typically 13 weeks long. Shorter contracts of 4–8 weeks exist for urgent needs, and extensions of 8–26 weeks are common if you and the facility are both happy. 13 weeks is the industry standard because it aligns with hospital budget cycles.

Do travel nurses need a multistate license?

Not strictly required, but strongly recommended. An NLC multistate license lets you start assignments in any of the 39 compact states without separate endorsement paperwork — usually saving 4–8 weeks of waiting. For California, New York, Hawaii, and other non-compact states, you still need a state-specific license.

Travel Nursing Guide: Pay Packages, Tax Home, Contracts

Travel nursing 2026 guide: BLS-verified weekly pay by metro, pay package math (taxable + housing + meals stipend), tax home rules, contract checklist, and