Travel nurses in South Dakota earn an average of 287 percent what non-traveling RNs in the state earn, the highest gap of any state.
The average hourly pay for registered nurses in the U.S. is $39.78, or $1,591 weekly, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey. The average weekly travel nurse pay in November was $3,204, according to a report from national healthcare hiring marketplace Vivian Health.
Hawaii can claim the smallest gap between travel nurse and RN pay: travel nurses earn a meager 151 percent of what RNs in the state earn.
Every state, ranked by its gap between travel nurse and RN pay:
|
State |
Travel nurse avg. weekly pay |
RN avg. 40 hr week pay |
Difference |
Travel nurse pay as percent of RN pay | RN pay as percent of travel nurse pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. South Dakota |
$3,343 |
$1,164 |
$2,179 |
287% |
35% |
|
2. West Virginia |
$3,330 |
$1,301 |
$2,029 |
256% |
39% |
|
3. Iowa |
$3,169 |
$1,250 |
$1,919 |
254% |
39% |
|
4. Indiana |
$3,203 |
$1,325 |
$1,878 |
242% |
41% |
|
5. Vermont |
$3,451 |
$1,445 |
$2,006 |
239% |
42% |
|
6. Maine |
$3,374 |
$1,416 |
$1,958 |
238% |
42% |
|
7. Wyoming |
$3,321 |
$1,406 |
$1,915 |
236% |
42% |
|
8. Nebraska |
$3,150 |
$1,343 |
$1,807 |
235% |
43% |
|
9. Pennsylvania |
$3,424 |
$1,462 |
$1,962 |
234% |
43% |
|
10. Arkansas |
$2,958 |
$1,266 |
$1,692 |
234% |
43% |
|
11. North Dakota |
$3,181 |
$1,369 |
$1,812 |
232% |
43% |
|
12. Kentucky |
$2,975 |
$1,294 |
$1,681 |
230% |
43% |
|
13. Missouri |
$2,963 |
$1,304 |
$1,659 |
227% |
44% |
|
14. New Jersey |
$3,894 |
$1,725 |
$2,169 |
226% |
44% |
|
15. Ohio |
$3,086 |
$1,378 |
$1,708 |
224% |
45% |
|
16. New Hampshire |
$3,304 |
$1,505 |
$1,799 |
220% |
46% |
|
17. North Carolina |
$2,978 |
$1,369 |
$1,609 |
217% |
46% |
|
18. Wisconsin |
$3,184 |
$1,478 |
$1,706 |
215% |
46% |
|
19. Illinois |
$3,237 |
$1,505 |
$1,732 |
215% |
46% |
|
20. Alabama |
$2,558 |
$1,191 |
$1,367 |
215% |
47% |
|
21. Idaho |
$3,038 |
$1,416 |
$1,622 |
214% |
47% |
|
22. Mississippi |
$2,603 |
$1,214 |
$1,389 |
214% |
47% |
|
23. Minnesota |
$3,458 |
$1,616 |
$1,842 |
214% |
47% |
|
24. Michigan |
$3,123 |
$1,460 |
$1,663 |
214% |
47% |
|
25. Tennessee |
$2,733 |
$1,282 |
$1,451 |
213% |
47% |
|
26. Virginia |
$3,080 |
$1,475 |
$1,605 |
209% |
48% |
|
27. New Mexico |
$3,115 |
$1,492 |
$1,623 |
209% |
48% |
|
28. Kansas |
$2,668 |
$1,280 |
$1,388 |
208% |
48% |
|
29. Louisiana |
$2,801 |
$1,354 |
$1,447 |
207% |
48% |
|
30. Maryland |
$3,266 |
$1,590 |
$1,676 |
205% |
49% |
|
31. Delaware |
$3,054 |
$1,496 |
$1,558 |
204% |
49% |
|
32. South Carolina |
$2,728 |
$1,338 |
$1,390 |
204% |
49% |
|
33. Montana |
$2,868 |
$1,416 |
$1,452 |
203% |
49% |
|
34. Arizona |
$3,154 |
$1,569 |
$1,585 |
201% |
50% |
|
35. Utah |
$2,797 |
$1,400 |
$1,397 |
200% |
50% |
|
36. Oklahoma |
$2,612 |
$1,311 |
$1,301 |
199% |
50% |
|
37. Colorado |
$3,027 |
$1,551 |
$1,476 |
195% |
51% |
|
38. Georgia |
$2,815 |
$1,450 |
$1,365 |
194% |
51% |
|
39. Rhode Island |
$3,148 |
$1,640 |
$1,508 |
192% |
52% |
|
40. Connecticut |
$3,267 |
$1,702 |
$1,565 |
192% |
52% |
|
41. New York |
$3,406 |
$1,794 |
$1,612 |
190% |
53% |
|
42. Massachusetts |
$3,505 |
$1,858 |
$1,647 |
189% |
53% |
|
43. Florida |
$2,600 |
$1,385 |
$1,215 |
188% |
53% |
|
44. Nevada |
$3,199 |
$1,708 |
$1,491 |
187% |
53% |
|
45. Texas |
$2,750 |
$1,522 |
$1,228 |
181% |
55% |
|
46. Oregon |
$3,424 |
$1,897 |
$1,527 |
181% |
55% |
|
47. Washington |
$3,293 |
$1,834 |
$1,459 |
180% |
56% |
|
48. Alaska |
$3,310 |
$1,870 |
$1,440 |
177% |
56% |
|
49. California |
$4,060 |
$2,385 |
$1,675 |
170% |
59% |
|
50. Hawaii |
$3,102 |
$2,049 |
$1,053 |
151% |
66% |