Travel nursing is a rewarding career.  The job generally has a high salary, as the positions travel nurses fill are high demand and often specialized.  In addition to their travel nursing salary, employees receive benefits like housing stipends, insurance, and more.  Here are three of the highest paying travel nursing jobs in the United States today.

  1. Stanford, California

According to the online job board Zip Recruiter, the highest paying travel nursing jobs currently are at Stanford.  This is the area where Stanford University is. Travel nurses in this California city make $53.24 per hour, which is $110,735 per year.  This is well above the median income of Stanford, which is $60,357. This comparison may be slightly dramatized, as it is a college town with a median age of 22, but this travel nursing salary is without a doubt the best available in 2019.

Stanford is a great place for a travel nursing assignment if you are looking for some California weather.  The temperature at Stanford is moderate all year long. The city is only about an hour’s drive south of San Francisco, making the Bay Area a perfect place to explore on your days off.

  1. New York, New York

People in all types of business talk about going to New York City to make it big and travel nursing is no different.  Travel nurses in the Big Apple make around $49.29 per hour, which adds up to an annual salary of $102,523. While the cost of living in the city is high, this pay is more than enough to cover it. 

New York is a popular travel nursing destination because of its pay, demand, and hospitals.  It is also a popular travel destination in general. Take advantage of your placement in NYC by doing all the tourist things – seeing the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, going to a Broadway show, visiting Times Square, and more.  You will never be bored on your days off in the city that never sleeps.

  1. Seattle, Washington

The city with the third-highest paying travel nursing jobs is Seattle.  Travel nurses make $48.90 per hour or $101,718 per year. While not as extreme as New York City, the cost of living in Seattle is fairly high.  Again, this travel nursing salary along with the benefits of the job more than makes up for it.

Seattle is sort of up and coming with large tech industries like Microsoft and Amazon housing their headquarters there.  There are also many tourist attractions like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Seattle is unique because although it is a city, it is surrounded by water and forests.  All of these places would be fun to explore when you don’t have to work.

Landing the Highest Paying Travel Nursing Jobs

So how do you get placed in one of these cities?  The best way to get a great travel nursing assignment is to gain a lot of experience.  The more time you have spent nursing, specifically travel nursing, the more likely you will qualify for a role.  You can also talk with your recruiter at your travel nursing agency about bonus assignments and other high paying positions that you can apply for.

Looking for a travel nursing assignment?

Ready to start travel nursing, but not sure how?  New Directions Staffing can help.  The job agency has years of experience connecting nurses to the best placements for their individual needs.  New Directions is committed to forming long-term relationships with its clients, so you can rely on them to help you find your next assignment no matter how many times you move.