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Best & Worst States for Travel Nurse Pay in 2025

July 30, 2025
by Voyage Healthcare

Thinking about where to take your next travel nursing assignment? Understanding where pay rates are highest — and lowest — can make a huge difference in your take-home earnings. This guide breaks down 2025 travel nurse salary trends by state and specialty, giving you the insight you need to make confident career moves.

💸 Where Travel Nurses Earn the Most

As expected, California continues to top the charts. In fact, travel nurses in cities like San Francisco are earning up to $3,600 per week, especially in high-demand specialties such as Interventional Radiology.

Meanwhile, states like New York, Texas, and Illinois also offer strong weekly pay rates — often ranging between $2,700 and $3,300 — depending on specialty and location.

On the other hand, travel nurses in states such as Mississippi, South Dakota, and Nebraska are seeing lower averages, often under $2,200 per week.

💸 Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses

According to aggregated job listings and compensation data from Vivian Health, ZipRecruiter, and Nurse.org, California remains the top-paying state for travel nurses in 2025, with weekly rates averaging over $3,300.

Here’s how states stack up:

📊 Average Weekly Pay by State (2025)

State Average Pay (Weekly) Highest Paying Specialty Lowest Paying Specialty
California $3,300 RN ICU, IR Tech Med-Surg
New York $3,100 CVICU, IR Tech Psych
Illinois $2,800 L&D, CVOR Rehab
Texas $2,700 L&D, OR, Cath Lab Tech Telemetry
North Carolina $2,500 MedSurg/Tele, Stepdown Rehab
Arizona $2,200 ER, Mother Baby Rehab
South Dakota $2,100 Med-Surg Psych
Mississippi $2,000 Med-Surg Home Health

🧠 Source Insight: Data reflects 2025 trends compiled from Voyage Health, Indeed.com Nurse.org, and ZipRecruiter.

🩺 Specialties That Pay the Most — and Least

Not only does location impact your earnings — so does your specialty. In nearly every state, ICU, CVICU, and OR nurses earn significantly more than those in general medical or home health roles.

For example, Interventional Radiology Techs in San Francisco and Portland are making well above $3,500 per week. Conversely, nurses in Psych, Rehab, and Home Health roles typically earn less, even in high-paying states.

🔼 Top-Paying Travel Nurse Specialties:

  • ICU (Intensive Care Unit)

  • IR TECH (Interventional Radiology)

  • CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU)

  • OR (Operating Room)

  • L&D (Labor & Delivery)

🔽 Lower-Paying Specialties:

  • Rehab

  • Home Health

  • Psych

📊 Pro Tip: Want a pay bump? Consider cross-training into critical care, surgical, or high-acuity specialties.

 💰Highest Paying Jobs at Voyage

Looking for high-paying travel healthcare assignments? Here are some of the top opportunities available right now, with weekly pay rates exceeding $3,600! Interventional Radiology Tech roles are leading the pack in states like California, Maine, and Wisconsin, while RN First Assistants and L&D nurses are in high demand from Massachusetts to New Mexico. Notable rates include $3,601/week in San Francisco and $3,582/week for a Pathology Assistant in North Carolina. Whether you’re in Allied Health or Acute RN specialties, there are premium-paying contracts across the U.S. — including night shifts in Utica, NY and flex ER assignments in Arizona. Don’t miss out!

View more jobs

🌎 Pay Isn’t Everything — But It’s a Lot

While California and New York offer top pay, nurses in Texas, Illinois, and Florida benefit from a lower cost of living. Pairing a high-paying specialty with a tax-friendly or compact state can dramatically improve your take-home income.

🔍 What to consider before taking a contract:

  • Cost of living

  • State licensing requirements

  • Per diem and housing stipends

  • Shift differentials and overtime

  • Tax-free reimbursements

📞 Want a High-Paying Travel Nurse Job?

At Voyage Healthcare, our recruiters specialize in helping nurses like you find top-paying contracts that align with your lifestyle, specialty, and location preferences. From ICU to Med-Surg, we’ve placed thousands of nurses nationwide.

👉 Call us today (800-798-6035) and let’s find your next travel adventure — and paycheck.

🔗 Sources:

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