Top 10 Best Cities For Travel Nursing

Choosing where to take your next travel nursing assignment involves more than picking a city you’ve always wanted to visit. Pay rates, cost of living, hospital demand, licensing requirements, and what your days off actually look like all feed into whether a placement works for you professionally and personally.

The US average travel nurse salary sits around $101,000 per year (~$49/hr or $2,000/week) — but that figure hides enormous variation. The same specialty at a high-demand California hospital might pay $3,000+ per week while a comparable role in a lower-demand state runs $2,200. And a $2,700 weekly package in Dallas often leaves more in your pocket than $3,200 in Manhattan once rent enters the picture.

10 Best Cities for Travel Nursing in 2025

1. Denver, Colorado

Average weekly pay	~$2,000
Cost of living	9% above national average
Top specialties	Telemetry, ICU, ER, OR, Med-Surg
NLC compact state	✅ Yes
State income tax	Yes

Denver earns its reputation on both the professional and personal sides. Growing population and respected healthcare hubs like Denver Health and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital mean critical care and telemetry nurses are consistently in demand. OR nurses are seeing a notable spike in 2025.

What makes Denver particularly attractive is that the cost of living is moderate by major city standards — just 9% above the national average. The gap between your housing stipend and your actual rent is meaningfully better than coastal alternatives.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Denver →

2. New York City, New York

Average weekly pay	~$2,700–$3,300+
Average annual salary	~$110,642
Cost of living	Very high
Top specialties	ER, ICU, Telemetry
NLC compact state	❌ No — separate NY license required

New York ranks among the top three highest-paying states for travel nurses nationally. The pay reflects both cost of living and clinical intensity — NYC’s hospital system is one of the most complex and high-volume in the world. Nurses who complete assignments here come away with a résumé entry that opens doors.

The concentration of academic medical centers means you’ll often work alongside specialists and researchers in environments that push your clinical skills. If career development matters as much as the paycheck, New York delivers on both simultaneously.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in New York →

3. Los Angeles, California

Average weekly pay	~$2,095 (up to $3,000 for specialty roles)
Cost of living	~50% above national average
Top specialties	OR, ER, Critical Care
NLC compact state	❌ No — separate CA license required
CA license processing	Several months — apply early

California consistently has the highest demand for travel nurses year-round, driven by strict nurse-to-patient staffing ratio laws that create ongoing structural need. Los Angeles sits at the center of that demand — a massive, diverse healthcare market with strong specialty opportunities.

Agency stipends are designed to be competitive precisely because the city needs to attract nurses from across the country. Hospitals in beach cities and coastal communities mean many nurses avoid freeway commuting entirely.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Los Angeles →

4. Seattle, Washington

Average weekly pay	~$2,207 (up to $2,636 for specialty)
Average annual salary	~$114,542 — highest in the US
Cost of living	~45% above national average
Top specialties	ICU, OR, Telemetry, Specialty roles
NLC compact state	❌ No — separate WA license required

Washington state is the highest-paying state for travel nurses in 2025. Seattle is where the bulk of that opportunity sits — facilities like Virginia Mason Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center offer progressive clinical environments and many offer contract extensions to high-performing nurses.

The Pacific Northwest has a clinical culture nurses describe as collaborative and well-resourced. If you want to build skills alongside experienced practitioners in a system that’s invested in its staff, Seattle consistently comes up.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Seattle →

5. San Diego, California

Average weekly pay	~$2,000–$3,000
Cost of living	High — but more affordable than LA or SF
Top specialties	Med-Surg through Critical Care and OR
NLC compact state	❌ No — separate CA license required
CA license processing	Several months — apply early

San Diego occupies a rare sweet spot: California pay rates and demand, with a more manageable cost of living and a quality of life that nurses consistently rank among the best of any assignment. Facilities like Scripps Mercy Hospital and UC San Diego Health seek travel nurses across multiple specialties.

The geography is extraordinary — beach, mountains, desert, and the Mexican border within reach. In a single weekend you can surf in the morning, hike a canyon in the afternoon, and eat some of the best tacos in North America for dinner.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in San Diego →

6. Atlanta, Georgia

Average weekly pay	Competitive
Cost of living	10–15% below national average
Top specialties	Consistent openings across specialties
NLC compact state	✅ Yes — multistate license accepted
State income tax	Yes

Atlanta is the healthcare hub of the Southeast and increasingly well-recognized as one of the best-value assignments in the country. Large hospitals like Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital rely on travel nurses to service growing patient needs.

What sets Atlanta apart is purchasing power. Your housing stipend stretches much further here — you can end a 13-week assignment with more actual savings than you’d take home from a higher-paying role in a more expensive city. As an NLC state, nurses with a multistate license can start without additional paperwork.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Atlanta →

7. Austin, Texas

Average weekly pay	~$1,927
Cost of living	~10% above national average
Top specialties	L&D, Postpartum, Telemetry, OR, CVOR
NLC compact state	✅ Yes — multistate license accepted
State income tax	❌ None

Austin is offering some of the highest pay for L&D RNs in 2025, with postpartum, telemetry, OR, and CVOR also among the most in-demand specialties. Facilities like Ascension Seton Medical Center and St. David’s Medical Center regularly look to travel nurses to meet expanding demand.

Texas has no state income tax — a meaningful increase to your effective take-home across a 13-week contract. Combined with below-coastal housing costs, Austin is one of the better pure financial choices on this list.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Austin →

8. Las Vegas, Nevada

Average weekly pay	Competitive
Cost of living	Moderate
Top specialties	High-acuity, variety across specialties
NLC compact state	✅ Yes — multistate license accepted
State income tax	❌ None

Las Vegas is a more clinically serious destination than its reputation suggests. Rapid population growth has created genuine and sustained demand for travel nurses — the Nevada hospital environment regularly handles high-acuity patients from across the region, offering real clinical variety.

Nevada’s no-state-income-tax status gives your package a quiet but meaningful boost. Beyond the Strip, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, and the Hoover Dam are all within easy reach — and Las Vegas makes a natural base for exploring Southern Utah and the broader Colorado Plateau.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Las Vegas →

9. Washington, D.C.

Average weekly pay	~$2,200
Average annual salary	~$114,282 — 2nd highest nationally
Cost of living	High — offset by strong stipends
Top specialties	Specialized and research-adjacent roles
NLC compact state	❌ No — DC requires separate license

The District of Columbia ranks second nationally for travel nurse salaries. The concentration of government-affiliated hospitals, academic medical centers, and research institutions creates a uniquely rich clinical environment — particularly for nurses interested in specialized or research-adjacent roles.

Washington is a compact, walkable city with world-class museums (all free), a strong food scene, and proximity to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York for days off travel. Housing stipends are calibrated for the cost of living and are among the higher ranges nationally.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Washington D.C. →

10. Maui, Hawaii

Average weekly pay	Variable — higher gross but high COL
Cost of living	Very high — scrutinize full package carefully
NLC compact state	❌ No — separate HI license required
License processing	Allow extra time — plan ahead
Best for	Experience over maximum financial return

Maui occupies a different category than the other nine cities: it’s not the most financially efficient choice, but it offers something none of them can replicate. Nursing in Hawaii means working in a genuinely unique environment — both clinically, where island medicine creates patient presentations you won’t encounter on the mainland, and personally, where your days off look like a destination people spend thousands of dollars to visit for a week.

Browse Travel Nurse Jobs in Hawaii →

How to Choose Your Next City

Every nurse weighs these factors differently. A few things to keep in mind across any city you’re considering:

• Pay vs. purchasing power. The gross weekly rate is the starting point, not the answer. A $500/week difference in gross pay can easily flip once you account for cost of living.
• Licensing timelines. California, New York, Hawaii, and D.C. all require state-specific licenses with meaningful processing times. Start applications well before you’re ready to accept a contract.
• NLC compact states. Georgia, Nevada, Texas, and Colorado let you start without additional licensure if you hold a multistate license — a genuine logistical advantage.
• Specialty demand. ICU, OR, Cath Lab, L&D, and Telemetry nurses consistently command the highest packages and see the most consistent openings across all markets.
• State income tax. Texas and Nevada have no state income tax — across a 13-week contract that’s a real difference in what you bank.