Is Travel Nursing Worth It? 8 Reasons to Chart Your Adventure (2024)

Last Updated on April 19, 2024

Is Travel Nursing Worth It? 8 Reasons to Chart Your Adventure (1)

Chart your adventure and level up in the new year! As we enter 2024, everyone’s starting to ask the same question: Is travel nursing worth it? Spoiler alert: It is!

Imagine a career in healthcare where you could explore parts of the country you never thought you’d see — where you could make your days off feel like a vacation, put more money into savings, open career opportunities, and choose your schedule. It’s all possible with traveling nurse jobs!

Discover the biggest opportunities to level up your nursing career, and reasons to chart your adventure as a travel nurse.

Chart Your Adventure Now: Explore Travel Nurse Jobs

How Do Traveling Nurse Jobs Work?

First things first: How do travel nurse jobs work? Travel nurses take on short-term assignments in various healthcare facilities across the country. These assignments typically last around 8 to 13 weeks, offering flexibility and the chance to explore different locations.

Once the contract is over, nurses can take a break in between, travel to their next assignment, and start working in a fresh, new environment.

Pro Tip: Many travel nurses work with agencies to help them level up with assignments at top facilities across the country, explore dream destinations, and more!

Level Up: 8 Reasons Why Travel Nursing is Worth It in 2024

Now, is travel nursing worth it, still? Even as the market begins to stabilize, there are still several opportunities and reasons to seek out traveling nurse jobs in 2024:

Higher Pay

You can’t answer the question, “Is travel nursing worth it?” without talking about pay. Travel nurses get paid more than the traditional nursing crew. On average, travel nurses pull in around $2,122 a week. This averages out to $8,211/month or $115,969/year, according to Indeed.com as of December 2023. However, some CareerStaff travel nurses make up to $3,000* weekly! Of course, salaries vary depending on the location of your assignment, travel stipends, and more.

One of the greatest benefits of traveling nurse jobs is the bonuses. Many assignments and agencies offer incentives, tax-free stipends, quick start, and holiday bonuses! This can significantly increase your take-home pay and quality of life as a nurse.

Decreased Burnout & Increased Flexibility

Feeling burnt-out? Traveling nurse jobs open up opportunities to level up your work-life balance, lifestyle freedom, and scheduling flexibility. You can take longer breaks between assignments — maybe even a few weeks off. You decide! Travel nurses can pick when they want to work when working out the contract, too.

Of course, the flexibility of traveling nurse jobs goes beyond time-off and scheduling. It’s also about where you work. You can choose assignments based on weather, personal interests, travel destination goals, or even locations near friends and family across the country. It’s your career on your terms.

New Career Opportunities & Resume-Building Experiences

For many travel nurses, it’s not just about the money. Traveling nurse jobs open doors to new career paths. As you work in different places with different people, you gain different skills, experiences, and knowledge.

The diverse experiences you gain with travel nursing are worth gold to your resume. Employers love seeing that you can thrive in various environments and adapt alongside their teams, making you a standout candidate.

New Connections in Your Career

Travel nurses have the unique opportunity to make friends and build a network across the country. Connect with new people and discover opportunities — it’s a whole world beyond your standard nursing routine.

Building a network in the healthcare industry can create future opportunities, too. Your fellow travel nurses might become lifelong friends or even valuable professional contacts.

Opportunity to Travel

Ready for the fun part? With travel nursing, your days off can turn into mini-vacations at locations worth exploring!

Explore vibrant areas like New York and Pennsylvania with endless things to do, see, and eat. Or, enjoy the great outdoors the best warm-weather destinations for travel nurses. The options are endless! Not many jobs let you travel while you work, in and outside of healthcare.

Traveling nurse jobs allow you to experience the rich culture of the U.S. Every state and even city is filled with unique cultures and subcultures. From bustling cities to serene landscapes, your assignments become more than just work — they become unforgettable adventures.

Quick Apply: Chart Your Travel Nursing Adventure!

Variety of Lifestyle

Every assignment brings something new for travel nurses: A new specialty, a new workplace, and a new home to explore. Say goodbye to routine boredom. It’s a lifestyle that keeps both work and life interesting. The variety and flexibility that come with traveling nurse jobs can help reduce burnout and keep your day-to-day interesting.

Personal Growth

For travel nurses, what you learn on the job goes beyond work. Adaptability, independence, cultural skills — it’s not just professional growth. You can become a more confident person, too. The challenges you overcome and the skills you develop make you more resilient, adaptable, and self-assured.

Travel nurses can also gain cultural competence as they build relationships with patients and colleagues across the U.S.

Travel Nurse Agencies Take Care of Everything for You

Let’s talk logistics. Moving can be stressful, right? Not as much for travel nurses. Agencies like CareerStaff handle it all — finding the positions, stipends, and negotiations, making travel nursing all the more worth it. They take the stress out of some of the most daunting parts of relocating.

How to Find Traveling Nurse Jobs

So, is travel nursing worth it? Yes! With more money, flexibility, career options, travel perks, and personal growth, it’s still one of the most exciting nursing opportunities in 2024. If you’re thinking of level up in your nursing career now, travel nursing jobs might just be the adventure you’re looking for.

Ready to chart your adventure with travel nursing? Search available travel nurse jobs, or Quick Apply below to get connected with a CareerStaff recruiter today!

Chart Your Adventure Now: Travel Nurse Jobs

Is Travel Nursing Worth It? 8 Reasons to Chart Your Adventure (2024)

FAQs

Is Travel Nursing Worth It? 8 Reasons to Chart Your Adventure? ›

So, is travel nursing worth it? Yes! With more money, flexibility, career options, travel perks, and personal growth, it's still one of the most exciting nursing opportunities in 2024. If you're thinking of level up in your nursing career now, travel nursing jobs might just be the adventure you're looking for.

Is travel nursing worth it anymore? ›

While the pandemic presented unique challenges and opportunities, the pulse of travel nursing remains strong. The essence of this career choice—higher pay, flexibility, new connections, adventure, a politics-free environment, and professional growth—continues to thrive.

Is travel nursing still worth it in 2024? ›

Travel Nurse Pay Remains High

Although the average gross weekly income for travel nurses has decreased since the days of the pandemic, Becker's Hospital Review was still reporting an average of $2,409 per week at the beginning of 2024.

Why do we need traveling nurses? ›

What is a Travel Nurse? According to TravelNursing.org, “Travel nurses fill gaps in staffing needs for hospitals and facilities across the country for specific periods of time.” They serve to take over for other nurses who may be out of work for any number of reasons, such as maternity leave or disability.

Why is travel nurse salary so high? ›

Because travel nurses can choose to work unlimited contracts and have the option of negotiating and selecting higher-paying positions, travel nurses often have more control over their income than staff nurses might.

Are travel nurses considered rich? ›

Practice level/Education - Travel RNs make more money than stationary RNs. But those who also pursue advanced practice nursing credentials stand to earn even more. For example, the average travel nurse practitioner's salary is around $131,543 per year but can go up to $218,000.

Is travel nursing oversaturated? ›

Is travel nursing oversaturated? Travel nurses are still in demand, but most companies want you to have at least a year of non-travel practice before hiring you.

Why are hospitals hiring so many travel nurses? ›

#1: Meeting Staffing Requirements

Many states have redefined their laws on nurse-to-patient ratios since the pandemic. For some facilities, these metrics are simply difficult to meet. Hiring travel nurses help hospitals, LTC providers, and other facilities fill in those gaps with experienced, skilled RNs.

What do travel nurses do all day? ›

A travel nurse's workday begins

Like all nurses, travelers will assess patients, administer medications, change dressings, assist with procedures, provide patient education, support and advocate for their patients, and document the care provided. They also might assist with discharge planning.

Why is travel nursing hard? ›

Traveling nurses have to hold active and unrestricted licenses in each state they choose to work, and license requirements vary from state to state. Often travel nurses have to maintain licenses for multiple states, which can be difficult and time-consuming.

What state pays travel nurses the most? ›

5 Highest Paying States for Travel Nurses in 2022
  1. 1. California. In 2022, it's no surprise that California is still the highest paying state for travel nurses. ...
  2. Hawaii. Hawaii may just be the dream destination! ...
  3. Massachusetts. ...
  4. Oregon. ...
  5. Alaska.

Can travel nurses make 200k a year? ›

Travel nurses who work in high-demand specialties such as ICU, OR, and ER can earn significantly more than those in other specialties. Nurses in these specialties can earn up to $4,000 per week, which translates to an annual salary of $208,000 or more.

What type of travel nurse makes the most money? ›

9 highest paying travel nurse jobs
  • Home health registered nurse. ...
  • Hospice nurse. ...
  • Travel nurse. ...
  • Oncology registered nurse. ...
  • Labor and delivery nurse. ...
  • Operating room registered nurse. ...
  • Emergency room registered nurse. ...
  • Intensive care registered nurse.
Apr 18, 2024

What is a disadvantage of being a travel nurse? ›

You Can't Choose Your Hours. As a travel nurse, you will be treated as "extra" staff in the institution, and you'll be expected to work when they want you to work.

What kind of travel nurse is in most demand? ›

Here are some of the most in-demand specialties for travel nurses in 2024.
  • ICU Nursing. ...
  • Emergency Nursing. ...
  • NICU, MBPP, and L&D Nursing. ...
  • Medical Surgical Nursing. ...
  • Telemetry Nursing. ...
  • Psychiatric Nursing. ...
  • Home Health Nursing. ...
  • Oncology Nursing.
Mar 1, 2024

How much more do travel nurses make compared to regular nurses? ›

According to Vivian, a healthcare jobs marketplace, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), travel nurses earn jan average of $2,183 per week, while RNs earn a mean hourly wage of $42.80.

How long are travel nurses typically gone for? ›

How Long Are Travel Nursing Assignments? The standard travel nurse assignment is 13 weeks. However, contracts can range from as little as 2 to 26 weeks depending on the travel nursing agency and facilities. Many travel nurses choose to extend their contracts beyond the initial 13 weeks.

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