Updated June 2026 · 13 min read
Part of the Travel Nursing Hub — browse every related guide in one place.
Complete step-by-step: the experience you need, how to set up your tax home, which agencies to approach first, what your first contract checklist looks like, and what to actually expect when you get there.
Most travel nursing contracts require a minimum of 1 year of recent experience in your specialty — the same specialty you'll be traveling in. "Recent" typically means within the last 12–18 months, working enough hours to qualify (usually 36 hrs/week or more). Some hospitals and agencies accept 6 months for certain specialties in shortage markets, but 1 year is the standard that opens the most doors.
Experience must be in your travel specialty. An ICU nurse who wants ICU travel assignments needs ICU experience. Med-surg experience doesn't transfer to ICU travel contracts even if you're a competent nurse. The hospital credentialing process will verify your unit and patient population.
High-demand travel specialties where experience requirements are sometimes flexible: med-surg, telemetry, psychiatric nursing, long-term care. High-acuity specialties with stricter standards: ICU (especially CVICU/CTICU), OR, NICU, L&D.
This is the step most first-time travel nurses don't understand, and mistakes here have real financial consequences. Your tax home is the location of your primary place of business — generally where you live and work permanently. It must be a real place you pay living expenses to maintain, not just a mailing address.
Why it matters: travel nursing's tax-free stipends (housing, meals, incidentals) are only tax-free if you are traveling away from your tax home. If you don't have a legitimate tax home, the IRS can reclassify your stipends as taxable income — effectively reducing your take-home pay by 20–30%.
How to establish a tax home: maintain a permanent residence (own or rent), keep receipts showing you pay for that residence even while on assignment, file taxes from that address, maintain your driver's license, bank accounts, and voter registration there. The simplest version: keep your current home, sublet if needed while on assignment, and keep paying rent or a mortgage on it.
If you're moving away from your current home permanently before starting travel nursing, you don't have a tax home — and you need to establish one before taking your first assignment. See a CPA who specializes in travel nursing taxes before your first contract. This consultation is worth several thousand dollars in tax savings.
You need a nursing license in the state where you'll be working. Two paths:
Compact License (NLC): If your home state is a Compact state, you can practice in any other Compact state without a separate license. As of 2026, 41 states are in the Compact. Check NCSBN.org for the current list. This is the cleanest option — one license, 40+ states.
State-by-state endorsement: If your home state isn't Compact, or if you're targeting a non-Compact state (California is the most common target — higher pay, not in Compact), you'll need to apply for endorsement. California licensure takes 6–12 weeks. Start it before you need it.
Agencies will help you navigate this but won't do it for you. The application and fees are yours. Budget $150–$400 per additional state license.
Choose 2–3 agencies to work with at the same time. Do not work exclusively with one agency. The hospital contract portfolios overlap heavily, and having multiple recruiters means faster placement, better pay negotiation, and backup options when your first-choice contract falls through.
Recommended starting combination: one large agency for volume (Aya Healthcare, AMN) + one agency known for pay or specialization (Fastaff for ICU/crisis, TNAA for first-timers) + one transparent-pay agency (Trusted Health). See the full agency comparison for details.
The onboarding process requires: RN license verification, skills checklist completion, references (typically 1–2 from charge nurses or managers), drug screen, physical/health screening, and background check. Start all three agencies at the same time — credential packets are largely the same and you can use the same documents.
Your recruiter will send you contract details. Know what to look for before you accept anything.
| Item to Check | What to Ask |
|---|---|
| Total weekly gross | Taxable base + housing stipend + M&I — what is the total? |
| Guaranteed hours | Is the contract "guaranteed hours"? If the hospital cuts shifts, do you get paid anyway? |
| Float policy | Can they float you to a different unit? Which units? |
| Cancellation clause | If the hospital cancels the contract, what's your compensation? |
| Overtime rate | Is OT included in the package or separate? What's the rate? |
| Housing | Is it a stipend (you manage) or agency-arranged? Which do you prefer? |
Do not sign verbally. Get the full written contract before committing. Run the numbers yourself — don't take the agency's "total package" framing at face value.
If taking a housing stipend (most experienced travelers prefer this — it's more money and more flexibility), you need to find your own place. Options by priority:
Furnished short-term rentals (Furnished Finder, Airbnb for monthly stays, CHBO) are the cleanest option for 13-week contracts. Expect $1,200–$2,500/month for a furnished studio or 1BR depending on market. Facebook Marketplace travel nurse housing groups are active in most major metro areas. Nurse-to-nurse sublets are common when one traveler leaves and another arrives at the same hospital.
Budget your housing cost against your housing stipend. If your stipend is $1,400/week and your rent is $1,400/month, you're keeping $4,200/month in stipend after covering rent. That difference stays in your pocket tax-free.
The first week of any travel assignment is harder than the rest of the contract. You don't know where anything is, the charting system may be different, the unit culture is unfamiliar, and your coworkers are assessing whether you're going to be useful or a burden.
What experienced travelers do: arrive early to every shift the first week. Ask before assuming. Carry a notepad for the first week — units have quirks nobody documents. Be visibly competent in the core skills, flexible on everything else. You are a guest in this unit's culture even if you're clinically excellent.
If you're struggling clinically in week 1: say something to the charge nurse before the hospital says something to your agency. Transparency early is handled; surprises are not.
| Specialty | Typical First-Contract Weekly Package | Annual (48 working weeks) |
|---|---|---|
| ICU / Critical Care | $3,000–$4,500/week | $144,000–$216,000 |
| Emergency / ED | $2,800–$4,200/week | $134,400–$201,600 |
| OR | $2,800–$4,500/week | $134,400–$216,000 |
| L&D | $2,800–$4,200/week | $134,400–$201,600 |
| NICU | $2,800–$4,200/week | $134,400–$201,600 |
| Step-Down / Telemetry | $2,200–$3,600/week | $105,600–$172,800 |
| Med-Surg | $1,800–$3,000/week | $86,400–$144,000 |
Get the ICU Notebook
Free investing strategies built for nurses. One email per week, no fluff.
Yes, send it freeNo spam. Unsubscribe any time.