Travel nursing pays $2,000–$4,500/week all-in for most specialties in 2026. If you have at least one year of acute care experience and an unrestricted RN license, you can have your first contract signed within 90 days. Here's the exact sequence.
Most agencies require 1–2 years of experience in your specialty. Some say "one year" but won't submit you to a hospital without 18 months of verifiable experience in that exact unit. ICU experience is the most transferable — hospitals accept ICU nurses into step-down, telemetry, and sometimes ED positions, giving you more options than a floor nurse.
The clock starts on your first day in the specialty unit, not your license date. If you spent year one in med-surg and year two in ICU, agencies count you as having one year of ICU experience, not two years of RN experience.
Travel nursing requires more paperwork than staff positions. Start collecting now:
Your RN license in your home state. Your NCLEX verification (most hospitals want this, not just your license number). BLS and any specialty certifications (CCRN, CEN, CMSRN). Two to three supervisor references from your current facility — get these before you give notice. A clean copy of your immunization records (MMR, Varicella, Hep B titers, TB test within 12 months, flu shot). COVID vaccination documentation. A current physical exam within 12 months, often required by hospital systems.
Building a credential file now saves 2–3 weeks when an agency is ready to submit you to a hospital that needs someone in 10 days.
Do not sign with one agency exclusively. The major agencies (AMN, Aya, Cross Country, Medical Staffing Network, FlexCare, Trusted Health) all have different hospital relationships, pay packages, and contract terms. Applying to three or four gives you the ability to compare packages for the same position — and hospitals often post the same job to multiple agencies.
Agencies that nurse communities recommend consistently in 2026: Aya Healthcare (highest average pay packages), Trusted Health (transparent pay breakdown, no hidden fees), FlexCare Medical Staffing (strong communication, good housing options). Avoid agencies that require exclusivity or won't give you a detailed pay breakdown before you commit.
Travel nursing pay is structured differently from staff pay. A "bill rate" of $80–$110/hour goes to the agency from the hospital. You receive a package including:
Taxable base pay (typically $18–$25/hour — this is intentionally low). Tax-free housing stipend ($1,200–$2,500/month, if you maintain a tax home). Tax-free meal and incidental stipend ($300–$600/month). Sometimes a completion bonus ($500–$2,000 for 13-week contracts).
The tax-free stipends are legal under IRS rules as long as you maintain a "tax home" — meaning you own or rent a permanent residence you return to between assignments and pay to maintain. If you give up your apartment and live full-time on the road, you lose tax-free status and your effective income drops 15–20%.
This is the step most new travelers skip — and it costs them thousands. Your tax home is the geographic area of your regular place of business. To qualify for tax-free stipends, you must meet at least two of three IRS tests: you pay duplicate living expenses (rent at tax home + housing at assignment), your tax home is where you have significant professional ties, and you visit your tax home regularly.
Minimum viable tax home: a room you rent from a family member ($300–$500/month is fine), documented with a lease, where you stay during breaks between assignments. Keep a paper trail: utility bills, bank statements, a driver's license at that address.
A tax professional who specializes in travel nurses (search "travel nurse CPA") is worth $300–$500 in fees to avoid a $5,000–$15,000 IRS error.
When your recruiter submits you to a hospital, the typical timeline is: submission to offer = 1–5 business days. Offer to start date = 2–6 weeks (credentialing takes time). You'll do a phone interview for most ICU and specialty positions — treat it like a real job interview.
What to negotiate: start date (more time to arrange housing), guaranteed hours (48 hours minimum per week vs. 36 — this matters if the census is low), overtime rate (confirm the rate above 40 hours), cancellation policy (how much notice if the hospital cancels your shift?). Never accept "first offer only" as a recruiter's frame — everything is negotiable on the first contract.
Orientation is typically 1–3 days, not two weeks. You're expected to function independently fast. Bring your own stethoscope, badge holder, and comfort items for the unit. Don't make strong opinions known in week one — learn the unit culture first.
The first assignment is the hardest. The second is easier. By the third, most nurses have their system — where to stay, how to negotiate, what to pack, and when to push back on a bad hospital.
Travel nursing isn't a lifestyle that works forever for everyone. But used strategically — two or three years of high-income travel to pay down loans, build an emergency fund, and invest — it can compress a decade of financial progress into three years.