Compare the top travel nursing agencies by pay package, housing stipend, and real nurse reviews
Part of the Travel Nursing Hub — browse every related guide in one place.
Last updated: July 2026 | Reading time: 12 min
Your hospital is paying you $42 an hour. The travel nurse in your unit makes $65 an hour plus a $1,100 weekly housing stipend. That's not a rumor — it's the arithmetic of how hospitals use staffing agencies to fill holes without raising their permanent staff's wages. The result is a two-tier compensation system running openly inside the same unit, and most staff nurses tolerate it for years before asking whether they could be on the other side of it.
The total weekly difference between a staff ICU nurse at $42/hr (36 hours, after taxes) and a travel nurse on a comparable package is often $1,200–$1,800 net per week — not because travel nurses are more skilled, but because the market pays a scarcity premium. A nurse with 1–2 years of ICU, ED, or OR experience can usually qualify for travel contracts. The barrier is mostly paperwork, licensure, and knowing which agencies are worth your time.
This guide cuts through the agency marketing. The numbers below are ranges drawn from publicly posted packages and industry benchmarks as of mid-2026. Individual offers vary by specialty, facility, shift, and — most importantly — how well you negotiate.
All weekly gross figures below include taxable base pay plus tax-free housing stipend. The taxable base is typically $22–$28/hr; everything above that comes as stipend. Numbers reflect 36-hour weeks (three 12-hour shifts) in high-demand specialties (ICU, ER, OR, L&D).
| Agency | Avg Weekly Package | Housing Stipend (wk) | Known For | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNAA (Travel Nurse Across America) | $2,800 – $3,400 | ~$1,200 | ICU and ER focus, strong recruiter retention | Critical care nurses who want a dedicated recruiter |
| AMN Healthcare | $2,800 – $3,500 | ~$1,150 | Largest network, highest hospital volume | Nurses who prioritize location flexibility nationwide |
| Host Healthcare | $2,600 – $3,200 | ~$1,100 | Pediatric specialty, service-first reputation | First-time travelers and peds/NICU nurses |
| Aya Healthcare | $2,500 – $3,100 | ~$1,050 | Large job board, broad specialty coverage | Nurses who want maximum contract options |
| Fusion Medical Staffing | $2,400 – $3,000 | ~$975 | New-grad friendly, strong onboarding support | Nurses with 1 year of experience entering travel |
Note: Pay packages vary significantly by assignment location, specialty, and shift differential. These are representative ranges, not guarantees. Always request a written pay breakdown before signing.
Travel nurse pay packages are split into two categories: taxable and non-taxable.
Taxable: Your base hourly rate, overtime, shift differentials, and any on-call pay. This shows on your W-2 and is treated like regular income. Most agencies set the taxable base at $22–$28/hr to maximize the non-taxable portion.
Non-taxable (stipends): The housing stipend and the M&IE (meals and incidental expenses) per diem are tax-free — but only if you qualify. To qualify, you must maintain a permanent tax home (a residence in another city where you have continuing financial obligations), and you cannot travel to the same metro area for more than 12 months. The IRS requires these stipends to reimburse actual duplicate expenses, not generate extra income. If the IRS audits and finds you don't have a legitimate tax home, all stipend income becomes retroactively taxable.
The single best leverage move in travel nursing is applying to multiple agencies simultaneously. Agencies know you're doing this, and it's not bad form — it's the expected behavior of any experienced traveler. When you have two written offers in hand, you can ask Agency A to match Agency B's package. Most will, within limits. The nurses who negotiate earn $100–$300 more per week than those who take the first offer.
Don't limit yourself to one specialty listing. If you're an ICU nurse, also check ER and step-down listings — the acuity threshold varies by hospital and some step-down contracts pay comparably with less overnight intensity. California contracts typically pay $800–$1,200/week more than the national average due to mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios driving scarcity; if you have a California RN license or are eligible for endorsement, prioritize getting it.
Apply to multiple agencies and negotiate — you're worth more than one agency's standard package. Start with 2–3 applications simultaneously to create leverage on your first offer.
⚠ Replace [AFFILIATE_LINK_X] placeholders with your actual affiliate links from each agency's partner program before publishing. TNAA, Host Healthcare, Aya, Fusion, and AMN all run affiliate/referral programs — search "[agency name] affiliate program" or contact their marketing teams directly.
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