Travel Nurse Highest Salary

The nurse who really wants to make a living working as a travel nurse can find the highest salary in the state by simply perusing our predetermined list. The idea behind this website is to provide you with the support and information that can help you negotiate the highest wage possible within your specific geographical location.

Travel nursing is a challenging, exciting and highly rewarding career choice. There are many benefits that make travel nursing such an appealing career for nurses and other healthcare professionals including excellent pay, freedoms and benefits.

Travel Nurse Highest Salary Overview

The travel nurse salary is higher than the regular nurse salary.

This is because the travel nurse is more in demand and therefore has more of a supply and demand problem. The travel nurse has to be able to travel, which means that they need to have good time management skills, so they can take care of their patients and then make it to their next assignment on time. They also have to be able to handle stress well and work under pressure. The travel nurse also needs to be able to work with many different types of people, because they may not know who their next employer will be until they get there.

The most in demand specialties for travel nurses are:

-Cardiology: Cardiology nurses help treat heart disease including angina and heart attacks; they may also monitor blood pressure or perform diagnostic tests such as echocardiograms or electrocardiograms (EKGs).

-Emergency Room: Emergency room nurses treat patients who come into an emergency department with injuries or illnesses ranging from broken bones or burns to asthma attacks or heart attacks. They administer medications as needed; provide first aid treatment like splinting fractures or dressing wounds; monitor patient status; record vital signs such as temperature

What Are the Highest Paying Travel Nursing Specialties in 2022?

We’ve covered the pros and cons of travel nursing. Now let’s explore the highest paying traveling nursing specialties*. Bear in mind that you need to have at least one year of experience working in your specialty for all travel nursing jobs. Employers take the previous experience as a sign that you had time to develop your skills and will excel on the assignment. 

ICU Travel Nurse

ICU Travel Nursing is one of the most lucrative and in-demand travel nurse specialties. ICU Nurses care for patients in the most critical condition – patients who are intubated, ventilated, on life-sustaining medication drips, or whose life hangs on by a thread. Working in the ICU demands a particular set of skills. You must be meticulously organized, respond quickly to emergencies, and handle unpredictable situations. 

You need at least one year of experience in an ICU ward or acute care setting before pursuing an assignment in the Intensive Care Unit. BLS and ACLS certifications are mandatory, while a Critical Care Certification (CCRN) will set you apart from the competition. The paycheck reflects the high demands of the job, travel ICU nursing being one of the highest-paid traveling nursing jobs. On average, ICU Travel RNs make $54 an hour, or around $112,228 per year, earning their spot as some of the highest-paid travel nurses. 

Dialysis Travel Nurse

Dialysis Travel Nurses provide life-saving care to patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. Other than changing the location where they practice every few weeks, their duties remain the same. Dialysis RNs need to monitor and record a patient’s vital signs before, during, and after treatment, keep an eye out for adverse reactions, and ensure that dialysis and other treatments are administered correctly. To perform these duties with the utmost professionalism, you’ll need to display calm and compassion skills, problem-solving, analytical, and observational abilities. 

In terms of education, the minimum requirement is an ADN or BSN degree. Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification is required, alongside at least one year of experience in a professional setting. Seeking certification as a Certified Dialysis Nurse is not mandatory, but will only come to your advantage. Salary-wise, traveling Dialysis RNs earn around $96,272 annually, or the equivalent of $43 an hour. 

ER Travel Nurse

The demand for talented ER Travel nurses remains high in acute care facilities across the country. It’s a rewarding specialty, both personally and financially, that requires an organized, quick-on-their-feet personality who can make accurate and timely decisions before taking action. As an ER travel nurse, you are in the front line of the hospital, caring for various patients who come into the hospital’s emergency department. 

In addition to the minimum one year of experience as an ER Nurse that ensures you have a grip on the life in the ER, you may also be required to gain BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification. Certification requirements may vary from one institution to another. If you’re wondering how much ER travel nurses make, at around $106,709 annually, the answer won’t disappoint. 

highest paying nursing travel jobs

Psychiatric Travel Nurse

A Psychiatric Nurse, also known as a Psych Nurse or a Mental Health Nurse, helps treat patients affected by mental health and psychiatric issues. Pursuing a travel career in this area doesn’t impact your duties and responsibilities. Your job description still includes aiding in evaluating patients undergoing psychological evaluations, conducting tests, administering medications, and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure the best treatment paths for clients suffering from psychological problems. 

As for the salary of a Psych travel RN, it revolves around $98,924 per year

NICU Travel Nurse

One of the best-paying travel nursing jobs on the market is that of a NICU Travel Nurse. Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU Registered Nurses care for premature and critically ill newborns who need immediate medical attention as soon as they are born. It’s a very sensitive job requiring quick thinking, quick reactions, keen observations, and significant amounts of comfort and compassion for the families. 

The wages NICU Nurses can expect to get on traveling assignments oscillate around $105,500 yearly, some of the highest salaries in the travel nurse industry. The hourly rate is $51. 

Med-Surg Travel Nurse

Medical-Surgical Nurses, or Med Surg Nurses, work with adult patients injured or in recovery from medical procedures. These nurses may be working in a specialty, but unless there is special monitoring or technology that requires specific training or certification, they are considered Med-Surg. Thus, this specialty makes up the foundation of nursing, being one of the most sought-after jobs in the RN travel industry. Med-Surg nurses are employed in a variety of settings: hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, general hospital floors like neuro, trauma, general surgery, oncology, cardiac, and many other areas of care. High-level critical-thinking skills, vast clinical knowledge, and calmness under pressure are imperative for med-Surg nurses. 

For their invaluable efforts in patient care, Med-Surg RNs receive fairly high wages: over $90,350 a year

Pediatric Travel Nurse

Pediatric Travel RNs provide nursing care to children, adolescents, and teens. Because they work with such a sensitive population, their duties will often go beyond simply monitoring vitals, administering medications, or performing developmental screenings. Pediatric Nurses may have to alleviate fears and use therapeutic communication techniques to convince a child to get a shot or medication. They may have to educate young people and their families on treatment options after a clinical diagnosis. It’s a job that covers a broad range of clinical skills and interpersonal abilities.  

And Pediatric Travel Nurses are remunerated well for it. In this specialty, you make around $98,343 per year

highest paying nursing travel jobs

Postpartum Travel Nurse

Caring for mother and baby immediately after the labor and delivery process is one of the most rewarding nursing jobs, and Postpartum Nurses do just that. Post-delivery, they provide essential care to the newborn and the infant’s mother. This may include giving medications, monitoring the vital signs of both mother and infant, and educating the family on proper newborn care. 

Postpartum Travel Nurses are needed throughout the nation. And if you’re curious what kind of postpartum RN salary you can expect to earn, we have the answer. This is one of the highest-paid travel nurse specialties, with wages in the vicinity of $98,500

PACU Travel Nurse

Post Anesthesia Care Units across the US are another big employer of travel nurses. PACU RNs are indispensable to postoperative care as they provide core nursing care to patients after surgery. Nurses working in this role need to possess critical care skills to assess incision sites, monitor vitals, and track other indicators of post-op stability or complications. This specialty is also one of the highest paying travel nursing jobs, with salaries that often go above $124,195

OR Travel Nurse

Traveling OR Registered Nurses can expect very lucrative assignments in numerous medical facilities. They perform the same duties as permanent OR nurses. The main goal of the specialty is to coordinate patient care in the operating room. On a day-to-day basis, Travel OR Nurses manage care before, during, and after medical procedures, monitor the equipment during surgical interventions, and assist surgeons with sterilizing supplies, equipment, and instruments, ensuring that operations happen in the safest manner possible. 

Through their travel assignments, OR travel Nurses can cash in $55 an hour, or about $113,610 per year, one of the highest wages for traveling RNs.  

how to land the highest paying travel nursing jobs

Labor and Delivery Travel Nurse

If you want to land a high-paying travel nursing job, look no further than the Labor and Delivery specialty. L&D Nurses are a valuable resource that many hospitals need and are willing to pay for. Labor and Delivery travel nurses are an integral part of the delivery process, ensuring that mothers, newborns, and their extended families receive quality, essential care during every step of the birthing process. 

To secure a position in this area, you need to have graduated from an accredited nursing program and have at least one year of professional experience in the Labor and Delivery Department. Some institutions may require extra certifications, like BLS, ACLS, and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). 

As for wages, Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses are on the higher end of the earning specter. They make about $111,149 yearly.

PICU Travel Nurse

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit requires a highly specialized area of expertise, astute assessment skills, excellent critical thinking, and vast clinical knowledge. PICU Travel nurses are some of the better-paid travel RNs, with salaries that exceed $108,440 a year. Their duties alternate between monitoring children and teen patients, providing appropriate care and educating patients and families about procedures and treatment plans. 

Oncology Travel Nurse

Oncology Travel Nurses care for patients undergoing cancer treatments or those who are in remission. They ought to be well-versed in diverse cancer treatment methods and need to possess a strong understanding of patient treatment plans, procedures, and side effects. The sensitive nature of this specialty requires Oncology RNs to display high levels of compassion and excellent communication abilities to help patients and families alike cope with the diagnosis. 

The requirements for Oncology nursing travel positions are similar to all other traveling nursing jobs: unencumbered nursing license and at least one-year prior experience in the oncology department. Additionally, certification from the Oncology Nursing Society may be required for certain travel nurse positions. 

In the travel department, Oncology nursing is one of the high-paid specialties, with salaries of about $100,800

Telemetry Travel Nurse

Telemetry nursing jobs use high-tech equipment to monitor a patient’s condition, response to treatment, and overall progress. Travel RNs interested in this profession are in for a top-notch career: high demand and above-average wages – $102,320 yearly. Common conditions that ask for Travel Telemetry RN interventions include cardiac surgery, renal failure, COPD, sleep disorders, neurological problems, epilepsy, and cancer. 

highest paying icu travel nursing jobs

Hospice Travel Nurse

Hospice Travel Nurses come in when there is no possible treatment for a severe illness. Essentially, they provide end-of-life care to their patients. Hospice RNs’ care and compassion help with managing pain and symptoms. They offer support to patients and families in critical moments and help patients through the process of death in the most dignified manner. It’s a compassionate nursing role that is compensated reasonably well: $86,277 annually

Cath Lab Travel Nurse

Cath Lab RNs are among the most requested and well-compensated traveling nursing specialties. This job is an integral part of the cardiac care unit, the ICU, or the cardiac catheterization lab. Registered nurses who have embraced this specialty assist physician during cardiac catheterizations and monitor the patient’s cardiac rhythm and vital signs. Travel assignments for Cath Lab Nurses offer exceptional pay and comprehensive benefits. Annual salaries can be as high as $110,540.

LPN Travel Nurse

One common denominator for all travel nursing jobs mentioned so far was that the job candidate must be a fully licensed Registered Nurse. 

How about Licensed Practical Nurses? Can LPNs engage in travel assignments, and can they secure high-paying travel nursing jobs? Yes. However, remember that you require at least one or two years of on-the-ground professional experience before you can be considered for an LPN travel job. LPNs who want to become travel nurses, expand their horizons, and further their careers can expect salaries higher than permanent staff LPNs – around $74,893 a year

The world of travel nursing doesn’t stop with the specialties that we’ve already discussed. There are numerous other options available to nurses who want to try new professional experiences in new locations. Some other worthy mentions are: 

  • Vaccination travel nurse
  • Nurse case manager
  • Travel Nurse Educator
  • Triage Travel Nurse
  • Preop Travel Nurse
  • Home Health Travel Nurse 
  • Traveling Trauma Nurse
  • Cardiovascular Operating Room Travel Nurse (CVOR) 

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