Highest-Paying States for Nurses and Travel Nurses
California is the highest-paying state for registered nurses, with a median of $140,270 a year ($67.44 an hour), followed by Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010), Washington ($124,200), Alaska ($109,480). Those are Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for May 2025; the U.S. median was $97,550.
For travel nurses the honest answer has two parts, because no government source measures travel pay by state. What is published is the staff wage level in each state, and that is the BLS ranking below. The tax-free stipend is capped by GSA per diem, which is set by city and county, not by state — so the highest stipend ceilings are listed by city further down. Where you file also matters: a nurse taxed only by one of the 9 no-wage-tax states keeps more of the same gross.
Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), retrieved 2026-10-25. GSA per diem rates, FY2027 (Oct 2026–Sep 2027). Computed at build time; nothing on this page is typed by hand.
The 15 highest-paying states for registered nurses
BLS median annual wage, May 2025. Bars are drawn to scale; the dashed line marks the U.S. median ($97,550). States marked "no state tax" levy no income tax on wages.
All 50 states and D.C.: RN pay, stipend ceiling and state tax
Ranked by BLS median RN wage. "Peak housing ceiling" is the highest GSA FY2027 nightly lodging rate anywhere in the state × 7, at its highest month, and names the locality; counties outside every listed locality get the CONUS standard rate of $113/night ($791/week). Alaska and Hawaii per diem is set by the Department of Defense, not GSA.
| # | State | RN median salary | Top 10% earn | State income tax on wages | Peak GSA housing ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Californiatravel pay | $140,270$67.44/hr | $213,320+ | Yes | $2,275/wk San Francisco |
| 2 | Hawaiitravel pay | $136,320$65.54/hr | $147,830+ | Yes | DoD rate (not GSA) |
| 3 | Oregontravel pay | $129,010$62.02/hr | $155,010+ | Yes | $1,659/wk Seaside |
| 4 | Washingtontravel pay | $124,200$59.71/hr | $161,910+ | None | $1,785/wk Seattle |
| 5 | Alaskatravel pay | $109,480$52.64/hr | $149,070+ | None | DoD rate (not GSA) |
| 6 | New Yorktravel pay | $109,440$52.62/hr | $157,090+ | Yes | $2,506/wk New York City |
| 7 | New Jerseytravel pay | $106,500$51.20/hr | $135,170+ | Yes | $1,519/wk Toms River |
| 8 | Massachusettstravel pay | $104,550$50.27/hr | $174,510+ | Yes | $3,409/wk Nantucket |
| 9 | Nevadatravel pay | $103,670$49.84/hr | $133,270+ | None | $1,281/wk Incline Village / Reno / Sparks |
| 10 | Connecticuttravel pay | $102,740$49.39/hr | $134,870+ | Yes | $1,092/wk Bridgeport / Danbury |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $102,540$49.30/hr | $151,170+ | Yes | $2,065/wk District of Columbia |
| 12 | Minnesotatravel pay | $101,510$48.80/hr | $132,430+ | Yes | $1,540/wk Duluth |
| 13 | Rhode Islandtravel pay | $100,640$48.39/hr | $129,840+ | Yes | $1,918/wk Jamestown / Middletown / Newport |
| 14 | Coloradotravel pay | $100,260$48.20/hr | $124,940+ | Yes | $2,933/wk Aspen |
| 15 | Marylandtravel pay | $99,790$47.98/hr | $124,790+ | Yes | $2,142/wk Ocean City |
| 16 | New Hampshiretravel pay | $99,700$47.93/hr | $123,190+ | None | $1,337/wk Laconia |
| 17 | Delawaretravel pay | $99,520$47.85/hr | $123,860+ | Yes | $1,512/wk Lewes |
| 18 | Arizonatravel pay | $99,500$47.84/hr | $130,930+ | Yes | $1,974/wk Sedona |
| 19 | Vermonttravel pay | $97,460$46.86/hr | $126,100+ | Yes | $1,589/wk Montpelier |
| 20 | Pennsylvaniatravel pay | $96,430$46.36/hr | $117,900+ | Yes | $1,589/wk Philadelphia |
| 21 | Illinoistravel pay | $95,990$46.15/hr | $118,190+ | Yes | $1,666/wk Chicago |
| 22 | Texastravel pay | $95,970$46.14/hr | $127,950+ | None | $1,344/wk Arlington / Fort Worth / Grapevine |
| 23 | Wisconsintravel pay | $95,530$45.93/hr | $119,860+ | Yes | $1,008/wk Milwaukee |
| 24 | New Mexicotravel pay | $94,340$45.36/hr | $123,540+ | Yes | $1,456/wk Albuquerque |
| 25 | Michigantravel pay | $94,300$45.34/hr | $116,710+ | Yes | $1,645/wk Traverse City |
| 26 | Virginiatravel pay | $93,600$45.00/hr | $125,580+ | Yes | $2,065/wk District of Columbia (covers part of Virginia) |
| 27 | Georgiatravel pay | $93,550$44.98/hr | $128,640+ | Yes | $1,610/wk Jekyll Island / Brunswick |
| 28 | Idahotravel pay | $92,460$44.45/hr | $121,230+ | Yes | $2,212/wk Sun Valley / Ketchum |
| 29 | Mainetravel pay | $86,990$41.82/hr | $106,950+ | Yes | $2,240/wk Bar Harbor / Rockport |
| 30 | Montanatravel pay | $85,280$41.00/hr | $113,920+ | Yes | $2,282/wk Big Sky / West Yellowstone/Gardiner |
| 31 | Nebraskatravel pay | $84,730$40.74/hr | $106,190+ | Yes | $896/wk Omaha |
| 32 | Utahtravel pay | $84,600$40.67/hr | $109,050+ | Yes | $3,493/wk Park City |
| 33 | North Carolinatravel pay | $84,350$40.56/hr | $110,220+ | Yes | $1,869/wk Kill Devil Hills |
| 34 | Floridatravel pay | $84,190$40.48/hr | $120,330+ | None | $3,164/wk Key West |
| 35 | Wyomingtravel pay | $83,760$40.27/hr | $107,350+ | None | $3,087/wk Jackson / Pinedale |
| 36 | Indianatravel pay | $83,500$40.14/hr | $105,750+ | Yes | $1,078/wk Bloomington |
| 37 | Oklahomatravel pay | $82,920$39.87/hr | $106,390+ | Yes | $847/wk Oklahoma City |
| 38 | Ohiotravel pay | $82,510$39.67/hr | $105,290+ | Yes | $1,218/wk Sandusky |
| 39 | South Carolinatravel pay | $82,360$39.60/hr | $106,520+ | Yes | $2,016/wk Charleston |
| 40 | Missouritravel pay | $81,780$39.32/hr | $104,390+ | Yes | $1,092/wk St. Louis |
| 41 | Tennesseetravel pay | $81,500$39.18/hr | $104,920+ | None | $1,610/wk Nashville |
| 42 | Kentuckytravel pay | $81,040$38.96/hr | $111,750+ | Yes | $1,295/wk Louisville |
| 43 | North Dakotatravel pay | $80,730$38.81/hr | $103,480+ | Yes | $791/wk standard rate only |
| 44 | Louisianatravel pay | $80,230$38.57/hr | $104,740+ | Yes | $1,316/wk New Orleans |
| 45 | West Virginiatravel pay | $80,130$38.52/hr | $131,760+ | Yes | $896/wk Charles Town |
| 46 | Kansastravel pay | $79,320$38.14/hr | $100,840+ | Yes | $973/wk Kansas City / Overland Park |
| 47 | Arkansastravel pay | $78,940$37.95/hr | $103,660+ | Yes | $805/wk Hot Springs |
| 48 | Iowatravel pay | $78,630$37.80/hr | $100,500+ | Yes | $854/wk Des Moines |
| 49 | South Dakotatravel pay | $78,060$37.53/hr | $98,220+ | None | $1,211/wk Rapid City |
| 50 | Mississippitravel pay | $77,090$37.06/hr | $100,350+ | Yes | $1,022/wk Oxford |
| 51 | Alabamatravel pay | $77,080$37.06/hr | $98,910+ | Yes | $1,547/wk Gulf Shores |
"None" covers only the states our tax engine has verified as levying no wage income tax. "Yes" means the state taxes wages; we do not print a rate without a sourced bracket schedule. A travel nurse can owe tax to both their home state and the assignment state.
Highest stipend-ceiling cities for travel nurses
Among the 109 GSA localities that contain one of the cities we track, New York, NY has the highest FY2027 lodging ceiling averaged over 12 months: $291/night, or $2,038/week for housing. 12 of these 15 are seasonal, so the ceiling depends on the month a contract runs; the low and high columns show the range.
Housing ceiling = nightly lodging × 7. The 12-month average is our arithmetic on GSA's monthly rates. Meals (M&IE) are separate and shown per day.
| # | City (GSA locality) | Avg housing ceiling | Lowest month | Highest month | M&IE/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY GSA locality: New York City | $2,038/wk | $1,323/wk | $2,506/wk | $92 |
| 2 | Boston, MA GSA locality: Boston / Cambridge | $1,990/wk | $1,491/wk | $2,555/wk | $92 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA GSA locality: San Francisco | $1,896/wk | $1,624/wk | $2,275/wk | $92 |
| 4 | Charleston, SC GSA locality: Charleston | $1,724/wk | $1,526/wk | $2,016/wk | $92 |
| 5 | Alexandria, VA GSA locality: District of Columbia | $1,721/wk | $1,344/wk | $2,065/wk | $92 |
| 6 | Nashville, TN GSA locality: Nashville | $1,610/wk | $1,610/wk | $1,610/wk | $86 |
| 7 | Bozeman, MT GSA locality: Big Sky / West Yellowstone/Gardiner | $1,549/wk | $1,183/wk | $2,282/wk | $80 |
| 8 | San Jose, CA GSA locality: Sunnyvale / Palo Alto / San Jose | $1,526/wk | $1,526/wk | $1,526/wk | $92 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA GSA locality: Seattle | $1,511/wk | $1,316/wk | $1,785/wk | $92 |
| 10 | San Diego, CA GSA locality: San Diego | $1,504/wk | $1,456/wk | $1,743/wk | $86 |
| 11 | Aurora, CO / Denver, CO GSA locality: Denver / Aurora | $1,423/wk | $1,190/wk | $1,589/wk | $92 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL / Elgin, IL GSA locality: Chicago | $1,416/wk | $1,036/wk | $1,666/wk | $92 |
| 13 | Anaheim, CA / Long Beach, CA / Los Angeles, CA / Santa Ana, CA GSA locality: Los Angeles | $1,393/wk | $1,393/wk | $1,393/wk | $86 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA GSA locality: Philadelphia | $1,356/wk | $1,218/wk | $1,589/wk | $92 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA GSA locality: Atlanta | $1,349/wk | $1,316/wk | $1,449/wk | $86 |
Each city links to its full month-by-month per diem page. GSA localities with no city we track can post higher peak rates; see per diem rates by state for every GSA locality.
High pay and no state income tax
Of the 9 no-wage-tax areas, 3 rank in the top quarter (top 13) for RN pay: Washington (#4, $124,200), Alaska (#5, $109,480), Nevada (#9, $103,670). The full list, by RN median: Washington (#4), Alaska (#5), Nevada (#9), New Hampshire (#16), Texas (#22), Florida (#34), Wyoming (#35), Tennessee (#41), South Dakota (#49).
For a travel nurse, the assignment state is only half of it. Both states can have a claim: the home (tax-home) state, if it taxes wages, taxes all of a resident's income, and the assignment state can tax what is earned there. A contract in Texas does not remove California tax from a California resident. The travel nurse tax calculator computes federal tax and FICA for any pair of states and only adds a state figure where it is sourced.
Why the highest-paying state may not pay you the most
A higher GSA lodging ceiling lets an agency pay more tax-free for housing, but the stipend reimburses a real housing cost. It is tax-free only for a nurse who keeps a qualifying tax home and duplicates housing expenses; otherwise it is taxable wages. To see what an offer leaves after housing, use the housing stipend calculator and the contract grade tool.
The lowest RN medians in May 2025 were in Alabama ($77,080), Mississippi ($77,090), South Dakota ($78,060), Iowa ($78,630), Arkansas ($78,940).
Highest-paid nursing roles
Pay also differs by nursing role. National median annual wages, May 2025 (BLS):
- Nurse Anesthetists (SOC 29-1151): $236,590 ($113.75/hr); highest-paying state Alaska at $341,210 (of the 44 states with a published BLS median)
- Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171): $132,300 ($63.61/hr); highest-paying state California at $168,520
- Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141): $97,550 ($46.90/hr); highest-paying state California at $140,270
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061): $64,400 ($30.96/hr); highest-paying state Washington at $83,150
For travel contracts by specialty, see travel nurse salary by specialty and how much travel nurses make.
How this page is built
State wages are BLS OEWS estimates for employed registered nurses in all settings; they are staff wages, not travel contract pay. Stipend ceilings are GSA per diem rates for FY2027 (Oct 2026–Sep 2027), read locality by locality. We do not rank our own editorial travel pay estimates here, because they are estimates, not measurements; each state's travel pay page shows them with that label. Method and sources: methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying states for nurses?
By the median annual wage for registered nurses in May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the top five were California ($140,270), Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010), Washington ($124,200), Alaska ($109,480). The U.S. median was $97,550, and 18 of the 50 states and D.C. were above it.
What are the highest-paying states for travel nurses?
No government statistical agency measures travel nurse pay by state, so any single "travel nurse salary by state" figure is an estimate or a summary of job listings, not measured pay. What is published is the local staff wage level (BLS; California is highest at $140,270), and the ceiling on tax-free stipends, which GSA sets by locality, not by state. A state also matters for tax: 9 of the areas ranked here levy no state income tax on wages, and the highest-paying of those for RNs are Washington (#4), Alaska (#5), Nevada (#9).
What are the highest-paying cities for travel nurses?
The city-specific part of a travel package that is published is the GSA lodging ceiling, which caps a tax-free housing stipend. Among the cities we track, the highest FY2027 ceilings on a 12-month average are New York, NY ($2,038/week), Boston, MA ($1,990/week), San Francisco, CA ($1,896/week), Charleston, SC ($1,724/week), Alexandria, VA ($1,721/week). The weekly figure is lodging × 7 and does not include meals (M&IE).
Is the GSA ceiling what a travel nurse will be paid?
No. It is the most an agency can pay tax-free for housing and meals, and only to a nurse with a qualifying tax home. The agency sets the actual stipend. The weekly housing ceiling is the nightly lodging rate × 7; the combined per diem ceiling adds M&IE (meals and incidentals) × 7. A housing stipend is measured against the first number, not the second.
Which nursing role pays the most?
By national median annual wage in May 2025 (BLS): Nurse Anesthetists $236,590; Nurse Practitioners $132,300; Registered Nurses $97,550; Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $64,400.