Travel Nurse Specialties

Compare pay rates, requirements, and job opportunities across different travel nursing specialties.

Highest Paying Specialties

All Specialties

Operating Room

Avg. Hourly: $56/hr
Weekly: $2,240
Annual: $116,480
Demand: High

OR travel nurses assist in surgical procedures, managing sterile fields, instruments, and patient care during operations.

Intensive Care Unit

Avg. Hourly: $55/hr
Weekly: $2,200
Annual: $114,400
Demand: Very High

ICU travel nurses care for critically ill patients in intensive care units, requiring advanced skills in life support, monitoring, and critical thinking.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Avg. Hourly: $55/hr
Weekly: $2,200
Annual: $114,400
Demand: High

PICU travel nurses care for critically ill children, requiring specialized pediatric critical care skills.

Emergency Room

Avg. Hourly: $54/hr
Weekly: $2,160
Annual: $112,320
Demand: Very High

ER travel nurses work in emergency departments, handling trauma, acute illnesses, and urgent care situations with fast-paced, high-stress environments.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Avg. Hourly: $54/hr
Weekly: $2,160
Annual: $112,320
Demand: High

NICU travel nurses care for premature and critically ill newborns, requiring specialized skills in neonatal care.

Cardiac

Avg. Hourly: $54/hr
Weekly: $2,160
Annual: $112,320
Demand: High

Cardiac travel nurses care for patients with heart conditions, including post-operative cardiac care and cardiac monitoring.

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit

Avg. Hourly: $53/hr
Weekly: $2,120
Annual: $110,240
Demand: High

PACU travel nurses care for patients recovering from anesthesia and surgery, monitoring vital signs and managing post-operative care.

Labor & Delivery

Avg. Hourly: $52/hr
Weekly: $2,080
Annual: $108,160
Demand: High

L&D travel nurses care for mothers and newborns during labor, delivery, and postpartum periods.

Oncology

Avg. Hourly: $51/hr
Weekly: $2,040
Annual: $106,080
Demand: High

Oncology travel nurses care for cancer patients, administering chemotherapy and providing specialized cancer care.

Telemetry

Avg. Hourly: $50/hr
Weekly: $2,000
Annual: $104,000
Demand: High

Telemetry travel nurses monitor patients' cardiac rhythms and vital signs using specialized equipment.

Psychiatric

Avg. Hourly: $49/hr
Weekly: $1,960
Annual: $101,920
Demand: Moderate

Psychiatric travel nurses care for patients with mental health conditions, requiring specialized training in behavioral health.

Medical-Surgical

Avg. Hourly: $48/hr
Weekly: $1,920
Annual: $99,840
Demand: Very High

Med-Surg travel nurses provide care for patients with various medical and surgical conditions, the most common travel nursing specialty.

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