Travel Nurse Specialties
Compare pay rates, requirements, and job opportunities across different travel nursing specialties.
Highest Paying Specialties
Operating Room
OR travel nurses assist in surgical procedures, managing sterile fields, instruments, and patient care during operations.
Intensive Care Unit
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
PICU travel nurses care for critically ill children, requiring specialized pediatric critical care skills.
Emergency Room
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
NICU travel nurses care for premature and critically ill newborns, requiring specialized skills in neonatal care.
Cardiac
Cardiac travel nurses care for patients with heart conditions, including post-operative cardiac care and cardiac monitoring.
All Specialties
Operating Room
OR travel nurses assist in surgical procedures, managing sterile fields, instruments, and patient care during operations.
Intensive Care Unit
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
PICU travel nurses care for critically ill children, requiring specialized pediatric critical care skills.
Emergency Room
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
NICU travel nurses care for premature and critically ill newborns, requiring specialized skills in neonatal care.
Cardiac
Cardiac travel nurses care for patients with heart conditions, including post-operative cardiac care and cardiac monitoring.
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
PACU travel nurses care for patients recovering from anesthesia and surgery, monitoring vital signs and managing post-operative care.
Labor & Delivery
L&D travel nurses care for mothers and newborns during labor, delivery, and postpartum periods.
Oncology
Oncology travel nurses care for cancer patients, administering chemotherapy and providing specialized cancer care.
Telemetry
Telemetry travel nurses monitor patients' cardiac rhythms and vital signs using specialized equipment.
Psychiatric
Psychiatric travel nurses care for patients with mental health conditions, requiring specialized training in behavioral health.
Medical-Surgical
Med-Surg travel nurses provide care for patients with various medical and surgical conditions, the most common travel nursing specialty.
Specialty Pay by State
Browse detailed pay guides for each nursing specialty in specific states. Find average salaries, GSA rates, and cost of living data.
| Specialty | AZ | CA | FL | MA | NY | PA | TX | WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| ICU | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| PICU | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| ER | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| NICU | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Cardiac | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| PACU | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Labor & Delivery | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Oncology | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Telemetry | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Psychiatric | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
| Med-Surg | View | View | View | View | View | View | View | View |
Last updated: February 21, 2026. Click any cell to see detailed pay information for that specialty in that state.