Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Travel Nurse Pay & Jobs

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

Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates

Specialty pay figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.

Calculate Your Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Travel Nurse Pay

Use our calculator to estimate your take-home pay as a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurse, including cost of living analysis.

Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown

Estimate your take-home pay, taxes, and blended rate in seconds.

⚠️ Alert: Your housing stipend of $1,000/week is 47% below the highest GSA lodging ceiling for California ($1,904/week). You may be leaving $904/week on the table. Consider negotiating with your agency.
Tax on your wages
Federal income tax (2026 brackets)$44/wk
FICA (Social Security + Medicare)$55/wk
State income taxnot available

Federal tax applies to wages after the $16,100 standard deduction; FICA applies to all wages. Tax-free stipends are excluded from both.

Same-state assignment — you file one resident return in your home state.

State income tax not included

We do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for this state, so we are not estimating its income tax. A wrong state figure is worse than none. Federal and FICA figures above are complete and sourced; your true net pay will be lower than gross by more than the amounts shown, so we are not displaying a net figure for this state.

Overtime (Optional)

Blended Hourly Rate

$58.89

Based on 36 hours in CA.

Gross Weekly Pay

$2,120

Taxable Weekly Income

$720

Estimated Weekly Taxes

True Net Weekly Pay

Assignment Projections

13-Week Assignment

Net Pay

26-Week Assignment

Net Pay

Annual (52 weeks)

Net Pay

Take Home vs Taxes

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Take Home

per week

Taxes

per week

Total Gross: $2,120 per week

🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis

Your Weekly Housing Stipend

$1,000

$4,330/month

Est. 1BR Rent in California

$2,300

Monthly average

Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money

+$2,030

Your stipend covers rent with $2,030 left over each month.

Find apartments under $2,300/month in San Francisco:

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Resources for Your Assignment

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Average Hourly Rate

$53/hr

Average Weekly Pay

$2,120

Average Annual Pay

$110,240

Requirements for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Travel Nurses

  • BLS
  • ACLS
  • 2+ years PACU experience

Note: Requirements may vary by facility and state. Always verify specific requirements with your travel nurse agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses make?

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses typically earn between $48 and $63 per hour in taxable wages, with an average of $53/hr. When including tax-free stipends, the blended hourly rate typically ranges from $92-103 per hour.

What are the requirements for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses?

Requirements for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses typically include: BLS, ACLS, 2+ years PACU experience. Requirements may vary by facility and state.

What is the demand for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses?

The demand for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses is high. This specialty offers good job opportunities and competitive pay rates.

Which states pay the most for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses?

California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon typically offer the highest pay rates for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit travel nurses. However, consider cost of living when evaluating total compensation. Use our [state comparison tool](/compare-states/) to compare pay across different states.