Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Travel Nurse Pay & Jobs

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

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 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Travel Nurse Pay

Use our calculator to estimate your take-home pay as a Pediatric Intensive 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

$55/hr

Average Weekly Pay

$2,200

Average Annual Pay

$114,400

Requirements for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Travel Nurses

  • BLS
  • PALS
  • 2+ years PICU experience

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses make?

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses typically earn between $50 and $65 per hour in taxable wages, with an average of $55/hr. When including tax-free stipends, the blended hourly rate typically ranges from $94-105 per hour.

What are the requirements for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses?

Requirements for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses typically include: BLS, PALS, 2+ years PICU experience. Requirements may vary by facility and state.

What is the demand for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses?

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

Which states pay the most for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit travel nurses?

California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon typically offer the highest pay rates for Pediatric Intensive 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.