I will graduate next year and would like to become a travel nurse. Is travel nursing oversaturated? (2024)

FAQs

I will graduate next year and would like to become a travel nurse. Is travel nursing oversaturated? ›

I will graduate next year and would like to become a travel nurse. Is travel nursing oversaturated? Travel nurses are still in demand, but most companies want you to have at least a year of non-travel practice before hiring you.

However, travel nurse pay remains very strong. According to surveys by staffing agencies, the average weekly gross pay for travel nurse assignments in early 2024 is around $2,800 for a 48-hour week. This still represents a pay premium of 30-50% over commensurate permanent staff nurse positions at most facilities.

No. In general, most facilities require travel nurses to have at least one to two years of registered nursing experience in their primary specialty. If your ultimate dream is travel nursing, you'll need to spend a year or two as a staff nurse getting ready for that.

NBC News announced last fall that “the travel nurses' gold rush” is over. Hospitals are now negotiating down contract rates with travel nurse agencies by as much as 50%. Though not what it once was, travel nursing is far from dead, and the pay is still above average.

So, is travel nursing worth it? Yes! With more money, flexibility, career options, travel perks, and personal growth, it's still one of the most exciting nursing opportunities in 2024. If you're thinking of level up in your nursing career now, travel nursing jobs might just be the adventure you're looking for.

The future of travel nursing is bright and full of exciting opportunities. While there will be some challenges along the way, the innovations and progress we will make in 2024 will help travel nurses provide exceptional care for their patients while enjoying fulfilling careers.

Travel Nursing is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it also comes with hard work, long hours, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly to a lot of things. Everyone responds differently, and oftentimes it's just an adjustment that you get used to after the first or few assignments.

To become a Traveling Nurse, either an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required. It's also required to become licensed. This can be done by passing the NCLEX-RN exam.

Travel nurses are required to have at least a year of experience prior to taking a travel assignment.

Are travel nurses being phased out? ›

Between January to July 2022, the demand decreased by approximately 40 percent. And with that shift, travel nurse salaries also dropped closer to pre-pandemic pay rates. Yet despite these industry trends, many nurses still find travel nursing an appealing career path.

Con: Job security

Hopping from short-term job to short-term job means less job security. Travel nursing positions are not permanent. This means that travel nurses are often looking for the next position and need to budget their money for a potential employment gap.

Looking in from the outside, it looks like travel nurses are happy in their roles, reporting better compensation and higher job satisfaction than their permanent counterparts.

Travel nursing sounds glamorous-good pay, flexibility, and the best part, travelling, duh! The cons of travel nursing are less identifiable. Things like separation from friends and family, unfamiliar accommodations, and the unknown can leave one feeling empty and loneliness.

License and travel reimbursem*nts

Travel nurses are reimbursed for necessary state licensure. They also receive reimbursem*nts for travel expenses like gas and airfare.

The highest paying state for travel nurses is New York, with a $135,031 travel nurse annual salary with an hourly wage of $64.92.

According to a Health Workforce Analysis published by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in November 2022, federal authorities project a shortage of 78,610 full-time RNs in 2025 and a shortage of 63,720 full-time RNs in 2030.

Travel Nurse Salary and Job Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the nursing profession to grow at a rate of 16% between 2014 and 2024. Due to the current nursing shortage, the job outlook for travel nursing is even greater. The BLS predicts a 19% growth for travel nurse jobs by 2022.