Travel Nurse Pay by State

Same package, all 50 states — ranked by take-home and real value.

PrivateFreeSourcedReviewed Sep 29, 2026

Most take-home: Alaska

No state income tax

$2,505

/wk net

$24.00/hr base + $1,650/wk stipends · 3×12h

California (you): $2,486
Difference: +$20
State tax in AK: $0

The same package nets $20/wk more ($943/yr) in Alaska than in California — largely because it has no state income tax.

Your package

Taxable base hourly rate

$24.00

Your reference / current state

Weekly housing stipend

$1,300

Weekly M&IE stipend

$350

Schedule & stipend taxes3×12h · stipends tax-free

Scheduled shifts per week

3 shifts

Hours per shift

12 hours

Every state, ranked

Sort by:

#	State	State tax/yr	Net/wk	COL	Adj. net/wk	Avg RN/hr
1	Alaskano tax	—	$2,505	125	$2,004	$53.00
2	Californiayou	$943	$2,486	138	$1,801	$68.00
3	Floridano tax	—	$2,390	102	$2,343	$38.00
4	Nevadano tax	—	$2,390	102	$2,343	$49.00
5	New Hampshireno tax	—	$2,390	110	$2,172	$42.00
6	North Dakota	—	$2,390	95	$2,515	$38.00
7	South Dakotano tax	—	$2,390	92	$2,597	$34.00
8	Tennesseeno tax	—	$2,390	90	$2,655	$36.00
9	Texasno tax	—	$2,390	92	$2,597	$42.00
10	Washingtonno tax	—	$2,390	116	$2,060	$50.00
11	Wyomingno tax	—	$2,390	94	$2,542	$39.00
12	Ohio	$358	$2,382	93	$2,561	$39.00
13	Arizona	$634	$2,376	102	$2,330	$44.00
14	New Jersey	$744	$2,374	114	$2,083	$51.00
15	New Mexico	$816	$2,373	94	$2,524	$42.00
16	Louisiana	$858	$2,372	91	$2,606	$37.00
17	South Carolina	$866	$2,372	96	$2,470	$38.00
18	Mississippi	$927	$2,370	86	$2,756	$33.00
19	Rhode Island	$938	$2,370	110	$2,155	$46.00
20	Vermont	$955	$2,370	115	$2,061	$42.00
21	Iowa	$964	$2,370	90	$2,633	$35.00
22	Missouri	$1,012	$2,369	89	$2,661	$36.00
23	Wisconsin	$1,075	$2,367	95	$2,492	$41.00
24	Colorado	$1,116	$2,366	105	$2,254	$44.00
25	North Carolina	$1,146	$2,366	96	$2,464	$38.00
26	West Virginia	$1,148	$2,366	90	$2,629	$36.00
27	Nebraska	$1,183	$2,365	92	$2,571	$37.00
28	Montana	$1,192	$2,365	103	$2,296	$40.00
29	Indiana	$1,194	$2,365	90	$2,628	$38.00
30	Pennsylvania	$1,273	$2,363	96	$2,462	$41.00
31	Washington, DC	$1,322	$2,362	153	$1,544	$53.00
32	Kentucky	$1,334	$2,362	92	$2,567	$36.00
33	Idaho	$1,345	$2,362	98	$2,410	$41.00
34	Minnesota	$1,400	$2,360	95	$2,485	$45.00
35	Arkansas	$1,434	$2,360	91	$2,593	$34.00
36	Oklahoma	$1,449	$2,359	87	$2,712	$36.00
37	Maine	$1,472	$2,359	110	$2,145	$41.00
38	Michigan	$1,512	$2,358	91	$2,591	$40.00
39	Georgia	$1,530	$2,358	91	$2,591	$40.00
40	Virginia	$1,571	$2,357	102	$2,311	$40.00
41	Maryland	$1,606	$2,356	116	$2,031	$44.00
42	Connecticut	$1,616	$2,356	113	$2,085	$47.00
43	New York	$1,642	$2,355	125	$1,884	$52.00
44	Hawaii	$1,670	$2,355	184	$1,280	$60.00
45	Delaware	$1,735	$2,353	101	$2,330	$43.00
46	Alabama	$1,809	$2,352	89	$2,643	$35.00
47	Massachusetts	$1,854	$2,351	148	$1,589	$53.00
48	Utah	$1,866	$2,351	102	$2,305	$39.00
49	Illinois	$1,908	$2,350	92	$2,554	$43.00
50	Kansas	$2,026	$2,347	87	$2,698	$35.00
51	Oregon	$3,055	$2,326	113	$2,058	$56.00

Educational estimate, not tax advice. Take-home is modeled for a single filer, standard deduction, taxed in the assignment state (we don't model your resident-state return and other-state credit). Cost-of-living indices are state averages (US = 100). "Avg RN/hr" is the BLS OEWS May 2024 state mean for staff RNs — travel pay typically runs higher. Your actual offer and metro will differ.

Next steps

The Travel Nurse Pay by State tool answers the question every traveler asks before picking a destination: where does my pay go the furthest? Enter one pay package — your taxable base rate, weekly housing and M&IE stipends, and schedule — and it instantly runs that identical package through all 50 states and DC, then ranks them by true weekly take-home after federal, FICA, and state income tax. Because nine states levy no income tax, the same contract can keep noticeably more in Texas, Florida, Washington, or Tennessee than in California or New York. But more dollars isn't the same as more spending power, so the tool also ranks states by cost-of-living-adjusted take-home and shows each state's average RN wage (from the BLS) for context. It's the fastest way to build a shortlist of the best-paying states for your situation.

How this calculator works

Enter your pay package once: taxable base hourly rate, weekly housing stipend, and weekly M&IE stipend.
Set your schedule (shifts per week and hours per shift) and pick your current or reference state to benchmark against.
Toggle whether stipends are tax-free for you, then choose to sort by raw take-home or by cost-of-living-adjusted value.
Scan the ranked table of all 51 jurisdictions: state income tax per year, net per week, cost-of-living index, adjusted net, and the average RN wage. No-income-tax states are flagged.
Use the headline callout to see exactly how much more (or less) the same package nets in the top state versus your reference state.

net_weekly(state) = taxable_wages − fed − FICA − state_tax(state) + tax_free_stipends    adjusted = net_weekly ÷ (COL_index ÷ 100)

The same package is held constant and only the state changes, so every difference you see comes from state income tax and cost of living — the two levers a traveler actually controls by choosing where to work. Sorting by take-home surfaces the no-income-tax states; sorting by adjusted value surfaces where that take-home buys the most.

taxable_wages: Weekly hourly pay (base rate × scheduled hours)
state_tax(state): That state's income tax on the taxable wages (single filer)
tax_free_stipends: Housing + M&IE stipends, tax-free when you qualify
COL_index: State cost-of-living index, US average = 100

Frequently asked questions

What are the best-paying states for travel nurses?

On take-home, the nine states with no income tax usually lead: Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and New Hampshire let you keep more of your taxable wages. On raw bill rates, high-cost states like California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, and Oregon often post the highest weekly numbers, but state tax and cost of living eat into them. The best state for you depends on whether you optimize for gross rate, take-home, or purchasing power — this tool ranks all three.

Do travel nurses pay state income tax where they work or where they live?

Generally both, with a credit to avoid true double taxation. You owe non-resident income tax to the state where you physically work (the source state), and your state of legal residence taxes your worldwide income but usually credits the tax you paid to the work state. Many full-time travelers establish domicile in a no-income-tax state to minimize the residence-side bill. This tool models tax in the assignment (work) state; a travel-tax professional can map your full multi-state picture.

Why compare cost of living instead of just pay?

Because a bigger paycheck in an expensive city can leave you with less usable money. California might net the most dollars on paper, but after its income tax and some of the country's highest rents, a no-tax state with cheap housing can deliver more real spending power. Sorting by cost-of-living-adjusted take-home shows where your money actually goes furthest.

How accurate are the average RN wages shown?

The 'average RN/hr' column is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS state mean wage for all registered nurses (occupation 29-1141, May 2024). It's a neutral baseline for comparing states — travel and contract pay typically runs higher than the staff-RN mean, and varies by specialty, season, and demand. Use it for relative comparison, not as a quote for a specific assignment.

Sources used in this calculator

Reviewed by the Money Scale editorial team. How we source our data

See all

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