What could have been a brief reversal has become a trend. For the third consecutive month, travel nursing salaries rose slightly in the U.S. after multiple years of declines. Thus, 2024 ends with the national average travel nurse salary climbing 0.1% from $2,291 in November to $2,294 in December. While December’s increase was minimal, just $3 per week, it builds on the 0.7% wage increase in November and the 0.5% salary jump in October.

The recent three months of travel RN pay increases have helped stabilize their levels somewhat over the course of the entire year, especially compared to the more rapid declines of years past. For instance, when we looked at the year-over-year change in pay in our December 2023 report, it had just recorded a yearly drop of 11.3%. But in 2024, pay slipped a much more modest 3.8%. Travel RN salaries declined from $2,386 in December 2023 to $2,294 in December 2024, indicating a cooling of the significant plunge they’d previously been on.

The following chart demonstrates the percent change in travel nurse wages from November to December 2024 for all 50 states. The area shaded in gray helps illustrate the band in which wages shifted less than 1% up or down, a level we consider relatively unchanged.

Month-over-Month Changes Nationwide

The monthly percent change in the average travel nursing pay for all 50 states is based on a comparison of pay for all travel RN jobs staffing partners posted on Vivian Health in November 2024 and all jobs posted in December 2024.

States Where Travel Nurse Pay Increased

Travel nursing pay rose in 10 states during December. The pay increases in three of those states broke the 2% mark. Montana led the pack, as wages there rose 3.4% from $2,320 in November to $2,399 in December. Meanwhile, California’s pay increase of 2.4% from $2,786 to $2,852 makes the Golden State the only one where travel pay exceeds $2,800 per week. Joining the trio was Nevada, where pay climbed 2.1% from $2,539 to $2,592 during the same period. 

States Where Travel Nursing Salaries Decreased

We recorded significant pay decreases in just eight states last month. Arkansas stood out among these states, with average weekly pay slipping from $2,095 in November to $2,019 in December. That marked a 3.6% decrease. We’ve also had our eye on Alaska, which just recorded its sixth straight month of pay declines. Nevertheless, at $2,669 per week, wages in Alaska are still second-highest in the nation, behind only California, but getting closer to the number three state, Delaware, where wages were $2,596 in December.

States Where Travel Nurse Wages Stayed the Same

Most states find themselves in a period of relative wage stability, with salaries shifting less than 1% up or down during the month. The predominance of 32 out of 50 states falling into this category helps explain why the national average salary shifted by a mere $3 per week in December.

Schedule a Demo to Learn How Vivian Can Support Your Hiring in any Economy

It’s hard to forecast where travel nursing salaries will go in 2025. Recent economic indicators such as 3.1% economic growth in the third quarter of 2024 and 4.2% unemployment in November 2024 suggest a robust economy. At the same time, the arrival of a new Congress and Presidential administration in January could bring new tax, economic and healthcare policies, the effects of which are difficult to predict. For those in healthcare administration, these are all areas to watch carefully in the first few months of 2025.

Vivian Health helps you prepare to hire high-quality travel and staff nurses no matter where 2025 takes us. Tap into a pool of over 2 million healthcare professionals registered on our platform. Schedule a demo with Vivian, and we’ll show you how your recruiting agency or health system can source qualified leads across the United States.

Average salary data based on travel RN jobs posted on Vivian Health during the complete month of November 2024 compared to the jobs posted during the complete month of December 2024.