Travel nursing salary trends have been in a holding pattern for the past several months, so little has changed since we released our February 2024 report. However, we highlight a few states in our March 2024 report that experienced more dramatic adjustments in average travel nursing pay during the previous month. While the average weekly salary for travel nurses fell 0.5% in February, it declined an even more modest 0.3% in March. The average weekly wage was $2,398 in February, which softened a few dollars to $2,391 in March.

Cumulative declines over the past 12 months have seen travel nursing pay fall 7.7% compared to March 2023, when it was $2,589 per week. The passage of time since the pandemic era has contributed to less demand for travel nurses, and many health systems have redoubled efforts to hire year-round full-time staff over the past year. 

A 50-State Overview of Travel Nurse Pay Changes

While travel nurse wage changes have been far less volatile in recent months compared to years past, a few individual states stand out with more dramatic increases or decreases. This month, states were almost evenly split between those that experienced relatively modest changes in pay, less than 1% up or down (24 states) and those that experienced more significant changes of 1% or more (26 states). Of the latter group, just 10 states saw significant wage gains, while 16 recorded decreases. 

The area shaded in gray in the graph below depicts the range of wage adjustments between -1% and 1%, which we consider to be modest fluctuations in travel nurse salaries.

States Where Travel Nursing Pay Increased

In March, a relatively small group of 10 states eked out wage gains greater than 1%. Among those, Idaho stood out for its 5% increase from $2,269 per week to $2,382 per week. That now puts Idaho roughly in line with the national average pay of $2,391. The colloquially nicknamed Gem State, known for its prized potatoes, has seen travel RN salaries remain well below the national average during the previous 12 months.

This increase in wages closer to the national average may be the start of something new for travel nurses in Idaho. A state that has been growing at twice the national average recently, with many households moving there from high-cost states on the West Coast since the pandemic. 

South Carolina followed Idaho with an increase in wages from $2,086 in February to $2,162 in March, or 3.6%, but these wages remain well below the national average despite the rise.

States Where Travel Nurse Salaries Decreased

In March, 16 states experienced travel nursing salary decreases of 1% or more. Among those, Montana, which directly abuts Idaho, saw a decline well above the rest. The Treasure State, which had an above-average wage of $2,426 in February, saw pay rates fall below the national average to $2,329 in March, a decline of 4.0%. Besides its briefly above-average salary in February, Montana has typically seen wages remain below the national average. Thus, the decline in March may simply mark a reversion to the mean for what’s typical in Montana.

States Where Travel Nurse Salaries Stayed the Same

Nearly half of all states, 24 to be exact, recorded relatively minor travel salary fluctuations of less than 1% up or down. This trend has been the case for the past several months, where anywhere from 24 to 30 states fell in this category. That’s in line with the overall trend of the moment, which is a relatively small change in national average wages of less than 1% in any given month.

Travel RN salaries may stay in this somewhat stable pattern for a while or until the economy enters a new phase. An anticipated interest rate decrease or a shift in the unemployment rate, which has remained in a relatively stable pattern since January 2022, may provide a catalyst.

Schedule a Demo to Learn How Vivian Can Support Your Hiring

While travel nursing pay is in a holding pattern, your hiring needs are ever-evolving and may include a mix of travel healthcare professionals or year-round staff hires. Whatever your needs, Vivian has you covered. Schedule a demo to learn how we can support your HR team today.

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