Expert guides on travel nurse pay packages, housing stipends, tax rules, and more.
10 states and DC don't accept a multistate nursing license. Endorsement fees, fingerprints, temporary licenses and processing times by state, October 2026.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-26 | 9 min read
The IRS has no 50-mile rule for travel nurses. Where the number comes from, what the IRS tests instead, and why stipends are taxable without a tax home.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-26 | 9 min read
How travel nurse guaranteed hours, on-call and call-back pay, stipend charge-backs and cancellations work, and what federal overtime rules say about call.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-26 | 11 min read
Travel nurse housing stipends are capped at the GSA lodging rate: $791 a week at the FY2027 standard rate. How they work, taxes, and what 11 cities leave after rent.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-19 | 8 min read
Travel nurses usually get agency health insurance and a 401(k), rarely paid time off. Staff RN benefits are worth about $590 a week. Travel vs staff vs per diem.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-19 | 8 min read
What a furnished room costs a travel nurse, from 2,773 CircleRN room listings: a $1,200 median, about $600 a month less than a one-bedroom, with prices in 11 cities. What is included, what to ask the host, night shifts, scams, and where to look.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-17 | 8 min read
What travel psych contracts pay, measured from 62 open postings across 28 states: a $2,105 median, about 5 percent below med-surg and lower in each state with enough contracts to compare. Experience and de-escalation requirements, PMH-BC, nights, and psych NPs.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-17 | 8 min read
What travel nurses pay for rent, from 6,915 CircleRN listings: a $2,200 median for an entire place and $1,200 for a room, below the GSA lodging limit in all ten large markets compared. Pros and cons, pricing against the stipend, rooms vs whole homes, where to list, screening, and cancellations.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-13 | 8 min read
How to run a mid-term rental for travel nurses: what to put in the lease, whether 30 days gets you out of short-term rental rules and hotel tax (Texas yes, Florida no), why the short-term rental tax loophole does not apply, what you can deduct, and a furnishing checklist from 6,915 listings.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-13 | 9 min read
What travel cath lab contracts pay, measured from 156 open postings across 41 states: a $2,908 median, about 25 percent above adult ICU and higher than ICU in all eleven states compared directly. RCIS eligibility for nurses, and the call and role questions to settle before you sign.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
What travel PICU contracts pay, measured from 85 open postings across 24 states: a $2,698 median, about 16 percent above adult ICU and higher than ICU in every state compared directly. CCRN (Pediatric) hour rules, and what to ask about the unit before you sign.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
What travel oncology contracts pay, measured from 142 open postings across 30 states: a $2,395 median, level with adult ICU and about 6 percent above med-surg within the same state. OCN eligibility, chemotherapy certificates, and inpatient versus infusion contracts.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
There is no federal wage figure for CT technologists: BLS counts them within radiologic technologists, whose May 2025 median was $80,110, against $95,480 for MRI. What that means for a travel CT tech, the ARRT(CT) postprimary pathway and its clinical log, and what to check in a CT contract.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
Travel nursing advertises $2,347 a week at the median against $1,876 for the median staff RN, about 25% more on paper. At that rate a traveler needs about 42 working weeks a year to gross the staff nurse's $97,550, before housing, benefits and the stipend's tax advantage. When travel wins, and when staff does.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
California pays travel nurses the highest median, $2,704 a week against $2,347 nationally. Compare the same specialties and South Dakota ties it; count cost of living and South Dakota leads at 27% above. All 40 states ranked three ways.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-10-01 | 7 min read
The FY2027 GSA per diem rates took effect October 1, 2026: $113 lodging and $68 meals standard, a $1,267 weekly ceiling for a tax-free stipend. Weekly limits for 33 major cities and every state, what changed, and why your offer pays less.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-30 | 9 min read
Living with parents can be a valid tax home for a travel nurse, but living there is not enough. The IRS three-factor test, the appeals court case a traveler lost for paying no rent, what fair rent means, and what the record should show.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-30 | 8 min read
What travel telemetry contracts pay, measured from 300 open postings across 38 states: a $2,322 median, level with adult ICU nationally but below it in 12 of 17 states compared directly. PCCN, CMC and CV-BC, and who watches the monitors.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-25 | 7 min read
What travel NICU contracts pay, measured from 114 open postings across 27 states: a $2,444 median, five percent above adult ICU, with nearly a third of contracts in California at $2,880. RNC-NIC against CCRN (Neonatal), and what to ask about the unit's level.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-25 | 8 min read
What travel cardiovascular ICU contracts pay, measured from 116 open postings across 34 states: a $2,488 median, seven percent above general ICU and higher in all nine states compared directly. The CSC 48-hour rule, and the device questions to settle before you sign.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-25 | 8 min read
What travel social workers make in 2026: BLS pay data, what emergency department and case management contracts post and involve, the clinical license they require, Washington's LICSW rules and reciprocity program, the Social Work Licensure Compact status, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-17 | 11 min read
What travel medical assistants make in 2026: BLS pay data, why Washington leads on pay and openings, how a 13-week MA contract is paid and taxed, CMA, RMA, CCMA, and NCMA certification, the Washington MA-C credential, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-17 | 10 min read
What travel anesthesia technicians and technologists make in 2026: why there is no BLS figure and what to use instead, what real 13-week contracts post, the ASATT Cer.A.T.T. credential, the experience facilities want, and how to compare offers with call and nights.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-17 | 10 min read
The profession-agnostic roadmap to your first travel contract: which clinicians can travel, the credentials and experience you need, how tax-free stipends work, the steps in order, and how long it takes to start.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-08-12 | 11 min read
How to pick a travel healthcare agency: what an agency actually does, why travelers work with two or three, the questions to ask a recruiter, how to verify legitimacy, and the warning signs that should end the conversation.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-08-12 | 10 min read
What goes in a travel healthcare submission packet and what it is actually used for: the resume a hiring manager skims, how to rate a skills checklist honestly, how many references you need, and why you approve every submission one at a time.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-08-31 | 14 min read
Every document a travel assignment requires and the federal rule behind it: hepatitis B at no cost, why annual TB testing exceeds CDC guidance, when a titer is your employer choice, the withdrawn COVID-19 staff mandate, and your FCRA rights on a background check.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-08-31 | 15 min read
What a travel offer actually commits you to and what the contract decides: the two-document structure, the rate split in writing, how guaranteed hours are really satisfied, the stipend clause that can change your overtime, cancellation symmetry, floating, repayment, and why there is no federal non-compete ban.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-06 | 13 min read
What actually happens between signing and your first shift: the cash gap before the first paycheck, what to have saved, whether travel money is a tax-free reimbursement or wages, why orientation must be paid, why the first cheque is short, and when to commit to housing.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-06 | 10 min read
How an extension differs from a new contract, why extension rates start lower, what the IRS one-year rule does when you stay past twelve months in one place, why the change is not retroactive, what the field gets wrong about resetting the clock, and how your second submission is stronger.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-06 | 10 min read
What travel medical-surgical contracts pay, measured from 759 open postings across 46 states: a $2,192 median, about six percent below ICU nationally and three percent within the same state. The largest contract volume of any specialty, no certification required, and why the market matters more than the unit.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 7 min read
What travel emergency contracts pay, measured from 723 open postings: a $2,263 median reaching 48 states, tied with labor and delivery for the widest coverage we measure. Why the reach matters more than the rate, and the CEN, TNCC and PALS credentials that open the range.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 7 min read
What travel ICU contracts pay, measured from 570 open postings across 47 states: a $2,318 median, about six percent above Med-Surg nationally and three percent within the same state, rather than the gap the field quotes. The CCRN hour rule that catches people, and what to check in a critical care contract.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 8 min read
What travel progressive care contracts pay, measured from 420 open postings across 42 states: a $2,268 median, two percent below ICU nationally and slightly above it within the same state. Why that makes PCU a destination rather than a step, and the PCCN credential whose hours also accrue in telemetry and emergency departments.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 7 min read
What travel labor and delivery contracts pay, measured from 439 open postings across 48 states: a $2,646 median, and state medians from $2,125 in Ohio to $3,628 in Washington, the widest geographic spread of any nursing specialty. The RNC-OB rule that is not either-or.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 7 min read
What travel operating room contracts pay, measured from 415 open postings across 46 states: a $2,604 median, fifth of twenty-four specialties, and above ICU in 25 of the 26 states compared directly. The CNOR intraoperative hour rule, and why we publish no sub-specialty figures.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-09-07 | 7 min read
What travel occupational therapists make in 2026: BLS pay data, which settings pay the most, tax-free stipends, NBCOT and license requirements, where the new OT Licensure Compact is live yet, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-26 | 9 min read
What travel speech-language pathologists make in 2026: BLS pay data, which settings pay the most, tax-free stipends, CCC-SLP and license requirements, where the new ASLP-IC compact is live yet, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-26 | 9 min read
How much do travel physical therapists make? Travel PT salary in 2026 vs the $102,760 BLS median, hourly and weekly pay, housing stipend, PT Compact.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-20 | 10 min read
What travel MRI techs make in 2026: BLS pay data, why MRI technologists out-earn general rad techs, tax-free stipends, ARRT MRI credential requirements, which settings pay the most, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-20 | 9 min read
What travel ultrasound techs (diagnostic medical sonographers) make in 2026: BLS pay data, which sonography specialties pay the most, tax-free stipends, ARDMS requirements, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-12 | 9 min read
What travel surgical techs make in 2026: BLS pay data, why the tax-free stipend does more work at a lower base, CST and NBSTSA requirements, which OR specialties pay the most, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-12 | 9 min read
What travel respiratory therapists make in 2026: BLS pay data, which settings pay the most, tax-free stipends, NBRC and RRT requirements, and how to compare offers.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-06 | 9 min read
What travel medical lab scientists make in 2026, the MLS vs MLT difference, whether MLS earns more, ASCP requirements, and how tax-free stipends drive take-home.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-07-06 | 9 min read
A 2026 guide to travel allied health: which disciplines travel, how much they make (BLS data), how tax-free stipends work, and whether travel is worth it.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-30 | 8 min read
Yes, and under the same IRS rules as travel nurses. How allied health travel stipends work: tax home, GSA per diem caps, the one-year rule, and take-home math.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-30 | 8 min read
Travel radiology tech salary in 2026: rad tech pay hourly and weekly vs the $80,110 BLS median, CT vs MRI, tax-free stipends, and ARRT and license rules.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-30 | 10 min read
The best travel nurse cities in 2026 by take-home, not headline pay: top-paying metros, the highest GSA housing stipends, no-income-tax states, and licensing speed.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-24 | 9 min read
Per diem (PRN) vs travel nursing compared on take-home pay, taxes, benefits and overtime, plus the other meaning of per diem: the tax-free travel stipend and where this year's GSA rates are.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-24 | 9 min read
Travel nurse overtime is paid on your taxable base, not your blended rate. See how the 8 and 80 rule changes the math and how to protect your OT pay.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-11 | 9 min read
What happens to your health insurance between travel assignments, how COBRA and the ACA Marketplace compare, and how to avoid a coverage gap between contracts.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-11 | 9 min read
A complete 2026 guide to becoming a travel nurse: experience and license requirements, whether you need a BSN, how to choose an agency, what your first assignment looks like, and how much you can earn.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-01 | 9 min read
How travel nurses find housing in 2026: whether to take the stipend or agency housing, where to find safe furnished short-term rentals, how much to budget, and the red flags that signal a housing scam.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-06-01 | 9 min read
Which travel nurse specialties pay the most in 2026? A data-driven look at top-paying specialties, why they pay more, and what it takes to break in.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-05-27 | 9 min read
Complete 2026 guide to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): which 40 states are active, which have enacted but not yet implemented, which remain outside, how to get a multistate license, and what travel nurses need to know.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-05-27 | 8 min read
Learn how to break down a travel nurse pay package: base pay, stipends, overtime, and total compensation. Avoid common mistakes that cost nurses thousands.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-04-08 | 8 min read
Understand IRS rules for travel nurse housing stipends: tax homes, duplicate expenses, and how to keep your stipend tax-free.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-04-08 | 7 min read
Know what to look for before signing a travel nurse contract. Common red flags in cancellation clauses, pay details, non-competes, and more.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-04-09 | 9 min read
Everything travel nurses need to know about establishing and maintaining a tax home: the IRS three-factor test, the one-year rule, and common mistakes.
By CircleRN Team | 2026-04-09 | 10 min read