Travel Nursing in Columbia, MO

25 openings from $2,071–$2,954/week in Columbia, MO — Progressive Care Unit, Med-Surg, Emergency Room. Pay by specialty, what it costs to live there, and 2 furnished places to stay.

25 openings from $2,071–$2,954/week right now.

Housing in Columbia

2 furnished rentals available for travel nurses.

Browse Columbia housing

Cost of living in Columbia

Prices in Columbia, MO (Metropolitan Statistical Area) run 11% lower overall.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, where 100 is the national average.

Rent in Columbia

The federal ceiling on tax-free lodging reimbursement in Columbia is $110 per night, plus up to $68 a day for meals (GSA, FY2026). GSA names roughly 300 higher-cost destinations individually; Columbia is not one, so the national standard rate applies. That is a maximum, not what agencies pay.

How Columbia pay compares

For the same specialties, Columbia pays about 2% above the national median, across 12 open listings. Once local prices are counted, that is worth about +14%. Each opening is compared with the national median for its own specialty, so the figure is not distorted by which specialties happen to be hiring here.

Licensing

Missouri is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so an active multistate license covers you here. A single-state license from elsewhere does not.

Open assignments in Columbia

• Progressive Care Unit RN — $2,191/week
• Med-Surg RN — $2,192/week
• Emergency Room RN — $2,216/week
• NICU RN — $2,288/week
• Peds - OR RN — $2,696/week
• Operating Room RN — $2,696/week
• Mother Baby RN — $2,071/week
• Interventional Radiology RN — $2,954/week

What Columbia pays by specialty

Weekly package on assignments open now, for specialties with at least three priced postings.

• Med-Surg — $2,192/week median ($2,192–$2,225), 10 open

See all 25 openings in Columbia

Hospitals hiring in Columbia

2 hospitals in Columbia are hiring travel nurses, 23 openings in all. Each page lists the openings by specialty with advertised weekly pay, cost of living and housing nearby.

• University of Missouri Health Care — 21 open · median $2,216/week advertised · 665 beds · 3.6★ (1)
• Boone Hospital Center — 2 open · median $2,954/week advertised · 266 beds

Other cities in Missouri

• St. Louis — 85 openings
• Kansas City — 26 openings
• North Kansas City — 4 openings
• Rolla — 4 openings
• Bolivar — 3 openings
• Creve Coeur — 3 openings
• Cape Girardeau — 2 openings
• Fairfax — 2 openings

Resources

• Travel nursing in Missouri
• Travel nursing by state
• Hospitals in Columbia
• Housing across Missouri
• Travel Nurse Housing Guide
• Travel Nurse Pay Explained
• Pay Calculator

Common questions

How much do travel nurses make in Columbia, MO?

Open assignments in Columbia run $2,071 to $2,954 a week.

Do I need a Missouri nursing license?

Missouri is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so an active multistate license covers you here. A single-state license from elsewhere does not.

Is Columbia expensive for travel nurses?

Against the national average, Columbia runs housing 31% below, utilities 14% below, services 7% below and groceries and goods 6% below. (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, where 100 is the national average.)

What is rent for a travel nurse in Columbia?

The market rate for a one-bedroom in Columbia is $865 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2025, utilities included). CircleRN lists 2 furnished places here.

How much of a travel nurse package is tax-free in Columbia?

The federal ceiling on untaxed lodging in Columbia is $110 a night, plus up to $68 a day for meals (GSA, FY2026). That is the national standard rate, which applies everywhere GSA has not named a higher-cost destination. That is a maximum, not what agencies pay, and stipends are only untaxed while you maintain a permanent tax home elsewhere.