5 FANTASTIC DESTINATIONS FOR TRAVEL NURSING

Updated December 6, 2022 · 2 Min Read

Travel Nursing Destinations Boston, Massachusetts Dallas, Texas Chicago, Illinois New York City, New York San Jose, California When you began your nursing education, you probably didn't consider "have certification, will travel" to be among one of the perks of the job. Travel nurses are increasingly in demand, however, as more and more locations find themselves ...

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Travel Nursing Destinations

  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Dallas, Texas
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • New York City, New York
  • San Jose, California

When you began your nursing education, you probably didn't consider "have certification, will travel" to be among one of the perks of the job. Travel nurses are increasingly in demand, however, as more and more locations find themselves short on qualified medical professionals for limited amounts of time throughout the year. Travel nurses fill their otherwise typical nursing roles in different locations throughout the country, and even around the world; this typically works in blocks of about 13 weeks. The average travel nurse may see four distinct locations each year. As this often corresponds to limited periods of time during which there is an increased demand for medical services, perhaps due to temporary population boosts, college towns and tourist destinations are frequent destinations while travel nursing.

This means that travel nursing can be an open door to new and exciting cultural and entertainment experiences. You won't be on your feet 24/7, and when you're not, there's nothing wrong with taking in some of the local color! Here are five of the most fantastic destinations for travel nurses today:

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts boasts a unique atmosphere and culturally rich heritage. It is one of the earliest metropolises in the United States, and it maintains a proud colonial heritage, along with a diverse range of modern cultures accumulated over centuries of immigration. Prestigious institutions such as Boston General offer a lot of jobs to travel nurses each year, but they do more than that as well: they offer some of the highest travel nurse pay in the United States. A travel nurse who works in Boston can expect to earn his or her share of up to $120,000 per year, but Boston also tends to let people go pretty reliably after 13 weeks (though one can always acquire a new position, if one is available).

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is a major city, one of Texas' largest. It sees a lot of annual tourism, and is also home to a prestigious educational institution. For these and other reasons, Dallas has a lot of annual positions available for travel nurses. Their annual average of travel nurse job postings is approaching 2,000 each year, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, making it one of the most opportunity-rich locations for travel nurses in the United States. If Texas hospitality and Dallas' nationally-famous barbecue is your thing, you might want to consider spending a few months in the Lone Star State.

Related resource:10 of the Cheapest Nursing Degree Programs

Chicago, Illinois

In addition to cruises on the Chicago River and boutiques offering world-class shopping, Chicago's shifting population of travel nurses can expect a wide range of professional experience. Chicago frequently hires travel nurses for the emergency room, the operating room, and all patient-age specific nursing specialties from newborn to end-of-life care. This is a diverse range of opportunity reflecting the needs of one of America's largest and most diverse cities.

New York City, New York

New York is America's most populous city by far, with roughly eight and one-half million permanent residents, as well as a large population of tourists, business travelers, and temporary resident professionals (such as yourself). New York's annual travel nurse positions are numerous; they aren't always the most high-paying, but they offer a diverse range of experiences in an exciting city with plenty to see and do. A travel nurse in New York City can usually expect to have his or her moving expenses and residency covered; many positions will also provide transit service passes to aid with getting to and from work expediently.

San Jose, California

San Jose offers a well-balanced range of appealing lures to the travel nurse. The city has a well-established pattern of being one of the most high-paying destinations for travel nurses. A travel nurse working in San Jose can expect to earn the equivalent of $73,000 per year for the duration of their job. In addition, San Jose sees a lot of tourist traffic year-round, so it offers one of the highest number of travel nurse job listings of any city in the country.

Being a travel nurse means earning that nursing-related job satisfaction by helping people in a wide range of locations, while learning a lot about each of the new places you get to visit. Travel nursing opens the doors to varied professional experience, deep multicultural immersion, and even a lot of fun — during whatever down-time you have available!

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