Where in America does a traveling nurse wish to work? Destination may not be the number one deciding factor for a traveling nurse facing the decision of which healthcare facility to choose. Other key factors include pay, benefits and contract length. However, bets can be made that location is an influential factor.
Cities across the U.S. employing a large number of travel nurses in 2010 include San Antonio, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; San Diego and Los Angeles, California; New Haven, Connecticut; Anchorage, Alaska; and Trenton and Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to TravelNursing.com.
If pay is the deciding factor for a traveling nurse looking for her next assignment, nurses may wish to apply to assignments in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts or New Jersey. These five states pay nurses the greatest hourly wage, with Massachusetts and California paying top dollar, with nurses making an average of over $40 an hour.
These payscale figures include advanced practice nurses who have advanced post-graduate education, training and experience in the field.
A traveling nurse may take a hard look at which factor, pay or location, is the authority on the best contract assignment to choose. Since it is a temporary assignment, why not try a variety?