Become a Nurse >> Browse Articles >> Specialties >> Travel Nursing
The Benefits of Being a Travel Nurse

NursingLink
So you are debating whether to become a Travel Nurse and you are curious to know some of the benefits. Here is a brief list covering most of the benefits you can expect:
Travel
One of the better travel nurse benefits is the ability to pick assignments all over the country. After all it is called Travel Nursing. If you were an avid backpacker and hiker you might actually take an assignment in a remote community famous for its backpacking trails. Or if you just can’t get enough of theme parks you might accept an assignment in Orlando so that you can visit Disney World every time you have some time off.
Flexible
Travel contracts range anywhere from 4 weeks to 52 weeks. The average contract is 13 weeks. Work 13 weeks, take a month off…Or not. That’s the beauty of this job- You really do have the freedom to decide when and where you work.
Bonuses
Now this really varies per contract; From our research we have concluded that the average bonus for an a contract of 13 weeks is around $1000-$1500. In contrast to the average, some contracts have no bonuses, and others can range anywhere from $500-8000. With bonuses in this industry it is really very circumstantial so make sure you have your business cap on when negotiating a contract. Usually bonuses are given upon assignment completion but sometimes you get a portion of the money up-front.
Pay
Specialty Nurses can ask for and receive top pay rates including double time for overtime. Average rates of pay for a Traveling nurse are $25 – $40 per hour. Overtime rates can be time and a half to double time.