Here’s what we discovered to be top 10 locations for travel nurses, along with several popular specialties. Experienced nurses can travel to beautiful parts of the country, make new friends, and learn new skills at a new hospital.

Who should try travel nursing?

Travel nursing is the perfect opportunity for nurses looking to explore the country while earning a higher nursing salary with excellent benefits. Travel nurse jobs usually last for 13 weeks, during which travel nurses receive free private housing, free health, life, and dental insurance, licensure reimbursement, free continuing education classes, and tax advantages, and can earn up to twice as much as an individual in a permanent nursing position.

Beyond the financial benefits, travel nurses are given a great deal of  flexibility in their work. As a travel nurse, you can choose your own start dates and can include vacation time in your contract. Whether you want to work in a big city or a rural town, there is a travel nursing job that’s right for you.

Top 10 Travel Nurse Locations to Consider this Year

Reno, Nevada – Reno is Nevada’s “Biggest Little City” and is rated among the best places to live and launch a career; more information about Reno on CNNMoney.com. This fast growing valley city offers nurses superb quality of life and a temperate climate featuring four distinct seasons with few extremes. Learn more about travel nurse jobs in Reno.

Greenville, North Carolina – North Carolina nursing jobs are in some of the fastest growing cities in the nation. NC is internationally known for state-of-the-art healthcare and advanced medical research at Triangle Park and Duke University Medical Center. In addition, outdoor lifestyle is amazing!  Learn more about travel nurse jobs in North Carolina

Boynton Beach, Florida – Boynton Beach is part of West Palm Beach County, in Florida. This location offers world-class warm sandy beaches, steamy nightlife, trendy shopping and Florida stone crab and lobster!  Learn more about travel nurse jobs in Florida

Santa Clara, California – Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of many high-tech companies. In addition, California jobs have it all – gorgeous beaches and Surf City to the south; wine country and winter snow-capped mountains to the north. Learn more about California nursing jobs

Tyler, Texas – Nurse jobs in Texas will take you to the nation’s second largest state and home to three of the country’s largest cities: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. While music and art lovers engage the galleries, nightlife and big performance venues of Austin and San Antonio. Learn more about Texas nursing jobs

Oakland, California – Oakland is a working-class Bay Area city with a temperate climate and spectacular redwood hills for hiking and camping. The Raiders, Warriors and Athletics provide enough professional sports action for nurses in California. Oakland is minutes from San Francisco and a short few hours from Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe and wine country. Learn more about Oakland nursing jobs in Oakland

Bridgeport, Connecticut – Bridgeport is down the road from New Haven’s Yale Campus and about an hour by train to New York City. Bridgeport runs along the Interstate 95 corridor, granting easy access to Stamford, Darien and Greenwich, wealthy sister cities where great dining, galleries and jazz clubs fill the bill. Learn more about Bridgeport life and nurse jobs

Fairfax, Virginia – Nurses in Virginia enjoy days and weekends on the beach and road trips to Washington D.C. for high-end shopping, museums and social networking. Learn more about Virginia nursing jobs


Los Angeles, California – Travel nurse jobs in LA show you coastal beauty and cool city culture! Venice Beach is a must with its boardwalk of cool characters, unique boutiques and eateries. Santa Monica and Hollywood provide more classic California ambiance. More about Los Angeles nurse jobs and lifestyle

Brooklyn and surrounding areas, New York – Travel nurses enjoy New York because it has everything they want in terms of outdoor recreation and indoor entertainment – trendy SOHO living, galleries, nightclubbing, dining and shopping in NYC, as well as the up-and-coming outer boroughs. Learn more about nurse jobs in New York

Some Popular Nurse Specialties of the Moment

As always, particular specialties were also in higher demand, specifically critical care travel nurses in Greenville, Los Angeles and Atlanta. In addition, medical/surgical travel nurses in Reno, St Louis, Boynton Beach, Dallas and Boston.

Missing from this list are travel nurse favorite locations such as Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. If you have been a travel nurse in the past, you might know that Arizona has typically been one of the top three travel nursing states (along with California and Florida).

Even though the economic situation can vary from region to region, travel nurses remain in demand in other states around the county.