January 2025 Travel Nursing Salary Trends By State
January 2025 Travel Nurse Earnings Overview: Regional Pay Trends Hold Steady
As 2025 begins, the national average for travel nurse pay has held relatively steady. Weekly earnings dipped just 0.2%, from $2,414 in December 2024 to $2,409 in January 2025, marking a continued but modest downward trend that began in Q3 2024. Compared to January 2024, travel nurse wages have declined 11.2%, a reflection of a market settling post-pandemic.
📉 Nationwide Trends
| Region | Dec 2024 Avg. | Jan 2025 Avg. | Monthly Change | Annual Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Avg. | $2,414 | $2,409 | -0.2% | -11.2% |
Despite this slight monthly dip, pay for travel nurses remains significantly above pre-2020 levels, especially in high-need specialties and rural placements. The current climate signals more cautious spending by hospitals, who are gradually shifting budget priority to full-time staff while keeping travelers in reserve to fill urgent gaps.
🔺 States with Year-over-Year Increases
Only one state — Florida — posted a year-over-year gain in average weekly travel nurse pay, with wages rising 1.0% to $2,132/week. However, that still places Florida’s average below the national benchmark.
📉 States with Notable Yearly Declines
The majority of states saw declines from January 2024 to January 2025. The largest drops include:
- Mississippi: -20.5%
- Pennsylvania: -20.2%
- Wyoming: -16.9%
- Oregon: -14.4%
- Minnesota: -14.1%
These decreases suggest a rebalancing of the travel RN labor market, especially in states that had seen pandemic-fueled wage surges.
🔼 States With Monthly Gains (Jan 2025 vs Dec 2024)
Eight states saw month-over-month pay increases of 1% or more, led by:
| State | Dec 2024 Avg. | Jan 2025 Avg. | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $2,367 | $2,447 | +3.4% |
| Kansas | $2,186 | $2,258 | +3.3% |
| Louisiana | $2,089 | $2,140 | +2.5% |
| Vermont | $2,535 | $2,593 | +2.3% |
| Oklahoma | $2,114 | $2,161 | +2.2% |
| Wisconsin | $2,465 | $2,499 | +1.4% |
| New Hampshire | $2,332 | $2,359 | +1.2% |
| California | $2,929 | $2,962 | +1.1% |
🔻 States With Monthly Declines
Meanwhile, 12 states posted monthly wage declines of at least 1%, with Rhode Island leading the drop:
| State | Dec 2024 Avg. | Jan 2025 Avg. | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $2,490 | $2,365 | -5.0% |
| Alaska | $2,897 | $2,781 | -4.0% |
| Mississippi | $2,009 | $1,930 | -3.9% |
| Utah | $2,552 | $2,464 | -3.5% |
⚖️ Stable States: Minimal Monthly Movement
Thirty states had month-over-month wage shifts under 1%, a sign of growing consistency. These include:
- Texas: $2,157 (flat)
- Colorado: $2,416 (+0.4%)
- Illinois: $2,391 (+0.4%)
- North Dakota: $2,480 (+0.9%)
- Indiana: $2,289 (-0.5%)
This reflects a broader trend of reduced wage volatility as the market enters a more stable phase.
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