Ready to explore the country’s highest paying travel nursing jobs? You are in the right place.
There are countless benefits to nursing, and salary is just one of them.
But, it is definitely a big one, right?
In this article, we will cover the top 10 highest paying nursing jobs for travelers. Let’s dive in!
1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
$105,000 to $133,000 per year
Of the highest paying travel nursing jobs, CRNAs top the list for earning power.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists hold Master’s Degrees and put those skills to good use. Requiring the ultimate level of skill and concentration, this specialty is in demand.
A great CRNA is also a team player due to their many interactions with the surgical team, anesthesiologists and a wide variety of other healthcare professionals.
The nurses almost always prepare the patients prior to the procedure. Other responsibilities include mixing and administering the anesthesia.
CRNAs primarily work in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and dental surgical offices.
2. Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
$75,000 to $105,000 per year
Midwives are in high demand; this specialty is predicted to grow faster than most other professions. If you enjoy the OB/GYN specialty, this may be perfect for you.
Midwives are trained to provide the full range of women’s health services. They are most known for providing prenatal care but they do much more including providing services during and after birth. In fact, according to Midwife.org, “53.3% of CNMs identify reproductive care and 33.1% identify primary care as main responsibilities in their full-time positions.”
Midwife responsibilities may include:
- Working with women of all ages
- Providing prenatal, labor and birth care
- Prescribing medications
- Providing education and counseling
3. General Nurse Practitioner (NP)
$75,000 to $97,000 per year
With a comfortable salary and great flexibility, NP is an excellent specialty. It is also in high demand, as NPs can be found everywhere from hospitals to your local practice.
This specialty is very much involved with patients. Some of the responsibilities include:
- Analyzing patient medical history
- Understanding symptoms
- Recommending treatment plans
- Providing education on prevention
We mentioned flexibility earlier; General NPs have the ability to open their own independent practice. If working for yourself is the ideal scenario, this is the specialty for you.
4. Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
$75,000 to $95,000 per year
If you enjoy working with elderly patients, consider becoming a gerontological nurse practitioner.
The aging baby boomer generation paired with the fact that elderly patients have a much higher risk of developing injuries means the demand for this specialty is high.
If you choose this specialty, you will most likely only work with patients over age 50. Some of your responsibilities may include:
- Providing treatment for pain relief
- Mental health care
- Hygiene assistance
- Preventative screenings
SEE ALSO: Travel Nursing for New Grads: 5 Reasons to Just Go For It
5. Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
$70,000 to $90,000 per year
To make your way to the top of this pay scale for the highest paying travel nursing jobs, be sure to gain experience as an RN before specializing.
With countless specializations, nurses who choose to work as a mental health nurse practitioner can go in many directions depending on their passion.
If you enjoy working closely with patients, this is another excellent choice. Mental health nurse practitioners can work in a variety of places, including:
- Hospitals
- Mental health facilities
- Correctional centers
Additionally, you may choose to run an independent practice.
SEE ALSO: How to Get Nursing Experience with an Awesome Travel Job
6. Nurse Researcher
$75,000 to $95,000 per year
According to nursejournal.com, “nurse researchers work in hospitals, medical clinics, and research laboratories to conduct research at a nursing level. They create and design their own studies and seek out and analyze data within those studies before reporting and sometimes publishing results.”
While nurse researchers don’t often work with patients, they are incredibly important in the healthcare world which is shown in their salary.
Their research gives medical professionals a better opportunity to serve their patients and often saves lives!
7. Pain Management Nurse
$70,000 to $90,000 per year
In this speciality you will work closely with two main types of patients: post-surgical and chronic pain sufferers.
Having the ability to care for and read people during stressful times is a big help for nurses who choose this specialty. Because people in pain have a hard time communicating, these skills are important.
In addition to alleviating pain, pain management nurses also help to educate patients on their treatment. Due to the risk of addiction or dependence on many pain treatments, nurses take special care to teach patients how to avoid these negative side effects.
You can work nearly anywhere you like as a pain management nurse! Private practice, hospitals, nursing homes and many other professional settings need this specialty.
8. Informatics Nurse
$75,000 to $90,000 per year
The American Medical Informatics Association, a “non-profit organization dedicated to the development and application of biomedical and health informatics in the support of patient care”, projects that the need for Informatics Nurses will soon explode.
The AMIA integrates nursing with technology to make better use of information and knowledge within the medical field.
Through data analysis, Infomatic Nurses “accelerate healthcare’s transformation by collecting, analyzing and applying data directly to care decisions”.
If you love hard data as much as you love helping people, consider this specialty.
Of all the highest paying travel nursing jobs, Infomatics Nursing has the most notable professional growth potential. There will be an estimate 70,000 Infomatic Nursing job opportunities within the next ten years.
9. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
$70,000 to $84,000 per year
Family Nurse Practitioners often work in private practices alongside MDs and staff nurses. They perform many of the same responsibilities as MDs, including:
- Patient assessments
- Consultations and diagnoses
- Treatment plans
- Prescribing medications
While not possible in every state, FNPs are able to open their own practice in about half the states across the country.
You will also find FNPs in hospital settings, outpatient facilities, and clinics. If you enjoy working a wide variety of patients and diagnoses, this specialty might be perfect for you.
10. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
$75,000 to $85,000 per year
Last but certainly not least, Clinical Nurse Specialists land in the top 10 highest paying travel nursing jobs thanks to its high base salary and room for growth.
Because CNSs must specialize in a field during their schooling (Master’s Degree required), they are viewed as experts among their peers.
Specialized care of this caliber on the nursing level enables CNSs to “compete” with MDs, making them attractive to the larger hospital systems.
With the right experience and job placement, CNSs can earn over six-figures.
High Paying Travel Nursing Jobs
Now that you know which nursing specialties can bring in the highest salary, let’s explore how to increase your income even further.
Did you know that a travel nurse salary is significantly higher than that of a regular, full-time nurse?
SEE MORE: Why the Average Travel Nurse Salary Will Surprise You (In a Good Way)
Regular licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses earn approximately $43,170 per year on average According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Get ready for this: The salary of a travel nurse could reach as high as $103,893 a year according to Payscale.com.
The highest paying nursing jobs for travelers get to be so lucrative because of the additional financial perks above base pay.
Tax-free stipends, reimbursements, healthcare and retirement benefits, bonuses, rewards programs and even tax breaks are plentiful for travel nurses.
Because you already made your way to this article, the odds are you knew travel nursing was a highly profitable career choice!
Conclusion
The top 10 highest paying nursing specialties are:
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- General Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Researcher
- Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Pain Management Nurse
- Informatics Nurse
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Take your skills and income to new heights by becoming a travel nurse. Utilize things like tax stipends, bonuses, reimbursements and more to add thousands of dollars a year to your income!
Of these highest paying travel nursing jobs, which seems like a great fit for you?
Share with us in the comments below!
