Do you enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and seeing new places—but you’re limited by time and budget constraints? If you’re answering “Yes!” to this question, then consider the benefits of being a travel nurse for your next career move.
If the travel nurse lifestyle sounds intriguing to you, make sure to read up on the different travel nurse specialties and the pros and cons of travel nursing, or feel free to reach out to one of our recruiters to learn about the special benefits that MAS Medical can provide for you.
There are so many pros and cons of being a travel nurse. Here are 15 big advantages to consider:
1. Explore our great country.
The United States is a large, beautiful, and diverse country.
Discover new opportunities in Florida where you can enjoy the beaches in your free time, or enrich yourself in U.S. history in Provincetown, Massachusetts. We have many available assignments across the nation that will speak out to your professional and lifestyle needs.
If you become a traveling nurse, you get to see ALL of those places you’ve always wanted to visit with each travel nursing assignment!
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Cities for Travel Nurses
2. Get to know a place before settling down.
One of the main benefits of being a travel nurse is that you get to spend anywhere from three weeks to three months in one place.
That’s much longer than a typical vacation.
Plus, by working with local people, you’ll have the opportunity to really get to know the town or city.
If you’re still looking for a place to settle down, this is a great way to explore and compare.
SEE ALSO: 21 Best Ways to Meet New Friends in a New City or Town
3. Advance your career upwards.
If you’re worried you won’t get ahead if you travel, relax.
One benefit of being a nurse, in general, is the opportunity to grow at your own pace.
Working with a medical staffing agency focusing on travel assignments, means you’re working with a team of career consultants who can help you find positions that match and advance your specialty.
That way, you’re not necessarily making a series of lateral career moves, but more likely a series of vertical moves.
4. Job security (one of the best benefits of being a travel nurse)!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for registered nurses will increase by 6 percent through 2031. As the older generation of nurses retire, more jobs will become available and grow in demand.
That’s much faster than average.
And nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners will see a job growth of 40 percent, much faster than the average job growth rate.
Clearly, nursing is a solid career choice! If you’re ready to jumpstart your career, apply today to available travel nursing jobs in exciting states like Massachusetts, Florida, and more!
[clickToTweet tweet=”The number of #RNjobs will increase by 16% over the next 6 years! #travelnurse” quote=”The number of jobs for registered nurses will increase by 16% over the next six years.”]
5. Flexibility with short-term contracts.
Since you’ll be working a series of short-term assignments, it’s easier to create more flexibility for yourself than you would working one long-term job.
Because burnout and compassion fatigue are common among nurses, being able to put limits on assignments and enjoy some time away from work can be the best thing you can do for your health. Learn how to reduce stress while traveling as a nurse so you can maximize your down time and feel well-rested for your new assignment.
And, it’s the best thing you can do to guarantee yourself career longevity.
SEE ALSO: Nursing Job Stress: How to Deal with it Effectively Everyday
6. Sign-on bonus for extra cash flow.
Many agencies that place traveling nurses offer a sign-on bonus.
This can be a great perk when you’re starting out in your travel nurse position, as it gives you some extra cash at the beginning of your travels.
SEE ALSO: Why the Average Travel Nurse Salary Will Surprise You (In a Good Way)
7. Excellent salary—much higher.
Because the assignments aren’t direct, full-time placements, you’ll enjoy a higher salary.
In some cases, the travel nurse pay rate can be significantly higher than the national average. For example, nurses who work in Fort Myers, Florida earn 5 percent more than the average travel nurse salary.
What’s more, you’ll be able to take advantage of various tax breaks to maximize your deductions every year.
SEE ALSO: Travel Nurse Tax Deductions: What You Need to Know for 2017
8. Free or low-cost housing.
Worried about having to find housing every time you move—or otherwise spending a fortune on a hotel?
Don’t be. One of the main benefits of being a travel nurse is that staffing agencies typically provide free or low-cost housing.
Just imagine—you don’t have to spend hours on housing sites looking for something that’s the right size, the right price, and in the right location!
An added perk is that you’ll typically be housed close to other traveling nurses. So, you may be surrounded by people who understand you and relate to you.
[clickToTweet tweet=”A main benefit of being a travel nurse is the free or low cost housing! #travelnurse #rnjobs” quote=”One of the main benefits of being a travel nurse is that staffing agencies typically provide free or low cost housing.”]
9. Paid travel, year-round.
Travel can be tedious and expensive nowadays.
Though there’s not much that a staffing agency can do about the long lines at airport security, those lines become a bit more bearable when you know that your travel to your assignment is paid for.
Just think: you could be in New York from June to October; then board a plane to Florida and spend the winter on the beach!
SEE ALSO: 9 Things You Need for a Complete Travel Nurse Packing List
10. Paid health insurance.
Since you’re employed by your medical staffing agency, your health insurance will be paid for.
That saves you the time and costs of having to secure travel nurse health insurance (which is, of course, legally mandatory) on your own.
11. Retirement savings for the future.
Similarly, with your agency as your employer, you’ll also receive benefits.
That means that from the moment you start work as a traveling nurse, you’ll also be putting aside money for your retirement.
Depending on the agency, they might even have a 401K matching arrangement.
12. A wider network of healthcare professionals.
Networking is a critically important aspect of career advancement.
The wider your network, the more contacts you have who can alert you to interesting opportunities, recommend you to employers, and provide professional support.
As a traveling nurse, you’ll have sufficient time to establish strong relationships with people on each assignment.
After that, you can keep in touch with them via social media and LinkedIn. Before you know it, you’ll have a nationwide network of contacts!
13. Assistance getting licenses in multiple states.
When you start out, you’ll likely only be licensed in your state of origin.
Of course, to work in another State, you’ll need to get licensed there, too.
Your medical staffing agency can provide practical assistance for getting the licenses you need to work in different States.
For reference, check out the licensing requirements for nurses in each state here.
14. Referral bonuses
Many staffing agencies for traveling nurses, including MAS, offer bonuses if you refer a colleague or friend to them.
Some agencies have a travel rewards program that can help you earn points towards great prizes!
The Benefits of Travel Nursing Are Worth The Move
As you can see, there are many benefits of being a travel nurse.
SEE ALSO: 9 More Reasons Travel Nursing Employment is the Right Choice
- Exploring our great country
- Getting to know a place before settling down
- Advancing your career forward
- Job security (enough said!)
- Flexibility with short-term contracts
- A sign-on bonus for extra cash
- An excellent, much higher salary
- Free or low-cost housing (and help finding it)
- Paid travel, year-round
- Paid health insurance
- Retirement savings for your future
- A wider network of healthcare professionals
- Assistance getting licenses in multiple states
- Referral bonuses
Seems like the traveling nurse adventure is worth taking, no?
If you’re ready to see the world one position at a time, brush up on your interview skills and update your resume to take advantage of the benefits of being a travel nurse today!
SEE ALSO: 10 Important Travel Nursing Interview Questions to Prepare For
If you could work as a nurse anywhere in the country, where would it be?
Share with us in the comments below!
Reviewed By:
Nick Gypsy, Travel Nurse Recruiter
Nick was a former traveler turned nurse recruiter, having completed 32 assignments and 13 FEMA Crisis deployments specializing in Long Term Acute Care and the critical care unit. While traveling, he was able to finish nursing school and further his career debt-free. Nick was able to do all of this for a career of his passion. He began blogging about his experience and providing advice through the social media platform TikTok under the username NickMurse. Nick has gained a mass following of over 100,000 travel nurses. He started with MAS in early August 2021 and has enjoyed sharing his insight with his travel nurses. Nick lives in coastal Florida, and in his spare time, he enjoys going to the beach and traveling.
