District of Columbia travel nurse pay 2026: $114,282, compact state
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in District of Columbia
Travel RN contracts in District of Columbia post an average base of $114,282 annualised — 13% above the national travel average of $101,132, and 2nd-highest in the country.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How District of Columbia compares for staff work
Staff RNs in District of Columbia average $106,980, 9th of 51 states and DC, against a $114,282 posted travel base — so the travel premium here is intact. District of Columbia salary guide.
Licensing for a District of Columbia assignment
District of Columbia is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. A multistate license from your primary state of residence starts a District of Columbia assignment with no separate application, which is why District of Columbia can take a contract beginning in two weeks. Without one, endorsement is the route. The DC Board of Nursing charges $200 and quotes 4–6 weeks.
Tax, stipends and your tax home
District of Columbia income tax: graduated to 10.75%, charged on wages earned in District of Columbia wherever your tax home is — so compare a District of Columbia contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the District of Columbia state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
District of Columbia's travel markets are Washington. Regional price parity is 117.5 against a national 100, so District of Columbia costs run 17.5% above average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives District of Columbia demand
Highest urban concentration of academic medical centers (Georgetown, GWU, Howard, MedStar, Children's National); federal employer presence sets benefit floors.
Ratio law: District of Columbia has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratios, so staffing levels are set by each hospital rather than by statute. For a traveller that cuts both ways: there is no legal floor on the assignment you can be given, so the ratio you are quoted at interview is worth getting in writing, and it is worth asking what the unit runs at on nights and weekends rather than what the daytime policy says.
Timing a District of Columbia contract
What moves District of Columbia rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Washington, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above District of Columbia's $114,282 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a District of Columbia contract
Get the District of Columbia license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in District of Columbia?
About $114,282 annualised posted base, 13% above the national $101,132 and 2nd of 51.
Do I need a District of Columbia license to travel there?
No — a multistate compact license covers District of Columbia.
Are District of Columbia travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering District of Columbia
Maryland · Virginia · Delaware · Pennsylvania.
Related District of Columbia guides
District of Columbia RN salary · District of Columbia licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.