Hawaii travel nurse pay 2026: $105,072, non-compact
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in Hawaii
Travel RN contracts in Hawaii post an average base of $105,072 annualised — 4% above the national travel average of $101,132, and 10th of 51 states and DC.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How Hawaii compares for staff work
Staff RNs in Hawaii average $124,340, 2nd-highest in the country, against a $105,072 posted travel base — so Hawaii staff work out-earns the posted travel base, and a staff contract with benefits can win outright. Hawaii salary guide.
Licensing for a Hawaii assignment
Hawaii is not a compact state, so every assignment needs a Hawaii license in hand before the first shift — a multistate license does not cover you. The Hawaii Board of Nursing charges $140 and quotes 6–10 weeks. Start the application before you have a confirmed contract: agencies expedite and pay, but none of them shortens the Board's queue.
Tax, stipends and your tax home
Hawaii income tax: graduated to 11%, charged on wages earned in Hawaii wherever your tax home is — so compare a Hawaii contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the Hawaii state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
Hawaii's travel markets are Honolulu. Regional price parity is 111.7 against a national 100, so Hawaii costs run 11.7% above average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives Hawaii demand
Among the highest cost-of-living states; isolated labor market drives heavy travel-nurse reliance.
Ratio law: Hawaii 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 Hawaii contract
What moves Hawaii rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Honolulu, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above Hawaii's $105,072 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a Hawaii contract
Get the Hawaii license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in Hawaii?
About $105,072 annualised posted base, 4% above the national $101,132 and 10th of 51.
Do I need a Hawaii license to travel there?
Yes — Hawaii takes no compact license, so endorse before your first shift ($140, 6–10 weeks).
Are Hawaii travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering Hawaii
California · Washington · Oregon · Alaska.
Related Hawaii guides
Hawaii RN salary · Hawaii licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.