Minnesota travel nurse pay 2026: $99,050, non-compact
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in Minnesota
Travel RN contracts in Minnesota post an average base of $99,050 annualised — 2% below the national travel average of $101,132, and 19th of 51 states and DC.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How Minnesota compares for staff work
Staff RNs in Minnesota average $103,420, 12th of 51 states and DC, against a $99,050 posted travel base — so Minnesota staff work out-earns the posted travel base, and a staff contract with benefits can win outright. Minnesota salary guide.
Licensing for a Minnesota assignment
Minnesota is not a compact state, so every assignment needs a Minnesota license in hand before the first shift — a multistate license does not cover you. The Minnesota Board of Nursing charges $105 and quotes TBD. 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
Minnesota income tax: graduated to 9.85%, charged on wages earned in Minnesota wherever your tax home is — so compare a Minnesota contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the Minnesota state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
Minnesota's travel markets are Minneapolis, Saint Paul. Regional price parity is 97.4 against a national 100, so Minnesota costs run 2.6% below average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives Minnesota demand
Strong MNA union (large 2022 strike); Mayo Clinic anchor. 2025 update: MNA ratified 10% over 3 years (Twin Cities), 9.75% (Duluth). Allina, M Health Fairview, Essentia, Aspirus all settled July 2025.
Ratio law: Minnesota 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.
Contract activity: (Twin Cities + Duluth, ~15,000 RNs): Ratified July 14, 2025. 10% over 3 years (Twin Cities), 9.75% (Duluth). Allina, M Health Fairview, Essentia, Aspirus. Strike and contract-dispute periods drive short-notice crisis rates well above the standard posted figures — and come with their own considerations about crossing a picket line.
Timing a Minnesota contract
What moves Minnesota rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above Minnesota's $99,050 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a Minnesota contract
Get the Minnesota license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in Minnesota?
About $99,050 annualised posted base, 2% below the national $101,132 and 19th of 51.
Do I need a Minnesota license to travel there?
Yes — Minnesota takes no compact license, so endorse before your first shift ($105, TBD).
Are Minnesota travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering Minnesota
Wisconsin · Iowa · South Dakota · North Dakota.
Related Minnesota guides
Minnesota RN salary · Minnesota licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.