Ohio travel nurse pay 2026: $96,146, non-compact
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in Ohio
Travel RN contracts in Ohio post an average base of $96,146 annualised — 5% below the national travel average of $101,132, and 30th of 51 states and DC.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How Ohio compares for staff work
Staff RNs in Ohio average $87,730, 36th of 51 states and DC, against a $96,146 posted travel base — so the travel premium here is intact. Ohio salary guide.
Licensing for a Ohio assignment
Ohio is not a compact state, so every assignment needs a Ohio license in hand before the first shift — a multistate license does not cover you. The Ohio Board of Nursing charges $75 and quotes 3–5 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
Ohio income tax: graduated to 3.5%, charged on wages earned in Ohio wherever your tax home is — so compare a Ohio contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the Ohio state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
Ohio's travel markets are Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati. Regional price parity is 91.0 against a national 100, so Ohio costs run 9.0% below average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives Ohio demand
Cleveland Clinic and OSU Wexner anchor world-class specialty hiring; large RN workforce keeps baseline wages compressed despite premium specialty markets.
Ratio law: Ohio 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 Ohio contract
What moves Ohio rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above Ohio's $96,146 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a Ohio contract
Get the Ohio license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in Ohio?
About $96,146 annualised posted base, 5% below the national $101,132 and 30th of 51.
Do I need a Ohio license to travel there?
Yes — Ohio takes no compact license, so endorse before your first shift ($75, 3–5 weeks).
Are Ohio travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering Ohio
Pennsylvania · West Virginia · Kentucky · Indiana · Michigan.
Related Ohio guides
Ohio RN salary · Ohio licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.