Oregon travel nurse pay 2026: $106,925, non-compact
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in Oregon
Travel RN contracts in Oregon post an average base of $106,925 annualised — 6% above the national travel average of $101,132, and 8th of 51 states and DC.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How Oregon compares for staff work
Staff RNs in Oregon average $123,140, 3rd-highest in the country, against a $106,925 posted travel base — so Oregon staff work out-earns the posted travel base, and a staff contract with benefits can win outright. Oregon salary guide.
Licensing for a Oregon assignment
Oregon is not a compact state, so every assignment needs a Oregon license in hand before the first shift — a multistate license does not cover you. The Oregon State Board of Nursing charges $265 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
Oregon income tax: graduated to 9.9%, charged on wages earned in Oregon wherever your tax home is — so compare a Oregon contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the Oregon state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
Oregon's travel markets are Portland, Salem. Regional price parity is 104.7 against a national 100, so Oregon costs run 4.7% above average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives Oregon demand
New 2024 nurse staffing-ratio law (HB 2697) live since June 1, 2024 — ICU 1:2, Med-Surg 1:5, fines up to $5,000/violation. ONA union strength. 2025 update: Providence Oregon 46-day strike Jan-Feb 2025 ended with immediate 16-22% raises, total 20-42% over contract life — largest healthcare strike in Oregon history. OHSU strike authorized.
Ratio law: HB 2697 went live June 1, 2024 — comprehensive ratios for all hospitals. ICU 1:2, Med-Surg 1:5, CNAs capped at 7 day / 11 night. Driving Oregon RN pay up in 2025-2026. For travellers this matters twice over: mandated ratios create structural demand for contract nurses whenever a unit is short, and they also mean the assignment you take is more likely to run at the ratio you were told.
Contract activity: (8 hospitals, ~5,000 RNs/MDs/NPs): 46-day strike Jan-Feb 2025 ended with immediate 16-22% raises, total 20-42% over contract life. Largest healthcare strike in Oregon history. 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 Oregon contract
What moves Oregon rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Portland, Salem, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above Oregon's $106,925 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a Oregon contract
Get the Oregon license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in Oregon?
About $106,925 annualised posted base, 6% above the national $101,132 and 8th of 51.
Do I need a Oregon license to travel there?
Yes — Oregon takes no compact license, so endorse before your first shift ($265, 6–10 weeks).
Are Oregon travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering Oregon
Washington · Idaho · Nevada · California.
Related Oregon guides
Oregon RN salary · Oregon licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.