Pennsylvania travel nurse pay 2026: $101,375, non-compact
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What travel nurses earn in Pennsylvania
Travel RN contracts in Pennsylvania post an average base of $101,375 annualised — level with the national travel average of $101,132, and 14th of 51 states and DC.
Posted base, not take-home: stipend calculator · pay calculator.
How Pennsylvania compares for staff work
Staff RNs in Pennsylvania average $94,020, 25th of 51 states and DC, against a $101,375 posted travel base — so the travel premium here is intact. Pennsylvania salary guide.
Licensing for a Pennsylvania assignment
Pennsylvania is not a compact state, so every assignment needs a Pennsylvania license in hand before the first shift — a multistate license does not cover you. The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing charges $100 and quotes 4–6 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
Pennsylvania income tax: flat 3.07%, charged on wages earned in Pennsylvania wherever your tax home is — so compare a Pennsylvania contract on net, and check reciprocity if you are working near the Pennsylvania state line.
Stipend rules are federal: tax home guide.
Where the contracts are
Pennsylvania's travel markets are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. Regional price parity is 97.9 against a national 100, so Pennsylvania costs run 2.1% below average, and its GSA-linked stipends move with it.
What drives Pennsylvania demand
UPMC and Penn Medicine anchor mega-employer dynamics; Patient Safety Act mandates staffing committees. 2025-2026 update: HB 106 (Patient Safety Act 2.0) passed PA House, awaiting Senate — would impose unit-specific ratios.
Ratio law: HB 106 ("Patient Safety Act") passed PA House, awaiting Senate. Would impose unit-specific ratios. Pending as of April 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.
Timing a Pennsylvania contract
What moves Pennsylvania rates: negotiation cycles at the systems in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and any stretch where one is short in a specialty. Crisis work runs well above Pennsylvania's $101,375 posted average. Seasonality is national: travel nursing guide.
Before you sign a Pennsylvania contract
Get the Pennsylvania license cost, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. Red flags.
Common questions
How much do travel nurses make in Pennsylvania?
About $101,375 annualised posted base, level with the national $101,132 and 14th of 51.
Do I need a Pennsylvania license to travel there?
Yes — Pennsylvania takes no compact license, so endorse before your first shift ($100, 4–6 weeks).
Are Pennsylvania travel stipends tax-free?
Only with a real tax home you are away from. See the tax guide.
Travel nursing in states bordering Pennsylvania
New York · New Jersey · Delaware · Maryland · West Virginia · Ohio.
Related Pennsylvania guides
Pennsylvania RN salary · Pennsylvania licensure · travel nursing quick start · agency comparison.