Travel Nursing in Texas: Pay, Hospitals, and Tax 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
Travel nurse pay range in Texas
Typical travel nurse contract pay in Texas runs $1,882-$2,536 per week blended (gross + tax-free stipend), depending on specialty and hospital system. ICU, ER, OR, L&D, and CRNA typically command the upper range. Med-surg and tele typically run the lower range. The Texas state RN mean of $85,110 sets a floor for negotiations — travel pay typically runs 15-50% above staff for the same role.
License requirements (Implemented (multistate licenses currently issued))
Because Texas is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, travelers with a multistate license can take Texas contracts immediately — no separate state license application needed. This is one of the biggest advantages of holding a multistate license: faster start, no licensing fees, no waiting on BON processing. Use the compact license map to verify current status.
Texas state tax considerations
Texas state income tax: none. Zero state income tax is a major advantage for travelers — your effective tax burden is lower for the entire contract duration. This is one reason TX, FL, NV, WA, and TN are perennially popular travel destinations. Travel nurses must maintain a tax home (per IRS rules) to receive tax-free housing and M&IE stipends.
Top hospitals and metros for travel assignments
Major travel-nurse-friendly metros in Texas: Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio. Major hospital systems in these metros run the highest-volume travel programs and often have the best pay/rates. Cost-of-living in major metros varies — high-COL metros like state capitals and coastal cities have higher housing stipends (per GSA per diem rates) but also higher day-to-day expenses. Use the stipend calculator to look up the GSA per diem for your specific city.
Compare to other states
Use the travel nurse pay calculator to model your full take-home for any Texas contract. Compare across states using the salary cost-of-living calculator, which factors in BEA RPP for true purchasing-power comparisons. Texas's RPP is 97.0 (national average = 100); states with similar wages but lower RPP yield more purchasing power.