Travel Nurse Pay in Hawaii (2026)
Hawaii pays some of the highest registered nurse wages in the country, and travel packages follow. Here is what the BLS data actually says, what contracts typically pay, and how the state's steep income tax changes the take-home math.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Measure | Figure | What it means for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| RN employment (Hawaii) | 12,940 | Size of the staff market behind you (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $136,320/yr ($65.54/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $124,340/yr ($59.78/hr) | Includes the experienced-nurse band travelers replace |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $82,500/yr | Floor of the market |
Travel nurse pay in Hawaii: the numbers
Hawaii employed 12,940 registered nurses as of May 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The median RN wage was $136,320 ($65.54/hr) per year, with a mean of $124,340 ($59.78/hr) — the highest median in this ten-state run of pages and among the highest of any state in the country. Even the 10th percentile, $82,500, clears what many states pay their median nurses.
That top-heaviness matters for travelers. The 75th percentile sits at $144,140 and the 90th at $147,830, which tells you the experienced, specialty-trained RNs that hospitals hire travelers to backfill are clustered well above the entry level. Bill rates — what the hospital pays the agency — tend to track the upper half of that distribution, which is why Hawaii travel offers usually look rich on paper before you price housing.
The table below is the honest baseline: verified BLS staff wages on one side, a hedged travel range on the other. Package quotes swing with season, specialty and island, so treat the range as a planning figure and confirm current offers with your recruiter before making decisions.
| Measure | Figure | What it means for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| RN employment (Hawaii) | 12,940 | Size of the staff market behind you (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $136,320/yr ($65.54/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $124,340/yr ($59.78/hr) | Includes the experienced-nurse band travelers replace |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $82,500/yr | Floor of the market |
| Experienced RN (75th–90th pct) | $144,140–$147,830/yr | Where bill rates cluster |
| Typical travel package (hedged) | roughly $2,800–$3,600/week gross | Taxable wage + stipends; varies by specialty and season — verify with recruiters |
| State income tax (2026) | Graduated, 1.4%–11.0% (2nd-highest top rate in the U.S.) | Applies to taxable wages only, not stipends |
| Nurse Licensure Compact | No — separate Hawaii license required | Determines how fast you can start |
All BLS figures on this page: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release (bls.gov/oes). Wage figures are for staff registered nurses (SOC 29-1141), all industries — travel packages are quoted separately and are inherently variable. See the full list on our travel nurse pay by state hub.
How stipends change the math in Hawaii
The headline number in a Hawaii offer is mostly stipend. Federal GSA lodging rates for Honolulu in peak months run far above mainland cities (check the current tables at gsa.gov/perdiem), so a compliant package can carry $2,000–$2,500/week of tax-free housing money plus meals and incidentals — far more than a typical mainland contract. The catch is that Honolulu rents can outrun even generous stipends if you want your own place, so many travelers take agency housing in Hawaii and keep the math simple.
Here is an illustrative split: $25/hr taxable × 36 guaranteed hours = $900/week of taxable wages. Subtract roughly $103 federal and $69 FICA, then about $72 Hawaii income tax at a hedged 8% marginal rate, and you keep around $656 of it. Add $2,500 in housing and meal stipends and you land near $3,156/week take-home — a blended rate around $88/hour — before Hawaii's cost of living eats into it. Push the same contract through our take-home calculator with your real numbers, and compare offers on a per-hour basis with the blended rate method.
Remember the precondition: stipends are tax-free only if you maintain a valid tax home with duplicated living expenses. Without it, the IRS treats those payments as wages — retroactively. Hawaii's own tax on top makes that an expensive mistake, so read our tax home guide first.
Hawaii income tax: the steepest hit in this series
Hawaii runs a long graduated schedule — 12 brackets, from 1.40% up to an 11.00% top rate as of January 2026, the second-highest top marginal rate in the country behind only California (per the Tax Foundation). At typical travel-nurse taxable-pay levels (often $40,000–$55,000 a year on a stipend-heavy contract), your marginal bracket lands in the high single digits; verify the current bracket table with the Hawaii Department of Taxation. Nonresidents pay Hawaii tax on Hawaii-sourced taxable wages and generally file Hawaii form N-15, while most home states credit those taxes back — run your specific numbers with a CPA who handles multistate healthcare workers.
Tax figures here are 2026 planning rates from official state sources and the Tax Foundation's 2026 tables — confirm your own filing position with the relevant state revenue department or a CPA; this page is not tax advice.
Licensure in Hawaii: not a compact state
Hawaii is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate license from your home compact state will not cover you there — you need an individual Hawaii RN license through the state Board of Nursing, and processing plus verification can take longer than a mainland license, so start early or ask your agency about temporary permit options. Verify current requirements and turnaround times directly with the Hawaii Board of Nursing (cca.hawaii.gov/pvl) before you commit to a start date. Compact status per the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (ncsbn.org).
Where the demand is in Hawaii
Almost all Hawaii demand runs through Honolulu: The Queen's Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente's Moanalua Medical Center and the Hawaii Pacific Health hospitals (Straub, Pali Momi) anchor Oahu. Neighbor-island assignments — Wilcox on Kauai, Maui Health in Wailuku, Hilo Medical Center on the Big Island — appear less often but pay premiums precisely because housing is scarce and the candidate pool is thin. Honolulu stipends are set against some of the highest federal GSA per-diem rates in the nation, which is a large part of why gross packages there stretch past $3,000/week.
Stipend ceilings everywhere follow the federal per-diem tables for your assignment location — gsa.gov/perdiem.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Hawaii?
Per BLS OEWS (May 2025), the median staff RN in Hawaii earns $136,320/year. Travel packages typically quote $2,800–$3,600/week gross depending on specialty, island and season — always confirm current offers with recruiters, since rates move fast.
Is Hawaii a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
No. Hawaii has not enacted the compact, so you need an individual Hawaii RN license even if you hold a multistate compact license. Verify application requirements and timelines with the Hawaii Board of Nursing.
Are travel nurse stipends taxed in Hawaii?
Not if you maintain a valid tax home and duplicate living expenses — stipends are tax-free under federal rules. Hawaii taxes only your taxable wages, at graduated rates from 1.4% to 11.0%.
Why is Hawaii RN pay so high?
A combination of a tight island labor market, high cost of living, and heavily unionized hospital wages compresses pay at a high level — BLS shows a median of $136,320 with even the 10th percentile at $82,500.
Do stipends in Hawaii cover Honolulu housing?
Often, but not always comfortably. GSA-based lodging stipends for Honolulu are among the highest in the country, yet market rents can exceed them; many travelers take agency-provided housing in Honolulu to cap their risk.
Do I pay Hawaii tax if I live in another state?
Generally yes on Hawaii-sourced taxable wages — you file a Hawaii nonresident return (form N-15). Stipends are not earned income and are not Hawaii-taxed if your tax home is valid. Most home states credit Hawaii tax paid; confirm with a CPA.