Travel Nurse Pay in Michigan (2026)
Michigan runs one of the largest RN workforces in the Midwest with moderate wages and a flat income tax. Here are the verified BLS numbers, hedged package ranges, the licensure paperwork travelers forget, and 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 (Michigan) | 104,950 | One of the largest state RN workforces (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $94,300/yr ($45.34/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $94,300/yr ($45.34/hr) | Median-equal mean — a compressed wage structure |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $77,260/yr | Floor of the market |
Travel nurse pay in Michigan: the numbers
Michigan employed 104,950 registered nurses as of May 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — the biggest RN workforce of any state in this series, and about 23.8 RN jobs per 1,000 statewide. The median RN wage was $94,300/year ($45.34/hr) with a mean of $94,300 ($45.34/hr), a 10th percentile of $77,260 and a 90th percentile of $116,710.
The near-identical median and mean describe a compressed market: Michigan hospitals pay within a narrower band than coastal states, so the gap between a Detroit academic contract and a rural Upper Peninsula one is smaller than travelers expect. The compression cuts both ways — entry pay of $77,260 is solid for the region, while the experienced band ($103,450 at the 75th percentile to $116,710 at the 90th, per BLS May 2025) leaves less headroom for premium bill rates. Michigan demand tends to concentrate where systems are thinnest: Detroit's large teaching campuses and the scattered critical-access hospitals Up North.
The hedged range below reflects that structure. Verify live offers with your recruiter — winter contracts in the Upper Peninsula and summer contracts near Traverse City behave seasonally.
| Measure | Figure | What it means for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| RN employment (Michigan) | 104,950 | One of the largest state RN workforces (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $94,300/yr ($45.34/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $94,300/yr ($45.34/hr) | Median-equal mean — a compressed wage structure |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $77,260/yr | Floor of the market |
| Experienced RN (75th–90th pct) | $103,450–$116,710/yr | Where bill rates cluster |
| Typical travel package (hedged) | roughly $1,900–$2,600/week gross | Taxable wage + stipends; varies by specialty and season — verify with recruiters |
| State income tax (2026) | 4.25% flat | Applies to taxable wages only, not stipends |
| Nurse Licensure Compact | No — not a member; license by endorsement | Build lead time into Michigan start dates |
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 Michigan
Stipend caps follow the federal GSA per-diem tables, and most of Michigan sits in modest lodging territory — Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids caps are middle-of-the-road, while the Upper Peninsula and lake towns are lower outside peak season. That caps the housing side of the package compared with Boston or coastal California, which is why Michigan offers lean harder on the taxable hourly rate. Check your assignment city's current tables at gsa.gov/perdiem.
Illustrative math: $25/hr × 36 guaranteed hours = $900/week taxable. Subtract roughly $103 federal, $69 FICA and about $38 for Michigan's 4.25% flat tax, leaving about $690. Add $1,200 housing plus $400 M&IE — $1,600 tax-free — for a take-home near $2,290/week, about $64/hour blended, roughly $29,800 over 13 weeks. The take-home is real money, but it is also why a Michigan offer should be compared after tax against bigger-gross states, never by the weekly quote alone. Run both sides through the take-home calculator and compare by blended rate.
The standing rule applies with Michigan housing costs too: stipends are tax-free only with a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses. The tax home guide covers the three IRS factors that keep it that way.
Michigan income tax: flat 4.25%, with Midwest reciprocity
Michigan taxes income at a flat 4.25%. The wrinkle travelers care about is reciprocity: Michigan maintains agreements with Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, so residents of those states who take Michigan assignments generally keep paying their home state rather than filing dual returns. If your home state is elsewhere — or has no income tax — Michigan nonresident tax applies to the taxable wages earned in-state, while stipends stay outside the picture entirely under the federal accountable-plan rules. Verify your filing position with the Michigan Department of Treasury and a CPA who handles multistate healthcare workers.
Tax figures here are 2026 planning rates from official state sources — confirm your own filing position with the relevant state revenue department or a CPA; this page is not tax advice.
Licensure in Michigan: not a compact state
Michigan is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — per the NCSBN map, it is in the no-action category, with no enacted legislation. Every out-of-state traveler needs a Michigan RN license by endorsement through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Endorsement is routine but not instant: fingerprints, verification from your original license state and processing time mean you should start the paperwork the moment a Michigan interview looks serious. Check compact status changes on the NCSBN site (nursecompact.com) before each contract cycle — states do join, as Ohio's 2023 entry and Pennsylvania's 2025 implementation showed.
Where the demand is in Michigan
Detroit anchors the market: Henry Ford Health, the Detroit Medical Center campuses and the Warren–Troy suburban systems generate steady ICU, ED and telemetry lines. Ann Arbor's Michigan Medicine is the academic premium account, and Grand Rapids' Corewell Health runs one of the largest hospital operations on the west side of the state. Flint, Lansing and Saginaw keep mid-size demand, but the sleeper market is the north: Traverse City, Petoskey and the Upper Peninsula's critical-access hospitals lean on travelers to cover leave and seasonal census, often with housing provided because local rentals are scarce. Assignment length up north skews shorter and rates can spike when snowbird season and staffing gaps collide.
Stipend ceilings everywhere follow the federal per-diem tables for your assignment location — gsa.gov/perdiem.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Michigan?
Per BLS OEWS (May 2025), the median staff RN in Michigan earns $94,300/year with 104,950 RNs employed — one of the largest travel markets in the Midwest. Travel packages typically quote $1,900–$2,600/week gross, with Detroit and Ann Arbor academic centers at the top — verify offers with recruiters.
Is Michigan a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
No. Michigan is not a compact member — per the NCSBN map it has taken no legislative action — so travelers need a Michigan RN license by endorsement through LARA, the state licensing agency.
What is Michigan's income tax for travelers?
A flat 4.25% on taxable wages. Michigan holds reciprocity with Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin — residents of those states working in Michigan generally keep paying their home state instead.
Are stipends taxed in Michigan?
No — stipends are tax-free when you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses. Michigan's 4.25% applies only to your taxable hourly wages.
Where does travel demand cluster in Michigan?
Detroit (Henry Ford Health, Detroit Medical Center), Ann Arbor (Michigan Medicine), Grand Rapids (Corewell Health) and the acute and critical-access hospitals of the Upper Peninsula, where small facilities lean on travelers to cover leave gaps.
What is a good blended rate in Michigan?
An illustrative $2,290/week take-home over 36 hours is about $64/hour blended. Michigan's modest stipend caps and 4.25% tax make the after-tax comparison against big-market offers closer than the gross quotes suggest.