Travel Nurse Pay in Minnesota (2026)
Minnesota pairs above-average RN wages with some of the highest income-tax brackets in the country and a non-compact license. Here are the verified BLS numbers, hedged package ranges, and the take-home math that decides whether a Twin Cities offer wins.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Measure | Figure | What it means for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| RN employment (Minnesota) | 70,110 | Deep staff market behind you (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $101,510/yr ($48.80/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $103,420/yr ($49.72/hr) | Includes the experienced-nurse band travelers replace |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $79,960/yr | Floor of the market |
Travel nurse pay in Minnesota: the numbers
Minnesota employed 70,110 registered nurses as of May 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — about 23.8 RN jobs per 1,000 in the state. The median RN wage was $101,510/year ($48.80/hr) with a mean of $103,420 ($49.72/hr), a 10th percentile of $79,960 and a 90th percentile of $132,430.
Those are strong numbers for the Midwest, and the shape of the distribution tells you why: entry pay near $80,000 reflects union-dense Twin Cities hospitals, while the 75th percentile at $114,760 and 90th at $132,430 (per BLS, May 2025) show how far Mayo Clinic and the metro systems stretch for experienced specialty nurses. That experienced band is what travel bill rates anchor to — and Rochester in particular behaves like a national market compressed into a small city, with procedure-heavy specialties (OR, cath lab, ICU) in near-constant demand.
The hedged range below reflects the Twin Cities and Rochester premium over the rest of the state. Verify live offers with your recruiter, especially for winter starts when demand and housing costs move together.
| Measure | Figure | What it means for travelers |
|---|---|---|
| RN employment (Minnesota) | 70,110 | Deep staff market behind you (per BLS OEWS, May 2025) |
| Median RN wage | $101,510/yr ($48.80/hr) | Staff baseline that anchors hospital bill rates |
| Mean RN wage | $103,420/yr ($49.72/hr) | Includes the experienced-nurse band travelers replace |
| Entry RN (10th pct) | $79,960/yr | Floor of the market |
| Experienced RN (75th–90th pct) | $114,760–$132,430/yr | Where bill rates cluster |
| Typical travel package (hedged) | roughly $2,200–$2,900/week gross | Taxable wage + stipends; varies by specialty and season — verify with recruiters |
| State income tax (2026) | 5.35%–9.85% graduated | Applies to taxable wages only, not stipends |
| Nurse Licensure Compact | No — not a member; license by endorsement | Build lead time into Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Stipend caps follow the federal GSA per-diem tables, and Minneapolis–St. Paul sits in solid middle territory while Rochester's caps have risen with its hotel market. That matters here more than in low-tax states, because every dollar shifted from taxable wage to stipend escapes not just federal tax and FICA but one of the highest state brackets in the country. 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 and $69 FICA, then about $63 for Minnesota tax at a hedged 6.8% effective-to-marginal blend, leaving about $665. Add $1,300 housing plus $400 M&IE — $1,700 tax-free — for a take-home near $2,365/week, about $66/hour blended, roughly $30,700 over 13 weeks. Notice what the state tax did: the same $900 taxable week keeps roughly $38 more in a flat-tax Midwest state. That is the gap the stipend split and the take-home calculator exist to manage — compare offers by blended rate, never the weekly gross.
The standing rule: stipends are tax-free only with a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses. Rochester in particular invites repeat extensions — and around 12 months in the same metro, stipends start looking taxable. Read the tax home guide before you plan back-to-back Mayo contracts.
Minnesota income tax: high brackets, no compact-style shortcuts
Minnesota runs graduated rates from 5.35% to 9.85% — the top bracket is among the highest in the nation, though a traveler's annualized taxable pay (often $45,000–$55,000) typically lands in the mid-brackets around 6.8%. Nonresidents pay Minnesota tax on wages earned in the state; Minnesota has reciprocity agreements with Michigan and North Dakota (and Wisconsin, long-standing), so residents of those states generally keep paying home-state tax instead. Stipends sit outside state tax entirely under the federal accountable-plan rules. Verify your filing position with the Minnesota Department of Revenue 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 Minnesota: not a compact state
Minnesota is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — per the NCSBN map, it remains in the no-action category despite neighboring Wisconsin, Iowa and both Dakotas being longtime members. Every out-of-state traveler needs a Minnesota RN license by endorsement through the Minnesota Board of Nursing. Processing is generally predictable but not instant, and Rochester offers in particular can start fast — file the endorsement the moment an interview looks real. Track status changes on the NCSBN site (nursecompact.com).
Where the demand is in Minnesota
Minneapolis–St. Paul is the volume market: M Health Fairview, Allina Health, Hennepin Healthcare and North Memorial between them keep ICU, ED, L&D and psych lines posted year-round, with a predictable winter surge. Rochester is the prestige market — Mayo Clinic Rochester runs one of the largest specialty-care campuses in the world and hires experienced procedural and critical-care travelers on regular rotation. Duluth's Essentia and St. Luke's anchor a smaller northern market, and the rural systems across greater Minnesota use travelers to cover leave gaps their thin benches cannot absorb. One Rochester-specific note: housing near the clinic is tight and priced accordingly, so weigh the housing stipend versus agency housing tradeoff carefully there.
Stipend ceilings everywhere follow the federal per-diem tables for your assignment location — gsa.gov/perdiem.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Minnesota?
Per BLS OEWS (May 2025), the median staff RN in Minnesota earns $101,510/year. Travel packages typically quote $2,200–$2,900/week gross, with Minneapolis–St. Paul and Mayo Clinic Rochester at the top — verify offers with recruiters.
Is Minnesota a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
No. Minnesota is not a compact member — per the NCSBN map it has taken no legislative action — so travelers need a Minnesota RN license by endorsement from the Minnesota Board of Nursing.
What is Minnesota's income tax for travelers?
Graduated rates from 5.35% to 9.85%, among the higher brackets in the country. A traveler's taxable wages typically land in the 6.8% bracket; stipends are untouched by state tax.
Are stipends taxed in Minnesota?
No — stipends are tax-free when you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses. Minnesota's income tax applies only to your taxable hourly wages.
Why is Mayo Clinic Rochester a top travel destination?
Rochester runs one of the densest specialty-care markets in the world, with consistent demand for experienced ICU, OR and procedural RNs — and travelers who extend there repeatedly should watch the 12-month tax-home rule.
What is a good blended rate in Minnesota?
An illustrative $2,365/week take-home over 36 hours is about $66/hour blended. With a 6.8%-ish state marginal, push the taxable-versus-stipend split negotiation hard and compare after tax.