Travel Nurse Pay in New York (2026)
New York combines some of the highest staff RN wages in the country with one of its highest income taxes and no Nurse Licensure Compact. Here is what the numbers say.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Pay measure | New York | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $52.62 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $109,440 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $113,440 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 205,810 | 3,379,720 |
Travel nurse pay in New York: the numbers
The baseline is genuinely high. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), New York employs 205,810 registered nurses — one of the largest RN workforces in the nation — at a median wage of $52.62 an hour ($109,440 a year), with a mean of $113,440. The national median is $46.90 an hour ($97,550), so New York staff RNs earn a median roughly 12% above it. High wages, enormous patient volume and chronic staffing pressure keep travel demand steady, but the state claws back a slice: graduated income tax rates run from 4% up to 10.9%, with the lowest five brackets trimmed by 0.1 point for the 2026 tax year per Tax Foundation's 2026 tables — verify with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
| Pay measure | New York | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $52.62 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $109,440 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $113,440 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 205,810 | 3,379,720 |
| Typical travel gross package (hedged — varies by specialty, facility, season) | roughly $2,200–$3,400/week | roughly $1,800–$3,200/week |
| State income tax on wages, 2026 | graduated, up to 10.9% | varies by state |
Treat the travel band as hedged market context, not a quote: NYC ICU, L&D and NICU contracts in the big academic systems routinely clear the top in peak season, while routine med-surg upstate can sit below it. Two structural notes for the tax row. First, New York is aggressive about nonresident taxation — wages earned on New York shifts are New York-source income even if you live elsewhere, though your home state usually credits the tax paid. Second, the New York City personal income tax hits residents only: a traveler whose tax home is in, say, Texas pays New York State nonresident tax but not the city tax. Licensure is the other gate: New York is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so every traveler needs a New York license by endorsement — start it weeks before your start date, and confirm requirements with the State Education Department's Office of the Professions.
The map: New York City dwarfs everything, with several massive competing systems running simultaneous travel needs across the five boroughs. Long Island and Westchester extend that corridor at nearly city-level rates. Upstate, Buffalo, Rochester and the Albany region carry steady demand with dramatically cheaper housing, and rural North Country and Southern Tier hospitals post real premiums precisely because fewer travelers want the winters. Compare New York against other states on the travel nurse pay by state hub.
How stipends change the math in New York
A New York offer splits into taxable wages and tax-free stipends, and in this state the split is worth more than almost anywhere. Housing and meal stipends stay untaxed only while you maintain a valid tax home with duplicated living expenses, and they are capped by the GSA per diem tables for your assignment city — and New York City carries among the highest GSA lodging maxima in the country. That means an NYC contract can legally carry a far larger tax-free housing stipend than the same job in a low-rate city, which partially offsets both the state tax and the brutal local rent. Decide early whether to take the stipend or agency housing — in Manhattan and the outer boroughs that choice is routinely worth several hundred dollars a week.
Illustrative contract, New York City: $25 an hour taxable times 36 guaranteed hours is $900 of weekly taxable gross. Federal income tax runs about $69 a week for a single filer after the standard deduction, FICA about $69, and New York State nonresident tax roughly $42 at typical travel wages — call it $720 net from the taxable side. Add $2,100 housing plus $500 meals and incidentals, untaxed with a valid tax home, and weekly take-home is about $3,320, a blended rate near $92 an hour. A 13-week contract lands near $43,200. Run your own offer through the take-home pay calculator — this is an estimate, not tax advice.
The comparison that matters: New York's tax and licensure friction is real, but the gross packages and GSA stipend ceilings are big enough that a strong NYC contract still out-nettles most no-tax states. The trap is comparing gross numbers across state lines — a $3,400 New York week and a $2,700 Texas week can land closer than they look once nonresident withholding and NYC rent are priced in. Score any two offers with the contract comparison calculator or the blended rate calculator, and if this is your first contract, walk the first assignment checklist before you sign anything.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in New York?
New York staff RNs earn a median of $109,440 a year ($52.62 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 data, well above the $97,550 national median. Travel packages typically run roughly $2,200–$3,400 a week gross depending on city and specialty, with New York City on the higher end and upstate markets lower but often with cheaper housing.
How much is New York state income tax for travel nurses?
New York taxes nonresidents on New York-source wages at graduated rates from 4% up to 10.9%, and the lowest brackets were trimmed by 0.1 point starting with the 2026 tax year. On a typical travel contract's taxable wages expect roughly $40–$70 a week withheld. Verify current tables with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
Do travel nurses pay the New York City income tax?
No — unless you are a New York City resident. The city personal income tax applies to residents only; a traveler whose tax home is elsewhere and who merely works shifts in the city pays New York State nonresident tax, not the city tax. Do not let the NYC line item scare you off an offer.
Is New York part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
No. New York is one of the largest states outside the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a New York RN license by endorsement regardless of a multistate license. Start early — endorsement processing can take weeks. Confirm requirements with the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions.
Where are the biggest travel nurse markets in New York?
New York City dwarfs everything with multiple massive competing health systems, followed by Long Island and Westchester. Upstate, Buffalo, Rochester and Albany carry steady demand, and rural North Country hospitals post real premiums because fewer travelers want the winters.
Are stipends tax-free in New York?
Federal rules decide, not Albany: housing and meal stipends are tax-free only while you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses, capped by GSA per diem rates for the assignment city — and New York City has among the highest GSA lodging maxima in the country. New York's income tax applies to your taxable wages only.