Travel Nurse Pay in North Dakota (2026)
North Dakota is a small market where staff pay looks low on paper but the income tax is nearly zero and scarcity premiums are real. Here is what the numbers say.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Pay measure | North Dakota | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $38.81 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $80,730 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $83,600 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 11,340 | 3,379,720 |
Travel nurse pay in North Dakota: the numbers
The baseline is the lowest in this series, but the context redeems it. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), North Dakota employs 11,340 registered nurses — but at 26.4 per 1,000 jobs, among the highest RN concentrations of any state — at a median wage of $38.81 an hour ($80,730 a year), with a mean of $83,600. The national median is $46.90 an hour ($97,550), so North Dakota staff RNs trail it by about 17%. The kicker is the tax code: North Dakota levies 0% on roughly the first $48,000–58,000 of income (the threshold varies by filing status and year), then 1.95% up to roughly $245,000–258,000 and 2.50% above that, per the North Dakota Tax Department — so a typical traveler's taxable wages fall in or near the zero bracket.
| Pay measure | North Dakota | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $38.81 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $80,730 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $83,600 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 11,340 | 3,379,720 |
| Typical travel gross package (hedged — varies by specialty, facility, season) | roughly $1,800–$2,700/week | roughly $1,800–$3,200/week |
| State income tax on wages, 2026 | 0% / 1.95% / 2.50% brackets | varies by state |
Treat the travel band as hedged market context, not a quote: routine med-surg in Fargo can land at the bottom, while ICU and L&D coverage in Bismarck, Minot and the rural critical access hospitals — especially winter contracts — routinely clear the top. Small markets price in steps, not smooth curves: a single vacancy at a 25-bed critical access hospital can move a facility from no postings to crisis rates overnight, then back again. North Dakota has been a Nurse Licensure Compact member since January 19, 2018 (43 jurisdictions as of late 2026, per NurseCompact), so a multistate license covers everything with zero licensure friction — a meaningful advantage when the whole market is 11,000 nurses deep. Compare North Dakota against the neighbors on the travel nurse pay by state hub.
The map: Fargo anchors the market with two large regional systems and the state's widest specialty mix. Bismarck and Grand Forks follow with steady volumes. Minot and the western oil patch towns post some of the sharpest premiums in the Upper Midwest, precisely because fewer travelers want them, and housing in boom towns can be scarce enough to erase a premium if you have not locked it — price housing before you sign, not after.
How stipends change the math in North Dakota
A North Dakota offer splits into taxable wages and tax-free stipends, and both buckets lean traveler-friendly. 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. Fargo and Bismarck sit near the small-city standard on those tables, while oil patch counties can surprise you — verify the county rate before assuming the stipend on offer is compliant. Decide early whether to take the stipend or agency housing — in scarce-housing towns, agency housing sometimes wins purely on availability.
Illustrative contract, Fargo: $21 an hour taxable times 36 guaranteed hours is $756 of weekly taxable gross. Federal income tax runs about $52 a week for a single filer after the standard deduction, FICA about $58, and North Dakota income tax effectively zero at that income level — call it $646 net from the taxable side. Add $1,050 housing plus $400 meals and incidentals, untaxed with a valid tax home, and weekly take-home is about $2,100, a blended rate near $58 an hour. A 13-week contract lands near $27,300. Run your own offer through the take-home pay calculator — this is an estimate, not tax advice.
The comparison that matters: North Dakota's near-zero state tax means a dollar of taxable wage keeps almost everything after federal and FICA — so unlike high-tax states, a nominally smaller gross here often wins head-to-head. The state's real costs are lifestyle ones: winters, distances and thin contract volume. The practical play is treating the Upper Midwest as one market — park your tax home somewhere sensible, hold a multistate license, and let North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota compete for your winter. 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 North Dakota?
North Dakota staff RNs earn a median of $80,730 a year ($38.81 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 data, about 17% below the $97,550 national median. Travel packages typically run roughly $1,800–$2,700 a week gross — a wide band, with rural critical access hospitals and winter coverage on the high end.
Do travel nurses pay North Dakota income tax?
Almost none, usually. North Dakota taxes income at 0% on roughly the first $48,000–58,000 (varies by filing status and year), then 1.95% up to roughly $245,000–258,000 and 2.50% above, per the North Dakota Tax Department. A typical traveler's taxable wages land in or near the zero bracket, so state tax is often zero to a few dollars a week.
Is North Dakota part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes. North Dakota has been a Nurse Licensure Compact member since January 19, 2018, so a multistate RN license issued by your compact home state covers North Dakota assignments. The compact counted 43 jurisdictions as of late 2026 — confirm at nursecompact.com.
Where are the biggest travel nurse markets in North Dakota?
Fargo anchors the market with two large regional systems, followed by Bismarck and Grand Forks. Minot and the rural critical access hospitals across the west post the sharpest premiums — small facilities cannot float a vacancy, so they pay contract rates to keep beds open.
Are stipends tax-free in North Dakota?
Federal rules decide, not Bismarck: 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. North Dakota's near-zero income tax applies to your taxable wages only; it does not change how stipends are treated.
Why do North Dakota travel contracts pay a premium?
Scarcity and geography. With only about 11,000 RNs statewide and long winters, facilities bid aggressively for coverage, and low housing costs mean a given stipend stretches further. The honest trade-offs: distance from major metros, winter travel, and a small number of contracts at any one time — flexibility on city matters more here than in big markets.