Travel Nurse Pay in Virginia (2026)
Virginia runs three distinct travel markets — NoVa, Richmond and Hampton Roads — at close-to-national staff wages with a 5.75% top tax rate. The stipend split decides the winner. Here are the numbers.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Pay measure | Virginia | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $45.00 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $93,600 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $93,850 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 77,490 | 3,379,720 |
Travel nurse pay in Virginia: the numbers
The staff baseline, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025): Virginia employs 77,490 registered nurses at a median wage of $45.00 an hour — $93,600 a year — with a mean of $93,850. The national median is $46.90 an hour ($97,550), so Virginia staff RNs sit about 4% below it, which is close enough that regional spread inside the state matters more than the state average: Northern Virginia hospitals pay at metro-DC levels while Southside and Southwest Virginia trail well behind.
| Pay measure | Virginia | U.S. overall |
|---|---|---|
| Staff RN median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $45.00 | $46.90 |
| Staff RN median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $93,600 | $97,550 |
| Staff RN mean annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | $93,850 | $101,420 |
| Registered nurses employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | 77,490 | 3,379,720 |
| Typical travel gross package (hedged — varies by specialty, facility, season) | roughly $1,800–$2,500/week | roughly $1,800–$3,200/week |
| State income tax on wages, 2026 | 2%–5.75% graduated | varies by state |
Handle the travel band as hedged context: a Lynchburg med-surg opening can quote below it, while NoVa ICU and Richmond specialty contracts can clear above it. The tax row deserves attention because of its shape, not just its size: Virginia's four brackets (2%, 3%, 5%, 5.75%) put the top rate above just $17,000 of taxable income, per Virginia Tax, so a working traveler pays 5.75% on nearly all of the taxable wage. The rate held at 5.75% for 2026 — relief arrived via a larger standard deduction, not a lower rate. Nonresidents generally file a Virginia return on Virginia-earned wages and claim a credit at home.
Virginia's market is really three markets. Northern Virginia (the Inova system) pays the best and suffers the worst housing math — DC-area rents eat stipends alive. Richmond (VCU Health, Bon Secours) and Hampton Roads (Sentara's extensive network, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters) generate the steadiest volume. Roanoke (Carilion) anchors the west, and rural Southwest Virginia hospitals post genuine premiums for scarce specialties. Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact member (43 jurisdictions as of late 2026, per NurseCompact), which matters in a state 500 miles wide — one multistate license covers every one of these markets. Compare across the region on the travel nurse pay by state hub.
How stipends change the math in Virginia
Virginia's moderate-but-inevitable income tax makes the stipend split the decisive lever. Housing and meal stipends are tax-free only while you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses, capped by the GSA per diem tables for the assignment city. Here is the Virginia wrinkle: GSA lodging maxima in the DC-adjacent counties run among the highest in the state — and among the highest in the country — while actual NoVa rents chase them anyway. In Richmond or Roanoke the same stipend goes much further. Same gross, different life.
An illustrative Richmond contract: $23 an hour taxable times 36 guaranteed hours is $828 of weekly taxable gross. Federal income tax runs about $60 a week for a single filer after the standard deduction, FICA about $63, and Virginia income tax roughly $48 at the 5.75% top rate. That leaves about $657 net from the taxable side. Add $1,500 housing plus $400 meals and incidentals — untaxed with a valid tax home — and weekly take-home is about $2,560, a blended rate near $71 an hour. A 13-week contract lands around $33,200. The same package in NoVa with a $1,800 housing stipend (GSA-justified up there) would gross more — but check what an Arlington lease actually costs first. Run your real offer through the take-home pay calculator; this is an estimate, not tax advice.
The comparison discipline that pays in Virginia: never compare a NoVa gross against a Roanoke gross without running both through the contract comparison calculator with their actual stipend splits, because the housing market gap can flip the answer. Keep the duplicated-expense paper trail solid — a moderate tax state with aggressive nonresident enforcement is the wrong place to get sloppy with a stipend-heavy split. Use the blended rate calculator to score counteroffers in one number, and settle the stipend vs agency housing question before you sign anything.
FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Virginia?
Virginia staff RNs earn a median of $93,600 a year ($45.00 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 data, close to the $97,550 national median. Travel packages typically run roughly $1,800–$2,500 a week gross depending on region and specialty, with Northern Virginia and Richmond on the higher end.
Do I owe Virginia income tax on a travel contract if I live elsewhere?
Generally yes — as a nonresident you owe Virginia tax on Virginia-earned wages, and Virginia's top rate of 5.75% kicks in above just $17,000 of taxable income. Most home states credit the tax you pay Virginia, so full double taxation is rare, but file carefully and verify with Virginia Tax or a multistate CPA.
Is Virginia part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes. Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact member, so a multistate RN license issued by your compact home state covers assignments statewide. That is a real advantage in a state where the major markets — Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads — are hundreds of miles apart. The compact counted 43 jurisdictions in late 2026.
Which Virginia markets have the most travel nurse contracts?
Northern Virginia's Inova system pays the best but faces the highest housing costs. Richmond (VCU Health, Bon Secours) and Hampton Roads (Sentara's large network, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters) post the most volume, and Roanoke's Carilion clinic anchors the western market.
Are travel nurse stipends tax-free in Virginia?
Yes, under federal rules: housing and meal stipends are tax-free while you maintain a valid tax home and duplicated living expenses, capped by GSA per diem rates for the assignment city. Northern Virginia GSA lodging rates run among the highest in the state, which raises compliant stipend ceilings there.
How does Virginia's tax structure hit travel nurses?
Virginia has four brackets — 2%, 3%, 5% and 5.75% — and the top bracket starts at just $17,000 of taxable income, so a full-year traveler pays 5.75% on most of the taxable wage. The 5.75% rate was unchanged for 2026; relief came through a larger standard deduction instead. Only the taxable portion of your package is affected — stipends stay out of it.