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What to Pay a Travel Nurse in Phoenix, AZ (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$128,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$110K–$150K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.8%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~11
Phoenix metro average
To hire a Travel Nurse in Phoenix at market, plan on a base salary range of $110,000 to $150,000, with $128,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 11 days, expect to lead at $150K–$175K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Arizona does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your Travel Nurse pay range in Phoenix

Three pay positions, modeled against current Phoenix market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$95K–$110K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Phoenix average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$120.8K–$136.8K
Default for most Phoenix employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~11 days. A range width of ~30% (min $110,000 to max $150,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a Travel Nurse's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$141.2K–$175K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

Travel Nurse salary percentile distribution in Phoenix, AZ

Where the Phoenix market actually sits for Travel Nurse base pay.

10th $95K
25th $110K
Median $128K
75th $150K
90th $175K

Most Phoenix employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($128,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $110,000 and a max of $150,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Arizona pay transparency compliance for Travel Nurse job postings

What you must post when hiring a Travel Nurse in Arizona.

Not required statewide. Arizona has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a Travel Nurse role in Phoenix, a compliant good-faith range looks like $110,000 to $150,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $110,000–$150,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top Travel Nurse employers in Phoenix — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring Travel Nurses in the Phoenix metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Aya Healthcare Travel agency $122K–$152K Common (per contract)
Cross Country Healthcare Travel agency $120K–$148K Common
Medical Solutions Travel agency $118K–$148K Common
Direct contracts (Banner, Mayo) Health system direct $132K–$165K Hospital-direct premium
Banner Internal Travel Pool Health system internal $125K–$155K Internal pool premium

Travel Nurse talent supply and hiring difficulty in Phoenix

How hard is it to fill a Travel Nurse role in Phoenix.

~11
Avg Days to Fill
~2,800
Active Postings
~6,200
Phoenix Travel Nurse Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Skill premiums Travel Nurse candidates command in Phoenix, AZ

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
ICU (CCRN) +15–22% Very high
ER (CEN) +15–22% Very high — snowbird-driven
Cardiac / cath lab +12–18% High — Banner/Mayo demand
Seasonal surge bonus +25–50% Oct–Apr Seasonal pattern

Travel Nurse total compensation in Phoenix — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for Travel Nurses in Phoenix. "Prevalence" reflects share of Phoenix disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Phoenix Postings
Taxed hourly base $45–$62/hr (~$1,800–$2,500/wk) 100%
Housing stipend (untaxed) $1,750–$2,750/wk ~100%
Meals & incidentals $300–$475/wk ~100%
Travel reimbursement $500–$1,500 per contract ~85%
Completion bonus $500–$2,500 per 13-wk ~58%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$155K–$182K (annualized)

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

Travel Nurse pay by setting in Phoenix — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the Travel Nurse range splits by employer type in the Phoenix metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
ICU $148,000 $132K–$170K Very high
ER (snowbird-driven) $145,000 $128K–$168K Very high — peaks Oct–Apr
OR $145,000 $128K–$168K Very high
Cardiac (Banner/Mayo) $148,000 $132K–$170K Very high
Med-surg / telemetry $122,000 $110K–$140K High

Travel Nurse salary in Phoenix vs. other Arizona and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Phoenix Hiring Difficulty
Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZ $128,000 Above national avg
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NV $125,000 −2.3% Above national avg
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO $132,000 +3.1% Above national avg
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA $152,000 +18.8% Very tight
Arizona statewide $118,000 −7.8%
U.S. national $118,000

FAQ: hiring a Travel Nurse in Phoenix, AZ

Market median is $128,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $128,000 — typically $110,000 to $150,000. To lead the market, plan on $150K–$175K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Arizona. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $110,000–$150,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$115,000 falls below the Phoenix market median of $128,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Phoenix's snowbird-driven seasonal demand (October–April) pushes travel rates 25–50% above summer baselines. ICU and ER are the tightest specialties. Banner's internal travel pool is a competitive alternative to agency placement.
Average fill time is approximately 11 days in the Phoenix metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($150K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($110K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Phoenix-metro posting volume: Aya Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, Medical Solutions, Direct contracts (Banner, Mayo), Banner Internal Travel Pool lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for Travel Nurse in Phoenix — for example, $110,000 to $150,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Arizona has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related Travel Nurse pay benchmarks — Arizona metros and nearby nursing roles

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.