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What to Pay a Travel Nurse in St. Louis, MO (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$105,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$91K–$121K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.3%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~12
St. Louis metro average
To hire a Travel Nurse in St. Louis at market, plan on a base salary range of $91,000 to $121,000, with $105,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 12 days, expect to lead at $121K–$139K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Missouri does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your Travel Nurse pay range in St. Louis

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

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$80K–$91K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the St. Louis average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$99.4K–$111.4K
Default for most St. Louis employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~12 days. A range width of ~30% (min $91,000 to max $121,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a Travel Nurse's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$114.6K–$139K
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 St. Louis, MO

Where the St. Louis market actually sits for Travel Nurse base pay.

10th $80K
25th $91K
Median $105K
75th $121K
90th $139K

Most St. Louis employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($105,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $91,000 and a max of $121,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Missouri pay transparency compliance for Travel Nurse job postings

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

Not required statewide. Missouri 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 St. Louis, a compliant good-faith range looks like $91,000 to $121,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $91,000–$121,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top Travel Nurse employers in St. Louis — who you're competing against

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Aya Healthcare Travel agency $99K–$124K Per contract
Cross Country Healthcare Travel agency $99K–$124K Per contract
Medical Solutions Travel agency $99K–$124K Per contract
Trusted Health Travel agency / tech-driven $99K–$124K Per contract
Direct contracts (BJC HealthCare, Mercy) Health system direct $109K–$132K Hospital-direct premium

Travel Nurse talent supply and hiring difficulty in St. Louis

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

~12
Avg Days to Fill
~850
Active Postings
~1,900
St. Louis Travel Nurse Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

St. Louis travel nurse demand driven by acute care specialty gaps and 13-week contract cycles.

Skill premiums Travel Nurse candidates command in St. Louis, MO

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
ICU (CCRN) +15–22% Very high
ER (CEN) +12–20% Very high
OR / L&D +12–20% Very high
Crisis surge bonus +30–70% during Episodic

Travel Nurse total compensation in St. Louis — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in St. Louis Postings
Taxed hourly base $727–$969/hr 100%
Housing stipend (untaxed) $1,500–$2,300/wk ~100%
Meals & incidentals $300–$500/wk ~100%
Travel reimbursement $500–$1,500 per contract ~85%
Completion bonus $500–$2,500 per 13-wk ~60%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$126K–$151K (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 St. Louis — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
ICU $120,000 $107K–$136K Very high
ER $114,000 $103K–$130K Very high
OR $117,000 $105K–$132K Very high
L&D $113,000 $102K–$128K Very high
Med-surg / telemetry $97,000 $86K–$109K High

Travel Nurse salary in St. Louis vs. other Missouri and nearby metros

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

FAQ: hiring a Travel Nurse in St. Louis, MO

Market median is $105,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $105,000 — typically $91,000 to $121,000. To lead the market, plan on $121K–$139K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Missouri. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $91,000–$121,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$94,000 falls below the St. Louis market median of $105,000 — 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.
St. Louis travel contracts average $500–$2,500 completion bonuses per 13-week assignment. Direct hospital contracts typically outpay agency contracts by 6–12% for specialty-certified RNs.
Average fill time is approximately 12 days in the St. Louis metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($121K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($91K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By St. Louis-metro posting volume: Aya Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, Medical Solutions, Trusted Health, Direct contracts (BJC HealthCare, Mercy) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for Travel Nurse in St. Louis — for example, $91,000 to $121,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Missouri 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 — Missouri metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Kansas City, MO → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Indianapolis, IN → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Chicago, IL → All Travel Nurse pay benchmarks →
Related roles in St. Louis
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — St. Louis → Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — St. Louis → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — St. Louis → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — St. Louis → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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