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What to Pay a Travel Nurse in Tampa, FL (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$102,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$89K–$117K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.3%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~12
Tampa metro average
To hire a Travel Nurse in Tampa at market, plan on a base salary range of $89,000 to $117,000, with $102,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 12 days, expect to lead at $117K–$135K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Florida does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your Travel Nurse pay range in Tampa

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

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$78K–$89K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Tampa average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$96.8K–$108K
Default for most Tampa employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~12 days. A range width of ~30% (min $89,000 to max $117,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a Travel Nurse's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$111K–$135K
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 Tampa, FL

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

10th $78K
25th $89K
Median $102K
75th $117K
90th $135K

Most Tampa employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($102,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $89,000 and a max of $117,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Florida pay transparency compliance for Travel Nurse job postings

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

Not required statewide. Florida 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 Tampa, a compliant good-faith range looks like $89,000 to $117,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $89,000–$117,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

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

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Aya Healthcare Travel agency $96K–$120K Per contract
Cross Country Healthcare Travel agency $96K–$120K Per contract
Medical Solutions Travel agency $96K–$120K Per contract
Trusted Health Travel agency / tech-driven $96K–$120K Per contract
Direct contracts (BayCare, Tampa General, AdventHealth) Academic hospital direct $106K–$129K Hospital-direct premium

Travel Nurse talent supply and hiring difficulty in Tampa

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

~12
Avg Days to Fill
~950
Active Postings
~2,200
Tampa Travel Nurse Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

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

Skill premiums Travel Nurse candidates command in Tampa, FL

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 Tampa — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Tampa Postings
Taxed hourly base $706–$942/hr 100%
Housing stipend (untaxed) $1,400–$2,200/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 ~$122K–$147K (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 Tampa — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
ICU $116,000 $104K–$133K Very high
ER $111,000 $100K–$126K Very high
OR $113,000 $102K–$129K Very high
L&D $110,000 $99K–$124K Very high
Med-surg / telemetry $94,000 $84K–$106K High

Travel Nurse salary in Tampa vs. other Florida and nearby metros

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

FAQ: hiring a Travel Nurse in Tampa, FL

Market median is $102,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $102,000 — typically $89,000 to $117,000. To lead the market, plan on $117K–$135K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Florida. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $89,000–$117,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$91,000 falls below the Tampa market median of $102,000 — 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.
Tampa 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 Tampa metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($117K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($89K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Tampa-metro posting volume: Aya Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, Medical Solutions, Trusted Health, Direct contracts (BayCare, Tampa General, AdventHealth) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for Travel Nurse in Tampa — for example, $89,000 to $117,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Florida 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 — Florida metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Orlando, FL → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Jacksonville, FL → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Miami, FL → All Travel Nurse pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Tampa
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Tampa → Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — Tampa → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Tampa → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Tampa → 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.