Best Travel Nursing Agencies: The Top 14 Options for 2024
Nurses with a sense of adventure can hop on the travel nurse trend. Here are the 14 best travel nursing agencies to find your next assignment.
A 12-hour shift in a high-stress, fast-paced environment is all part of a day’s work for a registered nurse. But in spite of the demanding routine, nursing is still the largest profession within medicine — and it’s only growing.
Nowadays, many hospitals and clinics depend on travel nurses to fill vacancies and keep up with staffing demands. If travel nursing is something you’re considering, there are numerous nursing agencies available to help you find job placements as a travel nurse — but narrowing down the top travel nurse agencies can be hard.
To help you land the right match, here’s our guide to finding the best travel nurse company, including the top 14 agencies to consider and the benefits they offer.
Why be a travel nurse?
Being a travel nurse comes with a lot of perks. While hospitals and clinics are willing to offer competitive salaries and growth opportunities to draw in top talent, travel nurses also have the freedom to choose assignments that align with their lifestyle, whether they want to explore new corners of the country, like Austin or Denver, or spend more time close to friends or family.
The Bureau of Labor Services projects that nearly 200,000 new registered nursing positions will open annually through 2032. This uptick in openings puts nurses who are willing to travel in a unique position to fill essential positions in exchange for competitive pay, great benefits, and the ability to visit new destinations.
The 14 Best Travel Nurse Agencies in 2024
Nurses come in all skill sets and specialties. Choosing the best travel nurse agency starts with defining your priorities, including location, competitive pay, or fulfilling a specialized role.
Here are the top travel nursing agencies to consider in 2024:
1. FlexCare Medical Staffing
A major benefit of working with FlexCare is its S1NGLEPOINT recruiter system. Rather than working with several departments (like recruiting, HR, and payroll), FlexCare matches you with a single point of contact who liaisons all your concerns. For seasoned registered nurses looking for a hands-off experience, Flexcare streamlines the entire experience.
2. Atlas MedStaff
Atlas MedStaff understands why many travel nurses choose their line of work. Every contract comes with an “Atlas Adventure” — a tailor-made experience that helps you experience the fun and excitement of a new place. Skiing, scuba lessons, or tickets to an MLB game are just a few ways to relax on your off days. Atlas Medstaff’s boutique approach to a travel nurse company also extends to solid insurance and benefits packages and long-term relationships with your recruiter.
3. Host Healthcare
If you’re new to travel nursing, an agency with round-the-clock support can give you the extra guidance you need. Host Healthcare is available 24/7 to text, DM, or call. Plus, it offers 401(k) matching and medical coverage that continues up to 30 days between assignments.
4. Aya Healthcare
Aya Healthcare is the largest travel nursing agency in the United States. Its website lets you browse contracts in all 50 states, where you’re unlikely to find a shortage of job offers with competitive pay. Aya also possesses extensive benefits, from reimbursements on scrubs and certifications to PTO and a 401(k). Aya assigns a single recruiter to accompany you throughout the process, which makes it a great choice for new travel nurses.
5. AMN Healthcare
If you’re looking for the best travel nursing company with the most resources, AMN Healthcare will cover you. AMN Healthcare works with nearly 20% of the travel nurse market, giving them the ability to offer exclusive deals with top-tier healthcare facilities. If you work as a specialized RN, AMN is unparalleled in job offers.
6. Nomad Health Travel Nursing
Nomad Health has a reputation for being among the higher-paying travel nurse agencies and offers a weekly payment system, making it well-suited for experienced travel nurses who prioritize pay. Licensure reimbursement, robust benefits packages (medical, dental, and vision), and streamlined onboarding experiences are other reasons to choose Nomad. Its recruiters also tend to be less hands-on than agencies like Aya Healthcare or Flexcare.
7. Trusted Health
With its reputation for competitive pay packages, Trusted Health wants to do more than just find you a job. Because of this approach to service, it stands out from other travel healthcare companies. Its online database has a robust search engine with comprehensive salary information as well as city guides and cost of living indexes. Likewise, Trusted Health’s attention to work-life balance gives you access to mental health resources, special events, and continued education trackers.
8. RNnetwork
RNnetwork is the best travel nurse company for RNs who prioritize benefits, as the agency’s benefits package is quite extensive. Offerings include life insurance, free continued education, and dental plans (including orthodontics). Likewise, RN Network has 24/7 access to physician consultation services, licensed therapists, and a free mindfulness app.
9. Travel Nurse Across America
Travel Nurse Across America (known in the industry as TNAA) bills itself as a travel-centric agency. The approach goes beyond travel reimbursements, housing advice, and a concierge dedicated to assigning you to the right location. TNAA also has a robust employee assistance program with counseling services, licensure reimbursements, and nondenominational care to keep you comfortable and cared for throughout your assignment.
10. Axis Medical Staffing
Industry organizations consistently rank Axis Medical Staffing as the best travel nursing company. What makes this agency shine among the others is its commitment to customer service and quick turnaround on new assignments.
11. Fusion Medical Staffing
Fusion Medical Staffing stands out for its inclusive approach to healthcare. It accepts new graduates, provides mentorship programs, and emphasizes volunteering and community work.
12. Travel Nurses, Inc.
Although you need a year of experience to work with Travel Nurses, Inc., it’s worth checking out after you’ve gained the necessary experience. This agency ranks high for its commitment to transparency. To ensure you get the right assignment, recruiters schedule a thorough review to confirm that every need is met with a new contract.
13. Prime Time Healthcare
If you’re looking for top-tier healthcare facilities to add to your resume, Prime Time Healthcare is the travel nurse company to look to. It’s a great travel nurse agency for specialized RNs and offers competitive pay, day-one custom healthcare plans, and referral bonuses.
14. Medical Solutions
Medical Solutions strives to give you “the same human touch you give your patients.” Despite a large catalog of 4,000 partner healthcare facilities, the agency takes a boutique approach to customer care. Medical Solutions has a great benefits package, including 401(k) matching, life insurance, and medical, dental, and vision. It also offers housing stipends, travel discounts on rentals and hotels, and round-the-clock customer service.
Working With a Travel Nursing Agency: FAQs
If you’re new to travel nursing, you probably have a lot of questions. Grab your notepad and take notes.
Q: Do I Have to Work With a Travel Nursing Agency?
A: No. It’s possible to find travel nurse assignments on your own, but a travel nursing agency simplifies the stress that comes with searching for jobs. Finding the best opportunities, getting your resume seen by job recruiters, and helping with state licensures are big pluses — especially if you switch gigs several times a year.
Having a good recruiter means having someone who’s always in your corner. They’re going to fight for your demands, provide support from start to finish, and help you secure financial support like housing stipends, sign-on bonuses, and travel reimbursements.
Q: What Should I Prioritize Most When Choosing a Travel Nursing Agency?
A: Your recruiter is on the front lines of shaping your experience. From getting you the best pay to securing the best travel nurse housing, your recruiter can make or break your experience. If you don’t feel comfortable with your recruiter, don’t hesitate to request another point of contact or switch agencies.
Q: What Are the Highest-Paying Travel Nursing Agencies?
A: It’s always a good idea to shop around and negotiate with recruiters, regardless of an agency’s reputation for high pay. That said, Nomad, Trusted, and Aya have reputations for being among the top-paying travel nurse agencies.
Q: Is a Travel Nurse Job Worth It?
A: Travel nursing offers high pay, flexibility, and professional growth that are attractive to registered nurses seeking variety and adventure. However, like any other career choice, you should familiarize yourself with the realities of a travel nurse job. In addition to the highs and lows all healthcare staff experience, regular onboarding, shifting workloads, and losing long-term benefits (like retirement) are serious potential downsides to consider.
Let Landing Care for You
Traveling the country to take care of patients is a big job. When your shift ends, you should be able to kick up your feet and relax. Landing works one-on-one with travel nurses to secure fully furnished, flexible housing. Become a member today, and let us take care of you.