Travel Nurse Salary in Houston, TX
How Houston compares in Texas
Houston tends to pair strong Texas rates with a cost of living that stays low for a metro its size, so its after-rent take-home is often among the better in the state. The breakdown below lines up each metro on pay after rent, not the headline number.
| Metro | Median /wk | 2-BR rent | Cost of living | Pay after rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston This metro | $2,111 | $1,558 | 99 | ≈ $7,583 |
| Austin | $2,061 | $1,852 | 98 | ≈ $7,072 |
| San Antonio | $1,913 | $1,419 | 95 | ≈ $6,862 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | $1,984 | $1,859 | 103 | ≈ $6,730 |
Specialties hiring across Houston
Houston's medical district concentrates more subspecialty hiring than any other Texas metro, so the open unit sets the rate more than the system posting it. A dense cluster of large hospitals keeps most units hiring at once, across the medical district and the suburbs around it. Browse by specialty to see the live Houston listings and what each is paying.
Inside a Houston travel RN paycheck
In Houston, affordable housing is what makes the weekly rate work harder than the headline suggests. Because a two-bedroom here runs well below what Austin or Dallas command, the stipend clears rent with margin to spare, so more of the rate survives the month. A steady base and meal stipend round out the figure, but in Houston it is cheap rent that lifts take-home.
The real value of Houston pay
Few U.S. metros keep more specialties hiring at once than Houston, where a dense medical district holds openings across almost every unit. For a traveler, though, the value lands in the cost math. Houston's cost of living runs slightly below the national average and rent only modestly above it, far below the premiums in Austin or Dallas, so a strong headline rate paired with moderate housing pushes the after-rent figure to the front of the Texas pack.
Texas's lack of a state income tax adds to that edge: a gross rate nets more here than in a state that taxes wages. And as a Nurse Licensure Compact member, Texas lets a multistate license pick up a Houston assignment with no separate filing, typically within about four to six weeks by endorsement; the steps are in the Texas RN licensing guide.
Houston travel nurse openings
Big-market rates paired with housing far cheaper than Austin or Dallas leave more after rent in Houston than the pricier Texas metros. The roles below list specialty, shift, and terms.
Houston pay questions, answered
What do travel nurses typically earn in Houston, TX?
Which specialties pay more for travel nurses in Houston?
Does a Houston rate go further once costs are in?
Will my multistate license cover Houston?
How much do Houston costs and taxes cut into pay?
Does Houston pay stretch further than the other Texas metros?
Houston travel nursing jobs & pay
Texas travel RN contracts are paying a median of $1,892/week right now.
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