11Live Med Surg RN Travel Jobs in California · July 28 700+ 5-Star Reviews

Med Surg Travel Nurse Jobs in California

Compare medical surgical travel nursing jobs in California by shift and pay, saving standouts from San Diego to the Bay Area.

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Med Surg · California
11
live jobs
$2,144
avg weekly pay iMarket pay is the average weekly rate across active assignments matching your specialty and location. Each job’s pay tier compares its weekly pay to this average.
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    11 jobs updated today
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    California unit designation matters

    Med Surg Travel Nurse Jobs in California require careful reading because unit designation affects staffing rules, float expectations, and patient mix. A posting may say medical surgical, but travelers should confirm whether the floor is purely general inpatient, medical surgical telemetry, observation, ortho, oncology, or postoperative. Large coastal and academic systems can separate units more narrowly, while inland and community hospitals may depend on flexible floor nurses who understand transfers and escalation pathways. Compare each role by ratio language, meal and break coverage, charge support, charting system, and whether telemetry or stepdown patients are assigned under a different unit standard.

    Live market data

    California floor contracts by unit type

    Updated today

    Use active listings to compare region, shift, unit designation, ratio language, and float expectations before choosing a contract.

    11 Med Surg contracts are open in California right now, with +7 added in the last 7 days and 13 already filled. Open postings have been live about 5 days on average.

    11
    Open Med Surg jobs
    5 days
    Median time active
    +7
    Added last 7 days
    Non-NLC
    California does not currently implement the Nurse Licensure Compact, a California RN license is required (NCSBN)
    Why demand stays strong
    8%
    Projected national RN shortage for 2028, easing to 3% by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections)
    338,940
    California RNs employed statewide, employment count not license count (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
    84,750
    Projected California RN shortage in full time RNs by 2038, long term projection not current openings (HRSA)

    Live counts from the jobs feed, updated daily. Demand figures from public workforce data, sources noted with each figure.

    Pay by city · Med Surg · California

    California city pay comparisons

    Live · updated today

    Weekly pay can vary by region, facility, shift, unit designation, float requirements, and assignment urgency.

    Highest weekly pay · Med Surg
    Templeton
    $2,389
    Arcata
    $2,306
    Tulare
    $2,254
    Hanford
    $2,215
    Marysville
    $2,215
    Sonora
    $2,119
    Lodi
    $2,027
    San Luis Obispo
    $1,950

    Compare Los Angeles, Bay Area, Central Valley, Inland Empire, and coastal postings by unit notes as well as weekly pay.

    Weekly pay reflects current open Advantis contracts — marketplace contract value, not a staff-nurse wage.

    California unit standards and floor design

    California gives travelers both a statewide staffing rule and a concrete example of how a Med Surg unit may be organized. CDPH guidance states that medical surgical care units moved to a 1:5 or fewer licensed nurse to patient ratio. The same guidance defines step-down care as a higher level than medical/surgical care, so a blended or telemetry-adjacent posting deserves separate screening even when its title includes Med Surg. UC Davis Health describes 30 beds in its East 8 Medical-Surgical Specialties acute care unit, which serves varied medical and surgical needs, including ventilator support and palliative care. The ratio is a minimum statewide standard, while the unit size is one facility example. Confirm the exact unit designation, break coverage, patient exclusions, monitoring responsibilities, float destinations, and escalation resources. Screen the service line and patient scope rather than relying on the city or the broad Med Surg label.

    The ratio is a minimum unit standard; the UC Davis figure is one facility example, not a statewide unit size.
    Good to know

    California Med Surg Travel Jobs: Plan the License

    Can I use my compact license in California?
    No. California is not an NLC jurisdiction, so bedside practice requires a California RN license whatever your home state issued. Apply early, because state licensure and the partner facility's credentialing run on separate clocks even though Advantis Medical holds the contract. California postings weigh recent medical surgical experience, and telemetry competency is preferred on monitored floors.
    How is Med Surg different from telemetry in California?
    General Med Surg covers inpatient and postoperative patients without continuous cardiac monitoring; telemetry adds that monitoring and a separate unit standard. In California the unit designation also drives the licensed staffing ratio, so the label carries regulatory weight rather than just describing patients. Check the designation named in the posting before comparing it with a stepdown offer.
    What is the nurse to patient ratio for Med Surg in California?
    California regulations set a 1:5 licensed nurse to patient ratio for medical surgical units, per CDPH guidance. It is a minimum standard, not a description of a shift: it does not address break relief, admission timing, or how a mixed floor assigns monitored beds. Two units at 1:5 can still run very differently.
    How do I compare California Med Surg jobs across regions?
    Line up San Diego, Los Angeles, Central Valley, and Bay Area listings with the city filter, then narrow by shift and contract length. Read the unit designation in each posting, since it drives the ratio that applies to your assignment. The facility and unit notes tell you what a regional label cannot.