Advantis salary data Updated today · 33 open Columbus jobs

Travel Nurse Salary in Columbus, OH

Median weekly · Columbus
$2,137
Pay after Columbus rent / mo
≈ $8,034/mo
$2,137/wk × 4.33 − $1,219 typical 2-BR rent. Before taxes. (HUD FMR FY2026.)
State income tax
2.75% flat
Specialties in demand

Which Columbus specialties are hiring

Columbus posts a broad slate of specialties across its academic and community systems, and the rate moves with the open unit, not the system. The mix runs wider than a metro this size usually carries. Use the specialty filter to see Columbus openings.

Oncology ICU Operating Room PCU ER Labor and Delivery LTAC
Specialties with open contracts in this metro. Tap any for current openings. Rates vary by facility, shift, and start date.
What the number includes

Breaking down a Columbus weekly rate

In Columbus, rent sits below the national line but a step above Cleveland's, so housing barely dents the stipend. A two-bedroom near $1,417 is the figure to size it against. Base pay plus the meal stipend account for the rest of the week, with the same local-tax check that applies across Ohio.

Hourly base, the wage portion of the rate Housing stipend, a weekly housing allowance Meals & incidentals, a daily meals allowance
The exact split varies by contract and location.
Columbus context

Columbus pay once rent and tax clear

Health systems here keep adding capacity as the metro grows, so the contract slate stays active week to week. Cost is where the value sits: living costs run below the national average and a two-bedroom near $1,417, under the national norm though above Cleveland, so housing stays manageable here.

Ohio's tax setup has two parts. The state income tax is a low flat 2.75%, but many Ohio cities, Columbus included, add a municipal income tax, so the local rate is worth checking for your assignment. Licensing is simpler: as a compact state, Ohio lets a current multistate license cover a Columbus assignment outright, while a single-state route takes roughly four to six weeks and about $75 by endorsement. The Ohio RN licensing guide runs through it.

2.75% flat
State income tax
Factored into take-home; travel stipends are typically tax-free.
Compact ✓
Start on your license
Multistate license? No new application. Single-state: ~4-6 Weeks by endorsement.
12.1 /1k
RN per 1,000 residents
Below the national 9.92, so the market is structurally under-supplied, which keeps demand high.
Surplus statewide; high-acuity & rural distribution demand
HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
Sustained demand keeps contracts open.
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 (2-BR rent), BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost of living), NCSBN; Ohio Board of Nursing (license status), Tax Foundation; OH Dept of Taxation (state tax); all Columbus, OH. General information.
Live openings

The Columbus job board

Rent under the national norm shapes what a Columbus rate is worth, with the Ohio municipal tax worth a check. Pull up any listing below for its specialty, shift, and terms.

Interventional Radiology · Columbus, OH
Days · 13 wks
 View →
CVOR · Columbus, OH
Nights · 13 wks
 View →
Interventional Radiology · Columbus, OH
Days · 13 wks
 View →
Operating Room · Columbus, OH
Nights · 13 wks
 View →
Columbus salary questions

Columbus travel pay: the common questions

What is the average travel nurse salary in Columbus, OH?
Columbus rates span a wide range for a mid-size metro and hold value once housing is counted, since cost runs below the national average. The rate breakdown above shows the live median and range.
What sits at the top of Columbus pay?
Columbus's academic depth puts its acute units at the top of the band. OR, ER, ICU, cardiac, and Labor and Delivery roles carry Columbus's upper rates, with Med Surg lower and nights and weekends paying more. See what's posting in the specialty list above.
How much does a Columbus rate keep after the bills?
Columbus keeps more than its rate implies. Cost runs below the national average and rent under that, so a solid rate keeps more here once housing is paid, with the local city tax the one item to confirm. After rent and local tax is the figure to compare.
Will a compact license get me working in Columbus?
Yes, if it is a multistate compact license, which covers a Columbus assignment outright under Ohio's membership. A single-state license instead means endorsement, roughly four to six weeks and $75. See the Ohio RN licensing guide.
How do Ohio taxes affect Columbus take-home?
The state takes a low flat 2.75%, but Columbus levies its own municipal income tax on top, so a traveling nurse's total depends on the local rate where you work. It is a smaller bite than a high graduated state, but the city layer is worth checking before signing.
After rent, does Columbus come out ahead of Cleveland?
It is close. Columbus rent near $1,417 sits just above Cleveland's $1,268, so Cleveland usually has the rent edge, though differing local tax rates can move the result. The table above lines the two Ohio markets up after rent.
Keep exploring

Columbus travel nursing jobs & pay

Jobs by specialty
PCU →Operating Room →
Jobs by city
Columbus →Cleveland →
More resources
All Ohio RN jobs →Ohio RN license guide →
Ready when you are

Ohio travel RN contracts are paying a median of $2,137/week right now.

See every open assignment by specialty, shift, and pay. No agency fees, apply in minutes.

Search Ohio Jobs
Get job & pay alerts for Ohio

Get a text the moment a matching job opens, no account needed.