41Live Psych RN Travel Jobs · November 13 700+ 5-Star Reviews

Psychiatric Travel Nurse Jobs

Compare open psychiatric travel assignments by weekly pay, shift, and start date, then open the one that fits your background.

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Psych · nationwide
41
live jobs
$1,999
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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    Matching a Psych Assignment to Your Background

    Psychiatric travel nurse jobs run across distinct settings, locked inpatient units, behavioral-health floors, and emergency psych, and each carries its own acuity, patient mix, and approach to de-escalation and safety, so the unit shapes the day far more than the city does. Right now 41 psychiatric contracts are open across Advantis, with the most in Missouri, North Carolina, and Iowa and weekly pay running $1,506 to $2,670. Compare the open psychiatric assignments above by weekly pay, shift, and start date to find the contract that fits your background.

    Live market data

    What psych travel contracts pay today

    Updated today

    Where do psych contracts land right now? Mostly near the median, with 4x12 schedules and locked or crisis-unit nights reaching the top of the range. The marker below shows exactly where the median falls.

    $1,506 median $1,951 $2,670
    $1,951
    Median weekly
    $1,506–$2,670
    Typical range
    $2,670
    Top Psych Pay
    Based on 41 live Advantis Psych contracts. Weekly pay shown is marketplace contract value, not a staff-nurse wage.

    The Access Gap Behind Psych Demand

    More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness, 59.3 million in 2022 by NIMH's count, and more than 1 in 20 live with a serious mental illness. Demand on inpatient and crisis psychiatric units is compounded by access: HRSA estimates 137 million Americans live in a mental-health professional shortage area, which leaves behavioral-health beds among the hardest to keep staffed. The work itself changes by setting, from locked inpatient units to behavioral-health floors to emergency psych, each with its own acuity and safety demands. The recognized RN credential for the specialty is the PMH-BC from ANCC, and for a traveler it signals readiness to step onto a psychiatric or behavioral-health unit and manage acute crises with little ramp-up.

    Live market data · by state

    Psych travel pay by cost of living

    Updated today

    Where you take a psych contract changes what the money is worth. Sort these markets by pay after rent, filter for the trade-offs that fit, no state tax, a faster start, a compact license, and check each one's cited behavioral-health demand outlook.

    Tap a green value, or an underlined heading, to see how each number is calculated.
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    State Open jobs Compact Median pay Income tax Market outlook
    New York 3 No $2,604 $2,374 up to 10.9% (graduated) + NYC local ~40,000 nurse shortage by 2030; 17,000+ RN openings/yr NY State DOH · DOL
    Iowa 3 Yes ✓ $2,082 $1,097 3.8% flat Near balance; rural/critical-access distribution demand HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    New Hampshire 3 Yes ✓ $2,288 $2,038 0% ~7% RN shortfall by 2038; aging population HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    Kentucky 3 Yes ✓ $1,951 $1,105 3.5% flat Near balance; metro + rural Appalachian demand HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    North Carolina 4 Yes ✓ $1,952 $1,389 3.99% flat ~12,500 RN shortfall by 2033 (~11%) NC Nursecast · UNC Sheps
    Pennsylvania 3 Yes ✓ $1,850 $1,474 3.07% flat ~8% RN shortfall by 2038 (~11,970 FTE) HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    Missouri 5 Yes ✓ $1,716 $1,138 up to 4.7% (graduated) Statewide balance; KC/STL turnover + rural gaps HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    New York · 3 open
    Median pay $2,604 2-BR rent $2,374 State tax up to 10.9% (graduated) + NYC local Compact No
    Outlook: ~40,000 nurse shortage by 2030; 17,000+ RN openings/yr NY State DOH · DOL
    Iowa · 3 open
    Median pay $2,082 2-BR rent $1,097 State tax 3.8% flat Compact ✓
    Outlook: Near balance; rural/critical-access distribution demand HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    New Hampshire · 3 open
    Median pay $2,288 2-BR rent $2,038 State tax 0% Compact ✓
    Outlook: ~7% RN shortfall by 2038; aging population HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    Kentucky · 3 open
    Median pay $1,951 2-BR rent $1,105 State tax 3.5% flat Compact ✓
    Outlook: Near balance; metro + rural Appalachian demand HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    North Carolina · 4 open
    Median pay $1,952 2-BR rent $1,389 State tax 3.99% flat Compact ✓
    Outlook: ~12,500 RN shortfall by 2033 (~11%) NC Nursecast · UNC Sheps
    Pennsylvania · 3 open
    Median pay $1,850 2-BR rent $1,474 State tax 3.07% flat Compact ✓
    Outlook: ~8% RN shortfall by 2038 (~11,970 FTE) HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    Missouri · 5 open
    Median pay $1,716 2-BR rent $1,138 State tax up to 4.7% (graduated) Compact ✓
    Outlook: Statewide balance; KC/STL turnover + rural gaps HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
    No states match those filters. Try removing one.
    Market-outlook figures cited to each state's primary source.
    Illustrative only — not take-home pay or tax advice. Travel pay often includes tax-free stipends, and no-income-tax states stretch further. Estimated value = median weekly contract pay × 4.33 weeks, minus the typical 2-BR rent. Pay & open jobs: live Advantis inventory; 2-BR rent: HUD FMR FY2026; state income tax: Tax Foundation 2026; compact: NCSBN.
    Good to know

    Psychiatric Travel Nurse Job FAQs

    What settings do psych travel nurse jobs cover?
    Psych travelers work across locked inpatient units, behavioral-health floors, emergency psychiatric units, and geriatric or adolescent programs. Acuity and patient mix shift a lot by setting, so the unit type on each listing matters more than the location. When comparing two psych contracts, weigh the program type first: a geropsych floor and an emergency psychiatric unit ask for different strengths.
    Is the PMH-BC expected on psych travel contracts?
    Usually preferred rather than required. Most psych contracts require an active RN license with BLS, and many favor the PMH-BC psychiatric, mental health credential from ANCC. Units often add crisis-intervention or de-escalation training such as CPI, depending on the population. If you hold current de-escalation certification from a prior role, include it; on locked units it can matter as much as the board credential.
    What drives weekly pay on psych travel contracts?
    Setting and acuity lead: emergency psychiatric and locked inpatient units tend to post stronger rates than open behavioral-health floors, with location, shift, and overtime layered on top. Every listing shows its weekly pay up front, so you can compare psychiatric contracts before you apply, and the pay chart maps where open rates land across markets.
    Why is demand for psych travel nurses so steady?
    Mental-health needs are widespread while many regions face a shortage of psychiatric providers, which leaves inpatient and crisis units chronically short-staffed. That keeps psych contracts open year-round across most of the country. HRSA counts about 40% of the country (137 million people) living in a mental-health professional shortage area, which is why psych postings reach well beyond the big metros.
    What's different about psychiatric travel assignments?
    Psych nursing leans on assessment, de-escalation, and therapeutic communication more than procedures, and safety protocols vary by unit. Expect a short orientation to each facility's policies, since locked and crisis settings run differently from open floors. Compared with a med-surg or ER contract, the physical pace is slower but the cognitive load is constant; travelers with strong boundaries and observation skills do best.
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