Top Travel Nursing Specialties in Demand by Region
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Top Travel Nursing Specialties in Demand by Region
Different regions in the U.S. have seen big jumps in demand for certain nursing specialties as a result of healthcare evolving in response to COVID. Whether you're looking to grow your skills, maximize your earnings, or find the best cultural fit, understanding where your specialty is in highest demand can help guide your next move. Here’s a breakdown of the most in-demand travel nursing specialties across key U.S. regions.
West Coast: High Pay Meets High Volume
Top Specialties in California: Labor & Delivery, Vascular Interventional Radiology.
California remains the top destination for travel nurses, with job postings increasing by over 2,000%. From just under 400 open jobs before the pandemic to more than 8,000 in 2025. Labor & Delivery and Vascular Interventional Radiology roles are in demand across urban hospitals and coastal health systems, where patient acuity is high and contract competition is strong.
Southwest: Hotspot for Critical Care and Cath Lab
Top Specialties in Texas: Labor & Delivery, Cath Lab
Texas has exploded with opportunities, rising approximately 1,720%.From 368 available jobs to more than 6,700 open travel nursing jobs. Texas hospitals are serious about hiring nurses with skills in high-pressure specialties. Labor & Delivery and Cath Lab specialties are key in major metro areas like Dallas and Houston, where expanding hospital systems are filling gaps in maternal care and cardiac intervention units.
Northeast: Fast-Paced Roles in High-Density Hubs
Top Specialties in New York: Emergency Room, Medical-Surgical
In New York, the need for experienced nurses in acute settings has never been greater. Job openings rose from 304 to over 6,500, just about 2,000%, especially in large hospitals in NYC and upstate. If you thrive in high-pressure environments, this region offers some of the best opportunities to gain trauma experience and top-tier pay.
Southeast: Affordable Living and Steady Work
Top Specialties in Florida: Computed Tomography (CT), Cardio Invasive Specialist Top Specialties in GA & NC: Med-Surg Telemetry, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Florida may be known for beaches and sunshine, but it's also becoming a hotspot for diagnostic and cardiac-related specialties. Job volume grew over 4,000 jobs with plenty of flexibility for short and long-term contracts. Tech-driven roles are in high demand by regional hospitals and outpatient centers catering to Florida’s aging population. States like Georgia and North Carolina are seeing rapid growth in healthcare infrastructure and thus a demand for travel nurses. For nurses in more general specialties, this region is particularly attractive because of its lower cost of living, paired with an increase in job openings.
Midwest: Fewer Jobs, Bigger Paychecks
Top Specialties in Minnesota: Long Term Care, Labor & DeliveryTop Specialties in Missouri: Telemetry, Vascular Interventional Radiology If you're chasing higher pay, Minnesota and Missouri offer the most upside for travelers right now.
Top Specialties with Recent Weekly Pay Increases:
- Medical ICU (MICU) +$64.97/week
- Operating Room (OR) +$86.76/week
- Emergency Room (ER) +$59.43/week
Match Your Specialty to the Right Region
Whether you’re a CT tech looking to head south or a Labor & Delivery nurse chasing high acuity cases on the West Coast, the best travel nursing opportunities are all about specialization.
By knowing where your specialty is in demand, you can make smarter moves that boost your pay, expand your skills, and fit your lifestyle. With Nomad, you can land that next job without the hassle.
How this Data was Sourced:
The data for this article was sourced from Nomad Health’s internal job reporting systems. Top specialties by state were determined by filtering jobs currently live and ranked by the number of jobs received by specialization, per state. Weekly pay increase trends for select specialties are from January to April 2025, covering only jobs published within the past six months. References to job volume increases compare job count data between defined “pre-COVID” and “post-COVID peak” periods, using a detailed COVID phase national calendar for time segmentation.
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