The national average for travel nurse pay in August was $3,045 a week, down 7.4% from the same month a year ago, according to health care staffing company Vivian Health.
Why it matters: Workforce costs soared during the pandemic, largely driven by high demand and the use of travel employees to fill it.
- Hospitals have cited staffing expenses in pleas to Congress for more relief.
- The decrease in weekly pay is due to a shift away from travel roles and toward permanent nursing roles, as well as fewer federal dollars for large travel contracts, per Vivian.