How much do travel CNAs make?

Travel CNA pay packages typically range from roughly $1,000 to $1,400 per week, including an hourly base rate plus non-taxable stipends for housing, meals, and travel. The total is significantly higher than a permanent staff CNA position in the same area. Exact amounts vary by state, facility type, contract length, and agency.

Do you need experience to be a travel CNA?

Yes. Most travel CNA staffing agencies require at least one year of clinical experience as a certified nursing assistant before they will place you on a travel contract. Some agencies require two years. Facilities hiring travel CNAs expect someone who can work independently with minimal orientation.

Do travel CNAs get free housing?

Travel CNAs typically receive housing support in one of two ways: the agency provides furnished housing near the facility, or the agency pays a weekly housing stipend and you find your own housing. Agency-provided housing is not technically free since it replaces the stipend you would otherwise receive. Many experienced travel CNAs prefer taking the stipend because it gives them more control and can sometimes net more money.

Can you choose where you go as a travel CNA?

You can set preferences for location, but you do not get to pick a specific facility. Your agency presents available contracts that match your preferences, and you decide whether to accept each one. Popular locations (major cities, warm climates) tend to have lower pay because more travelers want to go there. Less popular locations, especially rural areas, often pay more because they are harder to fill.

Do travel CNAs get benefits?

Benefits vary by agency. Some agencies offer health insurance, dental, vision, and 401(k) plans for travelers on active contracts. Coverage may have a waiting period or minimum hours requirement. Benefits typically pause between contracts if you have a gap. Short contracts under 13 weeks may not qualify for full benefits at every agency.

What is the difference between a travel CNA and per diem?

A travel CNA works on a fixed contract (usually 8 to 26 weeks) through a staffing agency, often away from home, with a pay package that includes housing and meal stipends. A per diem CNA picks up individual shifts as needed, usually locally, with no guaranteed hours and no stipends. Many app-based platforms like IntelyCare, ShiftMed, and CareRev offer per diem shifts that are sometimes listed as travel positions, but they are not the same as travel contracts with stipends and housing.

How long does it take to become a travel CNA?

If you are already a certified CNA with at least one year of experience, you can start the process immediately. Applying with an agency and completing credentialing (background check, drug screen, health screenings, document verification) typically takes two to four weeks. From the time you decide to pursue travel work to your first day on assignment, expect roughly one to two months.

Travel CNA: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Get Started

A travel CNA is a certified nursing assistant who works temporary contracts at healthcare facilities away from home. Instead of being a permanent employee at one facility, you work through a staffing agency that places you on assignments lasting anywhere from 8 to 26 weeks. When the contract ends, you can extend, take a new assignment somewhere else, or take time off.

Travel CNA work pays more than a permanent staff position because the pay package includes stipends for housing and meals on top of your hourly rate. The tradeoff is instability: you are always the new person, gaps between contracts mean gaps in pay, and most assignments are in rural or underserved areas rather than major cities.

This page covers how travel CNA contracts actually work, where the jobs are, what the pay looks like, what you need to qualify, and who this career path is a good fit for. If you are already set on pursuing travel work, you can go straight to the step-by-step guide on how to become a travel CNA or get matched with travel CNA agencies.

How Travel CNA Contracts Work

You do not apply directly to facilities. You sign up with one or more travel healthcare staffing agencies. A recruiter at the agency learns your preferences (location, setting, shift, contract length) and presents you with available contracts that match. You review the details, including pay, location, and facility type, and decide whether to accept.

Once you accept a contract, the agency handles the logistics with the facility. You travel to the assignment location, show up on your start date, and work the agreed schedule for the duration of the contract.

Contract length. Contract lengths vary by setting. Hospital contracts are typically 13 weeks. Skilled nursing and long-term care contracts are often shorter, commonly 8 weeks. Some agencies offer longer contracts (26 weeks), and crisis or emergency contracts can be as short as 4 weeks, usually during flu season or staffing emergencies, and often come with higher pay. Since most travel CNA assignments are in skilled nursing and long-term care, 8- to 13-week contracts are what you will see most often. At the end of a contract, you and the facility can agree to extend if both sides want to continue. Extensions are common.

Extensions and cancellations. If the facility likes your work, they will often offer to extend your contract at the same or better terms. You are not obligated to extend. On the other side, contracts can sometimes be cancelled early by the facility if their staffing needs change. Early cancellation policies vary by agency. Some agencies will help you find a new placement quickly if this happens. Ask about cancellation terms before you sign any contract.

Gaps between contracts. Time off between assignments is normal. Many travel CNAs take one to two weeks between contracts to rest, travel home, or handle personal business. There is no pay during gaps unless you pick up per diem shifts on the side. Some CNAs line up their next contract before the current one ends to minimize downtime.

Where Travel CNAs Work

Most travel CNA assignments are in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and long-term care (LTC) facilities. These settings have the highest and most consistent demand for temporary CNA staff. Hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living facilities also hire travel CNAs, but those positions are less common.

Geographically, travel CNA contracts tend to be concentrated in rural and underserved areas. Facilities in these locations struggle to recruit permanent staff and rely on travel workers to fill the gaps. If you picture travel CNA work as living in downtown San Francisco or Miami, adjust your expectations. The assignments that are available and that pay the best are usually in smaller towns and rural communities.

Popular locations with lots of permanent staff (large cities, coastal areas) tend to have lower travel CNA pay because more travelers want to go there. Less popular areas pay more because agencies need to offer better packages to attract someone willing to relocate.

How Travel CNA Pay Works

Travel CNA pay is structured differently from a permanent staff position. Instead of a single hourly rate, your compensation is a package made up of several components:

Base hourly rate — your taxable hourly wage. This is often comparable to or slightly below the local permanent CNA rate.
Housing stipend — a non-taxable weekly payment to cover your rent while on assignment. If your agency provides housing directly instead, you receive the housing instead of this stipend.
Meals and incidentals (M&IE) stipend — a non-taxable daily or weekly payment to cover food and everyday expenses.
Travel reimbursement — a one-time or periodic payment to help cover the cost of getting to and from your assignment.

When you add the stipends to the base hourly rate, the total weekly pay for a travel CNA is significantly higher than what a permanent staff CNA earns at the same type of facility. The stipends are the reason travel work pays more, and they are non-taxable as long as you meet certain IRS requirements (primarily, maintaining a permanent tax home that you return to between assignments).

One thing to watch for: some job listings combine everything into a single "total hourly" number. That number is not your actual hourly wage. Part of it is stipends. When comparing travel offers to a staff position, make sure you understand which portion is the taxable hourly rate and which is stipends. For a full breakdown of how travel CNA pay packages work, see Travel CNA Stipends Explained.

Requirements to Become a Travel CNA

To work as a travel CNA, you need:

Active CNA certification in at least one state. If you are not yet certified, find CNA programs in your state to get started.
Clinical experience. Most staffing agencies require a minimum of one year of paid CNA work experience. Some require two years. Agencies set this bar because the facilities hiring you expect a travel CNA to work independently from day one with minimal orientation.
Current credentials. Before your first assignment, you will go through a credentialing process with your agency. This typically includes a background check, drug screening, TB test, physical exam, proof of immunizations, current CPR/BLS certification, and professional references.
Willingness to relocate temporarily. You need to be able to move to a new location for the duration of your contract. This means either finding short-term housing on your own or accepting agency-provided housing.
State licensure. You must hold an active CNA certification in the state where you will be working. If you are certified in one state and want to work in another, you may need to transfer your certification through that state's reciprocity process. Use the CNA reciprocity tool to check transfer requirements between states.

If you meet these requirements and want to see the full process from start to first assignment, read How to Become a Travel CNA: Step by Step.

Pros and Cons of Travel CNA Work

Pros

Higher pay. The combination of hourly rate plus stipends means your total weekly compensation is significantly more than a comparable staff CNA position.
Housing support. Your rent is either covered by the agency or offset by a housing stipend. This alone can save hundreds of dollars per month compared to permanent work.
Flexibility. Between contracts, you choose whether to take a new assignment, extend, or take time off. You are not locked into a single employer or location.
Variety of experience. Working at multiple facilities in different states exposes you to different patient populations, EMR systems, care protocols, and team dynamics. This builds a stronger resume.
See new places. If you want to live in different parts of the country without the permanence of moving, travel work lets you do that while getting paid.

Cons

Income gaps. You do not earn money between contracts unless you pick up per diem shifts. Gaps of one to four weeks are normal, and longer gaps happen if contracts fall through.
Always the new person. Every assignment means a new facility, new coworkers, new routines, and a new EMR system. Some staff treat travelers differently. It takes thick skin and adaptability.
Minimal orientation. Facilities expect travel CNAs to hit the ground running. You may get a brief tour and EMR login on day one and be on the floor with a patient assignment the same shift.
Rural and remote placements. The highest-paying and most available contracts tend to be in smaller towns and rural areas, not in the cities most people want to live in.
Time away from home. If you have family, pets, or a support network that matters to you, being away for 8 to 26 weeks at a time is a real cost that the extra money does not always make up for.
Weaker benefits. Health insurance, retirement plans, and PTO from agencies are often less comprehensive than what a permanent employer provides, and they may pause between contracts.
Housing logistics. If you take the stipend instead of agency housing, you are responsible for finding, securing, and furnishing a temporary place in an unfamiliar city every few months.

Housing: Stipend or Agency-Provided?

When you accept a travel CNA contract, your housing is handled one of two ways:

Agency-provided housing. The agency finds and pays for a furnished place near your facility. This is usually an apartment, extended-stay hotel, or shared housing with another traveler. You do not choose the specific unit. The quality varies. The upside is simplicity: you show up, your housing is ready, you do not deal with leases or deposits. The downside is less control and sometimes a roommate situation you did not expect.

Housing stipend. Instead of providing housing, the agency gives you a weekly stipend and you find your own place. This gives you full control over where you live, what it looks like, and whether you live alone. If you find housing for less than the stipend amount, you keep the difference. Many experienced travel CNAs prefer the stipend for this reason. The downside is that finding short-term furnished housing in an unfamiliar area every few months takes effort. Platforms like Furnished Finder, Airbnb (monthly stays), and extended-stay hotels are common options for travel healthcare workers.

If this is your first travel assignment, agency-provided housing is the simpler option while you learn the ropes. You can always switch to taking the stipend once you know what to expect.

Who Is Travel CNA Work Right For?

Good fit if you:

Have at least one year of CNA experience and feel confident working independently.
Are comfortable relocating every few months to a new area.
Want higher pay than a permanent staff position and are willing to accept the tradeoffs.
Handle change well, including new coworkers, new routines, and new environments.
Have enough savings to cover one to two months of expenses during potential gaps between contracts.
Do not have obligations (young children, aging parents, pets) that make temporary relocation difficult.

Think twice if you:

Have less than one year of CNA experience. Most agencies will not place you, and facilities expect travel CNAs to be ready from day one.
Need consistent, predictable income with no gaps.
Are not comfortable being the new person at every facility.
Want to live in a specific city or region. The contracts available in popular areas pay less and fill faster.
Rely on employer-provided benefits like stable health insurance, PTO accrual, and retirement matching.

If you are not sure yet, consider starting with per diem shifts through an app to get a feel for working at different facilities without the commitment of a multi-week contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do travel CNAs make?: Travel CNA pay packages typically range from roughly $1,000 to $1,400 per week, including an hourly base rate plus non-taxable stipends for housing, meals, and travel. The total is significantly higher than a permanent staff CNA position in the same area. Exact amounts vary by state, facility type, contract length, and agency. For a full breakdown of how the pay package works, see Travel CNA Stipends Explained.
Do you need experience to be a travel CNA?: Yes. Most travel CNA staffing agencies require at least one year of clinical experience as a certified nursing assistant before they will place you on a travel contract. Some agencies require two years. Facilities hiring travel CNAs expect someone who can work independently with minimal orientation. If you are not there yet, read Can You Be a Travel CNA With No Experience? for what to do in the meantime.
Do travel CNAs get free housing?: Travel CNAs typically receive housing support in one of two ways: the agency provides furnished housing near the facility, or the agency pays a weekly housing stipend and you find your own place. Agency-provided housing is not technically free since it replaces the stipend you would otherwise receive. Many experienced travel CNAs prefer taking the stipend because it gives them more control and can sometimes net more money.
Can you choose where you go as a travel CNA?: You can set preferences for location, but you do not get to pick a specific facility. Your agency presents available contracts that match your preferences, and you decide whether to accept each one. Popular locations tend to have lower pay because more travelers want to go there. Less popular locations, especially rural areas, often pay more because they are harder to fill.
Do travel CNAs get benefits?: Benefits vary by agency. Some agencies offer health insurance, dental, vision, and 401(k) plans for travelers on active contracts. Coverage may have a waiting period or minimum hours requirement. Benefits typically pause between contracts if you have a gap. Short contracts under 13 weeks may not qualify for full benefits at every agency.
What is the difference between a travel CNA and per diem?: A travel CNA works on a fixed contract (usually 8 to 26 weeks) through a staffing agency, often away from home, with a pay package that includes housing and meal stipends. A per diem CNA picks up individual shifts as needed, usually locally, with no guaranteed hours and no stipends. Many app-based platforms offer per diem shifts that are sometimes listed as travel positions, but they are not the same thing. For a full comparison, see Travel CNA vs Per Diem: What's the Difference?.
How long does it take to become a travel CNA?: If you are already a certified CNA with at least one year of experience, you can start the process immediately. Applying with an agency and completing credentialing (background check, drug screen, health screenings, document verification) typically takes two to four weeks. From the time you decide to pursue travel work to your first day on assignment, expect roughly one to two months. If you are not yet certified, that adds the time it takes to complete a CNA training program. See the full step-by-step guide.

Ready to explore travel CNA work? Get matched with travel CNA agencies →