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If you’re looking for an exciting and lucrative travel healthcare career, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are in high demand across the nation and consistently top the list of highest-paid advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Travel CRNAs have the opportunity to practice in diverse settings where their specialized skills are most needed while exploring the country and enjoying outstanding pay and perks. But before you pack your bags, make an informed decision by getting the inside scoop on job opportunities, salary, licensure and more.
Why Become a Travel CRNA?
Healthcare facilities hire travel CRNAs when staff CRNAs take a leave of absence or the facility has skills shortages. You may find a travel CRNA career appealing for many reasons. You might crave the freedom and adventure of being mobile while earning a top-notch salary. If you’ve been working in one job for a while and are interested in a change, a travel job enables you to try different settings and locations as you decide on the next steps in your career.
While attractive travel CRNA salaries may be calling your name, you have a better chance of landing a coveted position and succeeding in the role with solid clinical experience behind you. It can be challenging to step into a demanding and unfamiliar environment, especially if the facility has an urgent need for your skills. New CRNAs should spend time gaining work experience before hitting the road, with the goal of transitioning to a long and rewarding travel career.
8 Insider Tips for Travel CRNA Jobs
Like staff positions, CRNA travel jobs may be available in various inpatient and outpatient settings. However, the flexibility, additional income and lifestyle perks of travel jobs can be a complete game changer for your career. If you’re considering a CRNA travel career, here are eight things you should know.
1. CRNAs Have a Bright Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is projecting a 12% growth in nurse anesthetist jobs from 2021 to 2031, according to its May 2021 data. That’s an additional 5,300 new jobs created, bringing the total CRNA workforce from 45,200 to 50,500 over the decade.
A primary driving force behind this growth is the nation’s significant aging population, who may need surgical services and better access to healthcare. Anesthesia providers are essential to helping patients manage pain, allowing surgeons, ophthalmologists, podiatrists and other specialists to perform critical procedures and treatments with the least discomfort to their patients.
Facilities may also need new nurse anesthetists to fill in skills shortages. A January 2022 ASA Monitor article discussed the potential lack of anesthesiologists as part of the ongoing physician shortage, with the impact felt especially in rural areas. Furthermore, nearly half the current CRNA workforce is aged 50 or over, according to a 2020 article in Geriatric Nursing. As nurse anesthetists retire and exit the workforce, it will create even more openings in the coming decades.
2. Travel CRNAs Earn More than Staff
Staff CRNAs are consistently the highest-paid APRN specialty. In late December 2022, they earned an average of $189,500 per year or $91 per hour based on a 40-hour workweek, according to Vivian’s salary data. This level of pay reflects the rigorous education and training needed to care for patients receiving anesthesia. By 2025, all CRNA education programs must result in a doctorate degree, raising the bar for new nurse anesthetists.
Although salaries vary by specific job postings, travel CRNAs typically earn substantially more than permanent nurse anesthetists. The average weekly nurse anesthetist travel salary was $6,195 nationwide, based on Vivian’s data as of January 18, 2023. This weekly salary translates to an hourly rate of nearly $155, about 70% higher than the average staff rate cited above.
RELATED: CRNA Salary Guide
The following table details the average and maximum weekly salary in the top 10 highest-paying states on this date.
| State | Average Weekly Travel Salary | Maximum Weekly Travel Salary |
| Pennsylvania | $8,298 | $11,440 |
| New Jersey | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Massachusetts | $7,333 | $8,000 |
| Wisconsin | $6,838 | $6,838 |
| Iowa | $6,400 | $6,400 |
| Oklahoma | $5,900 | $6,100 |
| Nebraska | $5,611 | $5,756 |
| California | $5,400 | $5,400 |
| North Carolina | $4,800 | $4,800 |
| Arizona | $4,699 | $4,699 |
Source: Vivian Health
3. You Might Get Extra Perks as a Travel CRNA
Photo Credit: Image by serhii_bobyk on Freepik
As staff shortages create a pressing demand for nurse anesthetists, employers and recruiters are bringing more perks to the table to entice CRNAs to fill travel jobs. In addition to standard benefits such as health insurance and 401(k) plans, some recruiters offer travel nurse anesthetists additional perks like:
- Student loan assistance or forgiveness
- Paid travel expenses
- Paid accommodation during contracts
- Generous sign-on bonuses
- Referral bonuses
- Bonuses to carry a pager
- Reimbursement of licensing and certification renewals
- Blocked schedules
You may be able to increase your compensation significantly by taking your skills where they’re critically needed. Before accepting a travel job, crunch the numbers and look at the overall compensation package. Compare similar positions using data from Vivian’s salary tool or looking at current job postings for a typical travel CRNA salary in your market.
4. CRNAs Are Needed Nationwide
When it comes to permanent CRNA jobs, Texas and Florida top the list for the highest levels of nurse anesthetist employment, per May 2021 BLS employment data. Almost 9% of staff jobs, or 3,920 positions, belonged to nurse anesthetists living in the Lone Star State. Nurse anesthetists living in Florida held 3,310 or 7.5% of the staff CRNA jobs nationwide.
The demand for nurse anesthetists to fill CRNA travel jobs in specific locations varies as staffing levels fluctuate at various healthcare facilities. On January 18, 2023, demand for travel CRNAs was highest on the West Coast, with 40% of travel job postings in California. Another 40% of CRNA travel jobs were in the northeastern part of the country, in states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Nebraska, North Carolina and Arizona also needed nurse anesthetists. Job postings are always changing. If you have a specific destination in mind, keep an eye on job boards or work with a travel healthcare recruiter to help you secure positions in your ideal locations.
5. Travel CRNA Jobs Are Flexible
When you work as a travel nurse anesthetist, you have the flexibility to choose contracts based on personal interests and professional goals. You might pick destinations based on your travel bucket list or to be near family and friends. Conversely, you can focus on building your resume and gaining experience in various settings, such as prestigious research or teaching hospitals, small community hospitals, outpatient clinics and physician practices.
Travel jobs typically last 13 weeks, allowing you to work in several destinations each year. You may even find that generous travel CRNA salaries permit you to work fewer days than if you were in a staff job.
Design a schedule that works best for you, whether you take on back-to-back contracts or block off time to recharge. If you thrive on variety and embrace change, you might find travel nurse anesthetist jobs a great fit, enabling you to shape your career to your preferences.
6. You Need a License Wherever You Practice
Working as a travel CRNA requires licensure in each state you wish to practice in. While all states recognize your CRNA board certification from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists, you must still complete the appropriate paperwork with each State Board of Nursing.
Travel RNs can practice across state lines through the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact (eNLC) if they hold a multistate license in a member state. Unfortunately, the eNLC doesn’t apply to nurse anesthetists because CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
However, the freedom to cross state lines without additional licensure requirements could change in the future as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing works toward implementing a multistate APRN Compact. Once this program launches, APRNs holding a license in a member state also have privileges to practice in other member states.
Currently, only North Dakota, Utah and Delaware have enacted the APRN Compact, with legislation pending in New York. Legislation must be enacted in at least 7 states before implementation of the APRN Compact can occur. Once implemented, it allows CRNAs to move more easily between member states as travel healthcare professionals.
7. CRNAs Have More Autonomy in Some States
Your scope of practice as a nurse anesthetist varies depending on state regulations. While the federal government requires CRNAs to be supervised by a physician, each state may opt out of this requirement to enable CRNAs to practice more independently. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), as of October 5, 2022, the following 22 states have waived this requirement to provide healthcare facilities with a wider range of staffing options:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
If you currently practice in a state with physician oversight of CRNAs, you might consider a temporary contract in one of the above states. You can take on new challenges and enhance your resume with more responsibilities and autonomy.
8. Rural Towns Rely on CRNAs
Nurse anesthetists account for more than 80% of anesthesia providers in rural counties, according to the AANA. Certified RN anesthetists are also the only anesthesia providers for obstetrics in half of all rural hospitals. Travel jobs in rural settings may appeal to you if you’re seeking a change of pace from an urban environment. You may also feel drawn to the lifestyle offered by a small, close-knit community.
With a travel contract in a rural county, you’re providing important care in an underserved area, often facing physician shortages. Your caseload may be varied, including childbirth, surgery and critical care. You should be independent, adaptable and confident in your skills, as this setting can be challenging regarding resources and support.
A stint in a rural area can be extremely rewarding. You’ll be an integral part of a small team and get to know a community of residents that’s often welcoming and appreciative of your presence.
Feature Photo Credit: Image by gpointstudio on Freepik
