Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse Salary Guide

A NICU nurse provides specialized care for newborns born prematurely or with conditions that may require advanced care, surgery or life support. This role involves close monitoring of a hospital's youngest patients and may include:

  • Checking vital signs 

  • Alerting and updating physicians

  • Administering medication

  • Managing catheters, IVs, incubators and ventilators

  • Changing dressings

  • Responding to emergencies

  • Supporting and educating families

How do you become a NICU nurse?

To practice as a NICU nurse, you must first become a licensed RN by:

  • Earning an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited institution

  • Passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)

  • Obtaining a state license to practice as a registered nurse

Review your nursing board's licensure guidelines in advance, as each state may have additional requirements. 

Once licensed, gain experience caring for neonatal or pediatric patients and work toward a specialty certification. Consider applying to a NICU residency program for new graduates or a fellowship program that helps experienced nurses transition into the field. 

What credentials/licensing does a NICU nurse require?

Specialty certifications show employers you've acquired the knowledge and expertise to care for NICU patients. Several credentials are available, including:

Managers, administrators and educators can earn the Acute Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K Neonatal) certification.

Average Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse Salary

$2,182/week

The average salary for a Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse is $2,182 per week. This is 2% higher than the nursing US average of $2,144.

Last updated on November 4, 2024. Based on 4,564 active jobs on Vivian.com in the last 7 days.

Salaries for Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse compared to Registered Nurse National Averages

$2,182/week

2% higher than the nursing US average.

$2,144/week

United States

Where do Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses get paid the most?
StateAverage Weekly SalaryMax Weekly Salary
Hawaii$2,974$3,557
New York$2,795$4,326
Delaware$2,697$2,919
Connecticut$2,545$3,247
Rhode Island$2,540$3,614
California$2,463$4,175
District of Columbia$2,430$3,058
Iowa$2,406$3,517
Wisconsin$2,405$2,656
Massachusetts$2,405$3,150
Idaho$2,404$2,882
Wyoming$2,368$2,701
Illinois$2,366$2,923
New Jersey$2,344$3,346
Oregon$2,319$2,731
Minnesota$2,230$2,544
What cities pay the most for Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses?
CityAverage Weekly SalaryMax Weekly Salary
New Hyde Park, New York$4,323$4,323
Santa Cruz, California$3,922$4,175
Manhattan, New York$3,619$4,081
Campbell, California$3,301$3,301
Bronxville, New York$3,237$4,171
Anaheim, California$3,219$3,219
Downey, California$3,219$3,219
Palo Alto, California$3,153$3,332
Santa Clara, California$3,127$3,706
Tacoma, Washington$3,082$3,082
What are the highest paying Employers and Agencies for Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse jobs?
Average Weekly SalaryMax Weekly Salary
FlexStaff$4,323$4,323
Catapult Healthcare$3,557$3,557
Fastaff Travel Nursing$3,530$3,614
MedSource LLC$3,332$3,332
MSSI$3,227$3,227
GQR Healthcare$3,123$3,312
eTeam Inc - Secondary$3,122$3,122
Elite Medical Staffing$3,076$3,150
Mindlance Health$3,002$3,002
United Health Care Staffing$2,972$3,038

Last updated on November 4, 2024. Information based on active jobs on Vivian.com.

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Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse Career Guide

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How can you increase your pay as a travel NICU nurse?

A travel NICU nurse career may offer attractive compensation for those with the flexibility to relocate temporarily. Some travel NICU jobs posted on Vivian on April 11, 2023, boasted weekly pay rates of up to $4,763 in California, $3,080 in Illinois and $2,938 in Pennsylvania.

How much does a travel NICU nurse make?

Vivian's data also shows that travel NICU nurses earned an average weekly salary of $2,560 on April 11, 2023. This equals $64 per hour divided by 40 hours in a standard workweek.

Do travel NICU nurses earn more than staff NICU nurses?

Healthcare facilities typically compensate travel NICU nurses at higher rates than those in staff roles to attract skilled practitioners to fill temporary staffing gaps. This ensures neonatal patients receive critical care when a hospital is understaffed.

Travel NICU nurses earned an average of $2,560 per week, per Vivian's April 11, 2023 data. This salary equals $64 per hour divided by a 40-hour workweek and is 47% higher than the average staff NICU nurse rate of $43.53 per hour during the same period.

What states employ the most NICU nurses?

BLS doesn’t collect employment data by nursing specialty, but we can look at Vivian’s job postings to see which states had the highest demand for NICU nurses on April 11, 2023. The states with the most job postings for travel NICU nurses on Vivian on April 11, 2023, were:

  • Texas

  • California

  • New York

  • Pennsylvania

  • Massachusetts

  • Illinois

  • Washington

  • Idaho

  • Missouri

  • District of Columbia

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Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse FAQs

What is a Neonatal ICU RN?

Neonatal intensive care unit nurses, also called NICU nurses, care for the most vulnerable patients and make a difference in the lives of infants and their parents. They frequently work in children’s hospitals, medical centers, and public and private hospitals with NICUs. Neonatal ICU nursing is among the highest paying nursing specialties. Work setting, along with several other factors, impacts a NICU nurse’s salary.

NICU nurses are registered nurses who specialize in caring for newborn infants with serious health issues, such as birth defects, congenital infections, premature birth, and other critical illnesses or specialized needs. They may care for premature or sick infants for weeks or even months until they’re healthy enough to go home.

Prospective neonatal ICU nurses must complete the educational requirements to become registered nurses. They must earn at least an Associate Degree in Nursing from a nursing program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). However, many facilities prioritize NICU nurse applicants with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. All graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam to become an RN.

How a Neonatal ICU RN salary is based

Naturally, time and experience affect how a neonatal ICU RN’s salary is based. Most NICUs require nurses to have a year or more of experience in pediatrics or postpartum/labor and delivery or at least in another area of critical care. Besides impacting base salary, most won’t accept new graduates and many hesitate to accept RNs who only have adult med-surg experience. Once an RN has the experience to transfer to NICU nursing, entry-level NICU nurses usually have smaller starting salaries than those with several years of experience. 

Another primary factor that can impact base earnings is where a NICU RN works, which includes work setting and geographically. Nurses typically earn more working in hospitals, the most common work settings for NICU RNs, but each facility may have differing salary bases. Geography also plays a huge role in the size of a NICU nurse’s paycheck, which includes the state and city. Urban areas tend to pay more than rural areas. Nurses in northern and western states also tend to earn more than those located in the north-central and southeastern parts of the country. California typically is the highest paying state in most nursing specialties. This trend generally holds true for NICU nurses but not always.

NICU nurse salaries are often also based on level of education. Since many hospitals prefer BSN-educated NICU RNs, base salaries will likely reflect this preference. While a nurse with a BSN can expect to earn more than one with an ADN, nurses with advanced degrees can expect to earn even more. 

It’s customary for NICU nurses to have certifications in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Completion of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program is also required. Specialty certifications aren’t required, but they’re often recommended and can impact salary and career advancement.

How to increase your Neonatal ICU RN salary

As with most jobs, NICU nurses can expect their salaries to rise with time and experience. However, you can potentially accelerate the pace at which your salary increases while advancing your career through additional education and professional certifications.

Pursue an advanced practice RN position by completing an accredited graduate nurse practitioner program specifically for neonatal nurse practitioners, which can be a master’s DNP or post-master’s program. Within eight years of graduation from your program, take the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP-BC) certification exam through the National Certification Corporation (NCC).

Other specialized education can also help increase your salary. The Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) from the American Academy of Pediatrics is usually required for employment. It utilizes a blended learning approach that educates you on the care of newborns at birth with a focus on critical communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program is a neonatal education program exclusively focused on the post-resuscitation/pre-transport stabilization care of sick infants.

Specialty certifications can further increase an ICU RN’s salary. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses offers CCRN (Neonatal) certification after obtaining 1,750 hours in the direct care of critically ill neonatal patients within a two-year period or 2,000 hours within a five-year period and passing an examination. After 24 months of specialty experience and a minimum of 2,000 hours in direct care, earn RNC Certification for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC) through the NCC through examination.

What professional certifications can potentially increase my salary as a Neontal ICU RN?

Earning your Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care (C-NNIC), Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K Neonatal), Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN-Neonatal), Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate (C-ELBW) or Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (ONQS) often increases your salary potential as a neonatal ICU nurse or makes you eligible for another position with greater responsibilities, which also might include a bump in wages.

Can having a Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care (C-NNIC) boost my salary as a Neonatal ICU RN?

Yes, having a Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care (C-NNIC) or any relevant professional certification has the potential to boost your salary as a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Can having a Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K Neonatal) boost my salary as a Neonatal ICU RN?

Yes, having a Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K Neonatal) or any relevant professional certification has the potential to boost your salary as a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Can having a Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN-Neonatal) boost my salary as a Neonatal ICU RN?

Yes, having a Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN-Neonatal) or any relevant professional certification has the potential to boost your salary as a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Can having a Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate (C-ELBW) boost my salary as a Neonatal ICU RN?

Yes, having a Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate (C-ELBW) or any relevant professional certification has the potential to boost your salary as a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Can having a Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (ONQS) boost my salary as a Neonatal ICU RN?

Yes, having a Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (ONQS) or any relevant professional certification has the potential to boost your salary as a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Where can I learn more about working as a Travel NICU Nurse?

Take a look at Vivian's Travel NICU Nurse Career Guide for more information, including required education, responsibilities, pros and cons and more.