Travel nursing in Colorado
Stipend ceilings by area, compact license status, and every hospital guide in the state. Real numbers, with sources.
Housing stipend ceilings in Colorado
The most an agency can pay tax-free for housing is the GSA lodging rate × 7 nights. Cheapest: $791/wk (standard rate, every county not listed below, 35 hospitals). Most expensive: Aspen at $1,939/wk on average, $2,933/wk at peak.
| Area (county) | Housing /wk | Meals /wk | Hosp. |
|---|---|---|---|
Aspen Pitkin | $1,939 $1,211–$2,933 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $644 | 1 |
Vail Eagle | $1,930 $1,435–$2,919 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $644 | 1 |
Telluride San Miguel | $1,724 $1,302–$2,569 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $644 | 0 |
Silverthorne / Breckenridge Summit | $1,456 $1,148–$2,072 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $644 | 1 |
Steamboat Springs Routt | $1,441 $882–$2,093 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $644 | 2 |
Denver / Aurora Denver / Adams / Arapahoe / Jefferson | $1,423 $1,190–$1,589 · peaks Oct, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $644 | 20 |
Montrose Montrose | $1,150 $1,001–$1,358 · peaks Oct, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $518 | 2 |
Crested Butte / Gunnison Gunnison | $1,123 $980–$1,253 · peaks Oct, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $602 | 1 |
Grand Lake Grand | $1,106 $896–$1,274 · peaks Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar | $602 | 1 |
Boulder / Broomfield Boulder / Broomfield | $1,043 $875–$1,211 · peaks Oct, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $560 | 4 |
Durango La Plata | $1,013 $854–$1,330 · peaks Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $560 | 2 |
Colorado Springs El Paso | $980 $896–$1,232 · peaks Jun, Jul, Aug | $602 | 6 |
Fort Collins / Loveland Larimer | $905 $840–$1,099 · peaks Jun, Jul, Aug | $560 | 6 |
Cortez Montezuma | $886 $791–$980 · peaks Oct, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | $518 | 1 |
Douglas Douglas | $836 $791–$973 · peaks Jun, Jul, Aug | $560 | 5 |
Everywhere else Standard CONUS rate | $791 | $476 | 35 |
Got an offer? Decode it against the ceiling for your work ZIP and dates →
Colorado nursing license
Colorado is a compact state. If your primary state of residence is another compact state and you hold a multistate license, you can work here without a new license. If you live in Colorado, your multistate license comes from the Colorado board.
If you don't have a multistate license: typical endorsement steps
- Apply for licensure by endorsement on the Colorado board of nursing's site.
- Verify your current license through Nursys (or your original board if it doesn't use Nursys).
- Complete the criminal background check and fingerprints if the board requires them.
- Ask whether a temporary license is available while the full application processes, and how long processing takes now.
Requirements and timelines vary. Colorado board contact details (NCSBN) →
Where can your license take you?
Source: NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map, checked 2026-10-11. Covers RN/LPN compact licensure for the 50 states and DC. Confirm with the state board before you accept an assignment.
Charting systems in Colorado
Certified EHR reported to CMS by 81 of 88 hospitals (7 not reported, including VA hospitals). Know the system before day one.
- Epic40 · 49%
- MEDITECH16 · 20%
- Oracle Health13 · 16%
- athenaOne6 · 7%
- TruBridge5 · 6%
- MEDHOST1 · 1%
Top travel-nurse markets in Colorado
- Denver, CO
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Boulder, CO
- Boulder Community Health · Epic$1,043/wk
Questions
- What is the maximum tax-free housing stipend in Colorado?
- Under GSA FY2027 rates it ranges from $791/week (the standard rate for counties not listed) to $2,933/week in Aspen at peak season. The meals and incidentals ceiling is $476/week or more depending on the area.
- Is Colorado a compact nursing license state?
- Compact state (Enacted NLC), per the NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map checked 2026-10-11.
- How many hospitals are in Colorado?
- CMS lists 88 acute care, critical access, children's and VA/DoD hospitals in Colorado. TravelNurseMap has living guides for 7 of them in the top travel-nurse markets.
- What EHR do hospitals in Colorado use?
- Of the 81 Colorado hospitals that reported a certified EHR to CMS for 2023–2024, 49% use Epic, 20% use MEDITECH, 16% use Oracle Health. Each hospital guide shows its own system.