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Travel nursing in Texas

Stipend ceilings by area, compact license status, and every hospital guide in the state. Real numbers, with sources.

Housing stipend ceiling
$791–$1,344/wk
License
Compact state
Hospitals (CMS)
402
Living guides
59

Housing stipend ceilings in Texas

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, 230 hospitals). Most expensive: Arlington / Fort Worth / Grapevine at $1,344/wk on average.

Area (county)Housing /wkMeals /wkHosp.
Arlington / Fort Worth / Grapevine
Tarrant County / City of Grapevine
$1,344
flat all year
$56025
Austin
Travis
$1,288
flat all year
$56017
Dallas
Dallas
$1,288
flat all year
$56029
San Antonio
Bexar
$1,043
flat all year
$51816
Midland / Odessa
Midland / Andrews / Ector / Martin
$952
flat all year
$5186
South Padre Island
Cameron
$934
$861–$1,120 · peaks Jun, Jul
$5184
Plano
Collin
$931
flat all year
$56018
Houston
Montgomery / Fort Bend / Harris
$931
flat all year
$56053
Big Spring
Howard
$931
flat all year
$4761
Pecos
Reeves
$875
flat all year
$5181
Galveston
Galveston
$856
$812–$1,078 · peaks Jun, Jul
$5182
Everywhere else
Standard CONUS rate
$791$476230

Got an offer? Decode it against the ceiling for your work ZIP and dates →

Texas nursing license

Texas 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 Texas, your multistate license comes from the Texas board.

If you don't have a multistate license: typical endorsement steps

  1. Apply for licensure by endorsement on the Texas board of nursing's site.
  2. Verify your current license through Nursys (or your original board if it doesn't use Nursys).
  3. Complete the criminal background check and fingerprints if the board requires them.
  4. Ask whether a temporary license is available while the full application processes, and how long processing takes now.

Requirements and timelines vary. Texas board contact details (NCSBN) →

Where can your license take you?

License type

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 Texas

Certified EHR reported to CMS by 313 of 402 hospitals (89 not reported, including VA hospitals). Know the system before day one.

  • Epic106 · 34%
  • MEDITECH69 · 22%
  • Oracle Health64 · 20%
  • TruBridge50 · 16%
  • MEDHOST16 · 5%
  • Altera7 · 2%
  • athenaOne1 · 0%

Top travel-nurse markets in Texas

Questions

What is the maximum tax-free housing stipend in Texas?
Under GSA FY2027 rates it ranges from $791/week (the standard rate for counties not listed) to $1,344/week in Arlington / Fort Worth / Grapevine at peak season. The meals and incidentals ceiling is $476/week or more depending on the area.
Is Texas 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 Texas?
CMS lists 402 acute care, critical access, children's and VA/DoD hospitals in Texas. TravelNurseMap has living guides for 59 of them in the top travel-nurse markets.
What EHR do hospitals in Texas use?
Of the 313 Texas hospitals that reported a certified EHR to CMS for 2023–2024, 34% use Epic, 22% use MEDITECH, 20% use Oracle Health. Each hospital guide shows its own system.
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