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Travel nursing in Houston, TX

The tax-free housing stipend ceiling in Houston, TX is $931/week (about $4,034/month, GSA FY2027), plus up to $560/week for meals. Median 1-bedroom rent in Houston is $1,194/month. Houston has 20 hospitals; the most common charting system is Epic. Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it.

Updated October 2026

Housing ceiling
$931/wk
Meals & incidentals
$560/wk
License
Compact state
Hospitals (CMS)
20

Is your Houston offer good?

Job boards show one weekly number. What matters is the split: tax-free stipends can't exceed the GSA ceiling for Houston, and the rest is taxable pay. Example: a $2,600/week package with both stipends at the max is $1,491 tax-free and $1,109 taxable, about $31/hour over 36 hours.

Aim for $2,400–$3,250/month in rent (60–80% of the ceiling). Landlords often price right up to the ceiling; with a stipend at the max, staying in that range keeps about $784–$1,634 a month for you.
Median 1-bedroom rent in Houston: $1,194/month across all renters. New furnished short-term leases cost more, sometimes far more in tight markets, so check listings near the hospital before you accept.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25031 (median gross rent, 1 bedroom). Includes utilities and long-time tenants.
Check an offer in Houston

Free, no account. It checks the stipends against the ceiling for your exact dates and shows what you keep after rent. Only have a job post? Paste it into the decoder.

What travelers were offered in Houston

No offers shared yet. Pay is published as medians once 3 travelers have shared, so no one's offer can be singled out.

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Shared by travelers: the taxable rate and stipends from their offer, never their name, and agencies aren't named per hospital. Figures are rounded medians from the last 24 months when there are enough, otherwise all time.

Hospitals in Houston (20)

Texas nursing license

Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it.

Endorsement steps and every Texas stipend area →

Agencies travelers used in Texas

No agency has 3 reviewed contracts in Texas yet. Review yours or see all agencies.

Nearby cities

Questions

What is the travel nurse housing stipend in Houston, TX?
The most an agency can pay tax-free for housing in Houston is $931/week (about $4,034/month) under GSA FY2027 rates for Houston, plus up to $560/week for meals and incidentals. Agencies can pay less; anything above the ceiling is taxable.
How much is rent in Houston for a travel nurse?
The median 1-bedroom rent in Houston is $1,194/month (Census ACS, all renters, utilities included). That includes long-time tenants, so a new furnished short-term lease usually costs more. The housing stipend ceiling is about $4,034/month; whatever you pay below it is yours.
Is $2,600 a week good for a travel nurse in Houston?
If both stipends are at the GSA maximum ($1,491/week tax-free), $2,600 leaves $1,109/week of taxable pay, about $31/hour over 36 hours. That is a reasonable taxable share. Whether it's good depends on your rent: housing that costs less than the stipend is money you keep. Check the exact split for your dates with the free offer checker.
Do I need a Texas nursing license to work in Houston?
Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it. Status per the NCSBN compact map, checked 2026-10-11.
How many hospitals in Houston hire travel nurses?
CMS lists 20 hospitals in Houston, TX: Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist West Hospital, Baylor St Lukes Medical Center, HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center and others. Each page lists the hospital's stipend ceiling, charting system and reports from travel nurses.
What EHR do hospitals in Houston use?
5 hospitals use Epic, 4 hospitals use MEDITECH MAGIC, 4 hospitals use Oracle Health (Cerner), 1 hospital uses MEDITECH Expanse, per the certified EHR each reported to CMS for 2023–2024.