10. Alaska — 1.8x local rate typical
Alaska pays some of the highest structured travel nurse premiums in the country. Contracts through major agencies including Aya Healthcare, Vivian Health-listed agencies, and Fastaff commonly post weekly gross packages 1.6 to 1.8 times the state's resident RN wage, driven by geography, staffing gaps, and licensing complexity.
Anchorage and Fairbanks anchor most travel contracts, with critical-access hospitals across the interior and southeast Alaska hiring on shorter contract cycles. Housing stipends typically run higher than lower-48 averages because of Alaska's cost of living, which the tax-free portion of a compliant travel package offsets significantly.
The trade-offs are real. Alaska is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so licensure by endorsement adds 4 to 8 weeks upfront before a first contract can start. Nurses considering Alaska should begin the licensure process well before targeting a start date to avoid missing high-premium winter contract windows.
