A millennial travel nurse explains how he makes over $100,000 a year and avoids burnout

• Anthony Swain, 32, earned over $100,000 as a travel nurse in 2023.
• He said travel nursing has given him more control over his schedule and helped him avoid burnout.
• Some hospitals are turning to travel nurses in response to staff shortages.

Anthony Swain switches jobs every three to six months. But the pay and flexibility have made his career well worth it.

Last year, the 32-year-old earned about $102,000 as a telemetry travel nurse, according to documents viewed by Business Insider. Since transitioning from staff nurse to travel nurse in 2016, he said he's been able to pay off his vehicle, build emergency savings, and purchase an investment property.

Instead of being based in one hospital, travel nurses are contract workers who decide where they work and how long they stay in a given location, depending on available roles. Swain has worked in Charlotte, Seattle, Palo Alto, and Baltimore, where he met his now wife — who is also a travel nurse.

Travel nursing gigs tend to require some experience. But with hospitals facing nurse shortages — and many healthcare workers complaining about unsustainable working conditions — travel nursing could be part of the solution.

"It's easy to burnout in the healthcare industry, but having more control over your life and the flexibility to take time off is a large reason why I started travel nursing," Swain said.

Travel nursing can have high pay and a flexible schedule

When Swain first learned about travel nursing, he said it immediately intrigued him. After giving it a shot, he hasn't looked back.

Swain said the biggest perk of travel nursing is the freedom. The "time freedom" has allowed him to have more control over his hours and vacation schedule — he took roughly five weeks of unpaid time off last year between contracts. His gigs have required 36 hours of work a week, in addition to overtime about once a month.

The freedom to work on different hospital teams — like surgery and transplant — has also helped him grow his expertise.

There's also the "financial freedom" that can come with this lifestyle, Swain said. Though pay varies by gig — he's earned between roughly $20 and $135 per hour in recent years — travel nurses often receive stipends to help cover their housing expenses.

Moving so much can be expensive, but the freedom is worth it

Since 2021, Swain and his wife have used Vivian Health, a healthcare jobs platform, to find nursing placements. Swain said the typical contracts they find are about 13 weeks long, but hospitals sometimes offer to extend the contract. He said he typically stays at a hospital for between three and six months.

"I think six months is a good amount of time to explore an area and get used to the hospital," he said. "Also, moving every 13 weeks can get costly with moving expenses, security deposits, and rent in new places."

In addition to dealing with moving expenses, Swain said it can be challenging to adjust to new hospital systems, co-workers, policies, and charting systems.

"You must be ready to adapt quickly," he added.

Despite these challenges, Swain has no plans to stop travel nursing. He and his wife are based in Charlotte, where they're considering extending their contracts.

"The freedom that travel nursing gives you to choose your location, your hours, and the length of your placement is really amazing," he said.

Are you a gig worker willing to share your top strategies for making money? If so, reach out to this reporter at [email protected].