Ohio is home to Cleveland Clinic (world-renowned cardiac center), Nationwide Children's (top-5 pediatric), Ohio State Wexner, and 28+ ODRC correctional facilities. NLC Compact member. 3.99% flat income tax. $2,200–$3,400/week.
Ohio is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state. If your home state is compact and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Ohio immediately — no separate Ohio RN license application, no wait. For travel nurses targeting Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Children's, or ODRC facilities, compact membership dramatically speeds up onboarding.
Hold a multistate license from your compact home state? You can accept an Ohio assignment and start as soon as credentialing clears — typically days, not weeks. Cleveland Clinic and Nationwide Children's both onboard compact-license RNs on accelerated timelines.
Non-compact home state nurses need an Ohio single-state license. Ohio BORN processing is typically 4–6 weeks. Apply for your Ohio license before accepting an assignment — CatSol recruiters can guide you through the application.
Full breakdown of multistate vs. single-state licensing: NLC Compact License Guide.
Ohio has a 3.99% flat income tax rate — one of the lowest flat rates in the Midwest and lower than neighboring Illinois (4.95%) and Michigan (4.25%). Tax-free housing and M&IE stipends are not subject to Ohio state income tax. For travel nurses comparing Ohio vs. neighboring states, the lower tax rate meaningfully improves net take-home on identical gross packages.
State income tax rates as of 2026. Stipend eligibility requires a legitimate tax home. Consult a travel nurse tax professional for your specific situation.
NLC Compact flexibility, Cleveland Clinic cardiac prestige, a 3.99% flat tax, opioid-crisis ED demand, and 28+ ODRC correctional facilities statewide.
Ohio is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If you hold a multistate license from your home state, you can start an Ohio assignment in days — no separate OH application required.
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus is ranked #2 in the world for cardiac care. Travel RNs with cardiac specialties command a prestige premium here that few US markets can match.
Ohio's 3.99% flat income tax rate is one of the most competitive in the Midwest — lower than Illinois (4.95%), Indiana (3.23% but higher local taxes), and Michigan (4.25%). Tax-free stipends are exempt.
Dayton, OH was the epicenter of the US fentanyl crisis. ED, psych, and addiction nursing demand across SW Ohio and Appalachian Ohio remains elevated — crisis rates available.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction operates 28+ facilities. Correctional nursing travel assignments are a consistent, high-demand specialty statewide.
Ohio hosts some of the most prestigious healthcare institutions in the US — led by Cleveland Clinic's globally ranked cardiac program and Nationwide Children's top-5 pediatric ranking.
World-renowned academic medical center ranked #2 globally for cardiac care. Travel RNs in cardiac, heart transplant, and ICU specialties earn a prestige premium. Cleveland Clinic Main Campus is one of the most competitive travel nursing destinations in the US — experience requirements are strict but pay reflects it.
Level I trauma center serving the greater Cleveland metro. Includes Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital — a top-ranked pediatric center. UH Cleveland is the academic affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Strong demand for ICU, trauma, and pediatric travel nurses.
Level I trauma center and #1-ranked Ohio hospital by multiple indices. Academic affiliate of The Ohio State University — the largest university in the US. Travel nurses work alongside OSU residents and fellows in a high-volume, high-acuity environment across all specialties. Ranked nationally in cancer, neurology, and orthopedics.
Consistently ranked top-5 children's hospital in the US. Nationwide Children's is a destination for NICU and PICU travel nurses nationally. The neonatal transport team is among the most active in the Midwest. Pediatric specialty RNs — NICU, PICU, pediatric oncology, pediatric cardiac — are in continuous demand year-round.
Level I trauma center serving southwest Ohio. Miami Valley is the dominant trauma center for the Dayton metro — the epicenter of the US fentanyl/opioid crisis. ED and trauma nursing here sees extreme acuity. Kettering Health is one of the largest travel RN employers in SW Ohio. High psych and ED travel nurse demand tied to ongoing opioid surge.
Weekly package rates include tax-free housing and M&IE stipends. Ohio's 3.99% flat income tax applies only to taxable wages — stipends are exempt.
| Market | Weekly Package |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Metro (Cleveland Clinic, UH, MetroHealth) | $2,600–$3,400 |
| Columbus Metro (OSU Wexner, Nationwide Children's) | $2,500–$3,200 |
| Dayton / SW Ohio (Miami Valley, Kettering Health) | $2,400–$3,000 |
| Cincinnati (UC Health, Cincinnati Children's) | $2,400–$3,000 |
| Rural / Southern OH (Appalachian OH, ODRC) | $2,200–$2,700 |
Rates are estimated weekly package totals as of Q2 2026. Actual pay varies by agency, specialty, experience, and shift. Stipend eligibility requires a legitimate tax home.
Updated every 4 hours from our live job feed. Last updated: April 27, 2026.
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Browse All JobsCleveland Clinic Main Campus is ranked #2 in the world for cardiac care. For cardiac RNs, a Cleveland Clinic assignment is the professional equivalent of playing in the World Series — and pay reflects that prestige.
Cleveland Clinic performs among the highest volume of heart transplants in the US. Cardiac ICU travel nurses supporting the transplant program need 3+ years of cardiac ICU experience, CCRN preferred. Pay for heart transplant unit RNs at Cleveland Clinic ranges $3,000–$3,400/wk for experienced travellers with the right credentials.
Cleveland Clinic requires a minimum of 2 years of acute care RN experience in your specialty — and for cardiac and ICU roles, 3+ years is the practical floor. BSN is strongly preferred. Travel nurses typically complete a skills assessment and a clinical phone interview. Competition is high but contracts offer some of the highest weekly packages in Ohio.
Cleveland sits on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Travel nurses on assignment enjoy waterfront access, a vibrant arts and food scene (Ohio City, Tremont, Little Italy), and a cost of living well below coastal markets. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, and proximity to Cuyahoga Valley National Park round out the lifestyle package.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) operates 28+ correctional facilities statewide. Correctional travel nursing in Ohio is a consistent, high-demand specialty — and CatSol specializes in corrections placement.
ODRC facilities range from the Chillicothe Correctional Institution and Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (Lucasville) in southern Ohio to Toledo Correctional Institution in the north. Correctional RNs, LPNs, and CNAs are in ongoing demand. Southern ODRC facilities offer the highest effective compensation due to very low local cost of living amplifying tax-free stipends.
ODRC correctional travel nursing typically pays $2,200–$2,700/wk for RNs. Contracts are multi-week with predictable scheduling — a strong option for nurses who prefer stable hours without rotating emergency demands. CatSol has direct relationships with ODRC vendor programs and places corrections nurses across the state regularly.
Cleveland Clinic typically requires a minimum of 2 years of recent acute care RN experience in the specialty requested. For cardiac ICU and heart transplant units, 3+ years of cardiac-specific experience is standard. A BSN is strongly preferred. Cleveland Clinic travel nurses must pass a skills assessment and often a clinical interview. The bar is high — but the pay premium ($2,600–$3,400/wk in Cleveland metro), the prestige on your resume, and the access to world-class cardiac technology make it worth it for experienced cardiac RNs.
Ohio and Illinois are comparable travel nursing markets, but with different profiles. Chicago (IL) pays slightly more at the top end — $3,200/wk peak vs. Ohio's $3,400/wk peak at Cleveland Clinic cardiac. Ohio's 3.99% flat income tax is meaningfully lower than Illinois's 4.95%, improving net take-home. Ohio also has lower cost of living in Columbus and Dayton vs. Chicago, stretching stipends further. Rural and ODRC corrections assignments in southern Ohio offer competitive pay with very low living costs. For specialty cardiac nurses, Cleveland Clinic often beats comparable Chicago facilities on total package.
Ohio — especially the Dayton metro — was ground zero for the US fentanyl crisis. From 2016–2020, Montgomery County (Dayton) had among the highest overdose death rates per capita in the US. The ongoing crisis has created sustained, elevated demand for ED nurses, psych/behavioral health nurses, and addiction medicine nurses across southwest Ohio and Appalachian Ohio. Miami Valley Hospital (Dayton), Kettering Health, and rural Appalachian OH hospitals run near-constant travel nurse programs for ED and behavioral health. Crisis rates are periodically available during surge events.
ODRC (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) travel nursing assignments typically pay $2,200–$2,700/wk in total package for RNs, with LPN rates somewhat lower. The 28+ ODRC facilities are spread across Ohio — from Toledo and Cleveland-area facilities to rural southern Ohio (Chillicothe, Lucasville, Portsmouth). Southern ODRC facilities offer the highest stipend value due to very low local cost of living. Correctional nursing in Ohio is a consistent specialty with multi-week contracts and predictable scheduling. CatSol has direct relationships with ODRC vendor programs.
Yes. Ohio is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If your home state is an NLC compact state and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Ohio immediately — no separate Ohio RN license application required. This means same-day or next-day assignment start is possible for credentialed compact-license holders. If your home state is NOT compact, you will need to apply for an Ohio single-state license — Ohio BORN processing is typically 4–6 weeks. Apply before accepting an Ohio assignment.
Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus is consistently ranked a top-5 pediatric hospital in the US and is one of the most sought-after pediatric travel nursing destinations. NICU and PICU travel RNs are in continuous demand — Nationwide's neonatal transport team is among the most active in the Midwest. Pediatric oncology, pediatric cardiac, and pediatric surgery nurses are also regularly recruited. Experience requirements are strict: NICU RNs typically need 2+ years of Level III NICU experience. Pay ranges from $2,500–$3,100/wk depending on specialty and shift. Columbus has a very affordable cost of living, so stipends stretch significantly.
Ohio is an NLC Compact state — if you hold a multistate license, you can start a Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Children's, or ODRC assignment in days. CatSol recruiters have direct relationships with Cleveland Clinic, Ohio State Wexner, Nationwide Children's, and ODRC correctional facilities statewide.
Last updated: April 27, 2026 • Revalidates every 4 hours • NLC Compact verified