Travel nursing agencies generated substantial revenue during the COVID-19 outbreak and have demonstrated resilience post-pandemic. Their staffing models prove valuable to hospitals, regardless of whether a public health emergency occurs. Entrepreneurs planning to establish service-oriented businesses within or outside the health care industry should study what the best travel nursing agencies are doing to experience high growth and long-term success.
A Sustainable Outlook
The global travel nursing staffing market experienced contraction in recent years, following exponential growth during the pandemic. The gradual decrease in patient volumes in health care facilities triggered the decline in demand for supplemental nursing staff.
2026 and beyond paint a rosier picture for the travel nursing staffing market. Strategic Revenue Insights projects its size to expand at an annual compound growth rate of 7.5% from 2025 to 2033, reaching a valuation of $15 billion by the end of the forecast period. The United States will continue to drive high demand for travel nurses, while hospitals will remain the primary end-users of their services.
Global research and advisory firm Staffing Industry Analysts considers “locum tenens” — a Latin term that means “holding in the place of” and refers to health care workers temporarily filling vacant roles to plug the gap in patient care and cover for absent permanent staff — the market’s fastest segment, which grew moderately in 2025 and will likely sustain its momentum in 2026.
Trustaff, a pioneer in the travel nursing industry that has been helping health care organizations address workforce shortages since 2002, posts job assignments ranging from six to 26 weeks with competitive pay packages.
Strategic Revenue Insights notes that many travel nurses gravitate toward critical care and emergency room specialties. Trustaff acknowledges this sentiment, which is why it gives registered talent instant access to assignments in their areas of expertise.
Prime Time Healthcare, a staffing solution provider founded in 2012 that also recruits locum tenens, prioritizes travel nurse housing. In addition to providing stipends, it helps talent cover the expenses of safe, pet-friendly lodging.
Most industry observers do not expect the market to grow as large as it used to during the pandemic anytime soon. However, enduring travel nursing companies recognize trends and capitalize on them to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape.
What Are the Best Travel Nursing Agencies? A Comparison of the Top 5
Here are the notable features of the staffing models of the industry’s five leading travel nursing agencies.
| Travel Nurse Agency | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Trustaff |
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| Prime Time Healthcare |
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| AMN Healthcare |
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| LiquidAgents Healthcare |
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| Atlas MedStaff |
|
Secrets of the Best Travel Nurse Agencies to Success
Staffing agencies study one another’s strengths and weaknesses to stand above the competition. However, the most successful ones prioritize the following to balance the needs of travel nurses and health care organizations:
- Thorough talent screening: Leading agencies help health care facilities comply with strict regulations by supplying them with meticulously vetted, credentialed travel nurses.
- Large candidate pool: Streamlined recruitment enables reputable agencies to fill roles quickly and prevent job assignments from staying open for too long.
- Generous stipends: Competitive compensation packages attract and retain sought-after nurses.
- Flexible contract terms: Top staffing solutions providers prepare agreements that reflect the varying supplementary workforce needs of organizations and job preferences of talent.
- Professional communication: These vendors clearly and responsively communicate with all parties to set everyone’s expectations accordingly.
- Stellar reputation: The best agencies seek third-party certifications and accreditations to demonstrate their commitment to excellence and adherence to ethical business practices.
- Cost-effective price structure: These intermediaries offer competitive rates to travel nurses without pricing out health care organizations to deliver value for everyone.
A Viable Remedy to Chronically Unresolved Workforce Shortages
Your service-based organization can emulate the high-growth staffing model of leading travel nursing agencies to succeed. However, your business’s feasibility and profit trajectory will depend on the sustained demand for your services.
Travel nursing agencies are poised to continue flourishing over the long term due to future labor shortages in the health care industry. The scarcity of registered nurses in the U.S. proves to be challenging to address because of limited nursing enrollments stemming from full-time faculty vacancies, high employee turnover, talent retirements and an aging population.
Despite the perceived disadvantages of using travel nurses, many health care organizations will continue to depend on the supplementary staff agencies provide to lower nurse-to-patient ratios and protect full-time employees from burnout.
Drawing Inspiration From the High-Growth Travel Nurse Staffing Model
The best travel nursing agencies have determined how to turn the very resource the health care industry lacks into an asset. You may not be able to compete with your clients for the same resources to generate revenue in your industry, such as these intermediaries. Still, studying their business models can help you realize your competitive advantages and see opportunities for long-term growth.
