Labor and delivery (L&D) nursing is in high demand across the nation, as there are roughly 3.6 million births each year in the U.S. If you enjoy working with mothers and newborns through the birthing process, travel nursing could be the perfect chance to grow your L&D nursing career.
In this guide, we’ll cover what you need to know about becoming a traveler as an L&D nurse, with helpful information from assignment length to salary expectations and more.
L&D travel nurses are needed throughout the country, but demand is higher in areas with high birth rates. Demand is particularly high for L&D nurses in hospitals with a focus on obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health.
From going on assignment in large cities to travel nursing in rural areas, there are opportunities all over the U.S. for L&D nurses. Here are a few states where labor and delivery travel nurses are in high demand:
L&D nurses are needed anywhere with high population growth at a variety of healthcare facilities. This includes regional medical centers serving large populations, women’s hospitals, birthing centers, community hospitals, and other similar facilities.
Within these healthcare facilities, labor and delivery nurses work in units such as LDR rooms, triage units, high-risk pregnancy units, postpartum units, operating rooms for C-sections, and in specialized care settings such as perinatal units and obstetric intensive care.
Travel nursing assignment lengths for L&D nurses depend on a number of factors, including location, facility demand, and more. It’s typical for travel nursing contracts to last from 8 to 26 weeks, with 13 weeks being the most common length of travel assignments.
Several factors can impact the average pay for an L&D travel nurse. However, due to the increased demand for nurses across the nation, travel nurses may earn higher salaries than their permanent staff counterparts.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses have an average salary of $45.42 or about $1,816 a week. The average weekly gross pay* in February 2025 across TRS Healthcare positions for L&D travel nurses was $2,100.
It’s important to remember that travel nurses can see more take-home pay by working assignments in areas with a high demand for L&D nurses or with a lower cost of living.
You can get a better idea of how your earnings might vary depending on the location of your assignment by referring to this list of average L&D travel nurse pay by state.
*Average weekly gross pay includes base pay (hours worked multiplied by the hourly rate) and tax-free stipends (meals, incidentals, & lodging).
There are several factors that lead to variations in salaries for labor and delivery unit nurses, including but not limited to:
You may not have direct influence over these factors, but there are opportunities for travel L&D nurses to enjoy better take-home pay. For example, you may consider going on assignment in areas with a lower cost of living, traveling with friends to share costs, or seeking additional certifications within your specialty to help increase your salary.
There are many similarities between working as a core staff L&D nurse and traveling as an L&D nurse, but travel nursing does offer some distinct benefits.
Exploring the country while you work is a huge draw for those considering working as a travel nurse. There are job opportunities across the country for L&D nurses, so wherever you want to go, you may find a job there. Best of all, you’ll be able to enjoy fun things to do and exciting things to see during your time off.
Flexibility is a highly desirable aspect of travel nursing, since you can choose what shifts you take to the amount of time off you want between assignments. In short, labor and delivery travel nurses can truly mold their career around your lifestyle, allowing you to do things like spend time with family, pursue other work on the side, or even go back to school.
In addition to being able to experience new places, travel is also a great opportunity to learn new things. From exploring new cultures and trying new cuisines to making new friends and discovering new pastimes, there are so many benefits of travel nursing. It can also be beneficial for your mental health!
As a labor and delivery travel nurse, you’ll be able to explore different types of healthcare facilities and different units related to your specialty. This is a great opportunity for you to work at the top of your license, learn new nursing techniques, and even train on specialized equipment and charting systems on your travel nurse assignments.
The ongoing nursing shortage in the U.S. continues to drive demand for travel nurses throughout the country. The temporary positions travel nurses take allow them to move to meet demand wherever it’s highest. This translates to a greater level of job security compared to permanent staff L&D nurses.
Studies show that repetition is a major contributor to burnout, and taking travel assignments can help bring new experiences to your career as a labor and delivery nurse. Each travel nurse assignment you take is a new opportunity to learn and explore, helping you enter every job with a fresh mindset. Travel nurses can also determine the length and frequency of their time off between assignments, so you have plenty of time to rejuvenate.
The requirements for L&D travel nurses are almost identical to permanent staff nurses. However, there are certain criteria nurses must meet before being able to take travel assignments. Also, although not required, there are additional qualifications travel L&D nurses can seek to align with higher-paying positions.
Experience requirements for travel nurses vary between facilities, but it’s typical that you need at least one to two years of experience before you can travel. Working as a labor and delivery nurse, you will likely need one to two years of experience within your specialty as well.
You will need your registered nurse (RN) license in the state(s) where you plan to take travel nursing assignments.
You can simplify this by getting a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) license, which allows you to work in any state within the NLC. (There are currently 42 states that participate in the compact.)
At a minimum, travel nurses are required to have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate. Healthcare employers also typically require that L&D travel nurses have Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification, Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), and Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal (AWHONN) Fetal Heart Monitoring Certification.
Other recommended certifications include:
TRS Healthcare is here to help you get started with your L&D travel nursing career. With 25 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry, TRS offers a team of dedicated recruiters, credentialing experts, and clinical support to assist you at every step in your transition from permanent staff nurse to travel labor and delivery healthcare professional.
Ready to begin your labor and delivery travel nursing career? Search our current L&D jobs or apply with us today!
