Austin, Dallas & Houston: Which City is Best for RNS?

nursetaminator · Jul 26, 2013

Of those 3, Houston probably has the lowest COL but overall they're all about the same. Austin (& surrounding area) is one of the largest growing cities in the country & I think rents tend to be higher. Traffic sucks in all 3. Shopping is great in all 3. Housing would probably be cheaper than Houston or Dallas.

Weather: All will get up to around 100 in the summer. Dallas gets more severe storms but more of all 4 seasons than the other 2. Austin area has been in a really bad drought for several years. Houston - hot and muggy, close to the coast, possibility of hurricanes. About the only places in Texas that see much of a "winter" would be around the panhandle: Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa. I'm in central Texas and wear flip flops pretty much all year long. It just doesn't get very cold here.

Austin is a very outdoorsy type city and you're in the center of the state so quick and easy to get to different parts of the Texas to see things. Houston - you've got the gulf coast, easy days drive to New Orleans, cruises leave from Galveston. Dallas - something always going on there.

But from what I understand Texas isn't one of the best paying states for travelers. Most new RN or RN/BSN (residents - not travelers) will start off around $25-28/hr in the hospital. Jobs can be kind of hard to come by bc we have a lot of nursing programs in the state. Very competitive job market. If you don't have any RN experience it can sometimes be tough.

Each city has lots to offer and there's always so much to go/do/see. I'm not a traveler (yet) but that's my perspective on Texas as a resident. I love it here and it's a great place to call home.

Good luck to ya!

MsMorningGlory · Jul 26, 2013

Thanks for the response. It is Greatly appreciated. I plan on trying to spend some time in Houston as a traveler, to see if I want to relocate there. Thanks for the info.

jhayroe · Jul 26, 2013

I am from AZ and had 2 years experience before starting my career as a traveler in Texas. I agree with this post and think it is accurate description of what you might find in Texas. I did 1.5 contracts in Dallas and then a contract in Austin. I enjoyed it. I personally preferred Dallas to Austin, but I am certainly in the minority with that opinion. Austin is becoming widely popular. It's definitely smaller and thus easier to find your way around, but believe me there is no shortage of things to do! I liked it, but I was alittle put off by all the hype associated with the city. But please don't let my opinion deter you because most people there love it. I recommend living close to downtown where all the action is. I leaved for cheap in the suburbs, but I think I would have enjoyed the city more if I paid to live in the action.

As a traveler in Texas , my pay was $28-30/hr with housing stipend. (The Austin RN's did grumble at low pay around $25/hr... and the cost of living isn't that low in Austin...) You will need at least 1 year experience as an RN before working as a traveler though. But Texas is rapidly growing and you may find more positions hiring new grads than wherever you are from. I was lucky to get a new grad position in AZ, but some people from my class had to go to Texas to get new grad jobs. Once you have experience the doors really open up for you!

P.S. Try the Frito Pie!

jhayroe · Jul 26, 2013

I am from AZ and had 2 years experience before starting my career as a traveler in Texas. I agree with the post by nusretaminator and think it is accurate description of what you might find in Texas. I did 1.5 contracts in Dallas and then a contract in Austin. My first position was at the Medical Center of Arlington (in Dallas, night shift). I had originally wanted to get a day shift position in Austin (where my friend worked), but I wasn't able to get that because I didn't have any travel experience. So I took the first job I could get which was the Dallas night shift. It's sometimes tricky to get your first travel job, so you may not get your first pick, but after you complete one 3 month contract you will have more options and learn a lot about traveling. I enjoyed working in Texas. I personally preferred Dallas to Austin, but I am certainly in the minority with that opinion. Austin is becoming widely popular. It's definitely smaller and thus easier to find your way around, but believe me there is no shortage of things to do! I liked it, but I was alittle put off by all the hype associated with the city. But please don't let my opinion deter you because most people there love it. I recommend living close to downtown where all the action is. I leaved for cheap in the suburbs, but I think I would have enjoyed the city more if I paid to live in the action.

As a traveler in Texas , my pay was $28-30/hr with housing stipend. (The Austin RN's did grumble at low pay around $25/hr... and the cost of living isn't that low in Austin...) You will need at least 1 year experience as an RN before working as a traveler though. But Texas is rapidly growing and you may find more positions hiring new grads than wherever you are from. I was lucky to get a new grad position in AZ, but some people from my class had to go to Texas to get new grad jobs. Once you have experience the doors really open up for you!

P.S. Try the Frito Pie!

nursetaminator · Jul 27, 2013

Housing would probably be cheaper than Houston or Dallas.

Oops...should have read housing in/around Houston will be cheaper than Austin or Dallas.

weirdscience · Jul 27, 2013

Both Dallas and Houston have more hospitals/competing hospital systems than Austin, which only has two major competitors.

Sarah.lancaster · Jun 26, 2014

Why as a travel nurse is your pay so low.

emadore · Jul 3, 2014

If you are planning to settle in one of these cities, I would stay away from Dallas because all of their hospitals are "connected". If you have a bad experience with one, it is shared with every other hospital in the city. It's like one big corporation. They have this thing where all is shared. So beware of that.

I tend to prefer Houston because of its' proximity to the beaches. I don't like living away from the water. Austin has a lot to offer but most of their hospitals belong to the same corporation too. That's never a good thing for workers.

NedRN · Jul 3, 2014

Actually the Dallas problem is state wide, but you are right that it is worst in Dallas-Ft Worth. There is a credit reporting agency owned by the Dallas-Ft Worth hospital association that operates as a legal blacklist and there is no route to removal.