Tulsa has become one of the most financially rewarding cities in the country for travel nurses. The combination of a competitive GSA lodging rate, genuinely affordable housing costs, a growing healthcare sector, and an Nurse Licensure Compact membership creates conditions where nurses on Tulsa assignments consistently keep more of their stipend than on assignments in larger markets. This is the complete guide — hospital by hospital, neighborhood by neighborhood, dollar by dollar. Call 918-992-0533 for assistance.
The mechanics of travel nurse compensation reward one thing above everything else: the gap between your housing stipend and your actual housing cost. The wider that gap, the more tax-free money stays in your pocket at the end of each 13-week contract.
In Tulsa, that gap is exceptional. The GSA per diem lodging rate for Tulsa, Oklahoma is $98 per day — approximately $2,940 per month. This is the benchmark agencies use when calculating your housing stipend. Actual furnished housing costs in Tulsa for a quality whole home run $1,200 to $1,800 per month for a single nurse, and $600 to $900 per person when two nurses share a two-bedroom property. The arithmetic is straightforward: a nurse taking the stipend and finding their own housing in Tulsa can pocket $1,200 to $1,800 per month in tax-free housing savings compared to a nurse who accepts agency housing at the GSA ceiling.
Over a 13-week contract, that gap is $3,900 to $5,850 in additional savings — purely from housing strategy, before any consideration of taxable pay rates or other stipend components. Nurses who do multiple Tulsa contracts and master the housing side report accumulating $15,000 to $25,000 in additional lifetime savings compared to peers who accepted agency housing in higher-cost markets.
Metric | Tulsa Data | What It Means for Your Contract |
GSA lodging rate (per diem) | $98/night ($2,940/month) | Your agency uses this to calculate housing stipend. Base your housing search on beating this number. |
Average travel RN weekly pay | $1,896/week (taxable + stipend) | About 8% below Oklahoma average — but cost of living advantage more than compensates. |
Cost of living index | 87 (13% below national average) | Your taxable wages buy more in Tulsa than in most US cities. |
HeyStay 1-2BR monthly rate (1 nurse) | $1,200 — $1,800 all-inclusive | Housing savings vs. GSA ceiling: $1,140 — $1,740/month tax-free. |
HeyStay 2BR shared (per nurse) | $700 — $1,000 per nurse/month | Shared housing savings vs. GSA ceiling: $1,940 — $2,240/month per nurse. |
Oklahoma state income tax | 5% flat rate | Lower than most states with income tax. Factor into total compensation comparison. |
NLC compact membership | Yes — Oklahoma is compact | Compact license holders work in Tulsa without additional state licensing. No wait, no fees. |
Active travel RN jobs in Tulsa | 2,500+ (January 2026 data) | Strong demand at all three major hospital systems. Multi-contract opportunities are real. |
Saint Francis is the largest healthcare employer in eastern Oklahoma with more than 12,000 employees across its health system. The main campus — Saint Francis Hospital — sits on South Yale Avenue in South Tulsa, in the 74136 zip code. Saint Francis Hospital South is a few miles further south in the 74137 zip code. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis and the Warren Clinic network extend the Saint Francis footprint across the entire metro.
Travel nurses at Saint Francis consistently report it as one of the better systems to work for in the region — organized management of the travel nursing program, good onboarding, and consistent patient volumes that create stable week-to-week assignments.
For dedicated Saint Francis housing information, see our full guide: Saint Francis Travel Nurse Housing . South Tulsa and Jenks properties are the closest whole-home options to the main campus.
St. John Medical Center sits in the heart of Midtown Tulsa on South Utica Avenue — the medical and academic corridor that runs through the center of the city. St. John’s campus is surrounded by Midtown Tulsa’s best neighborhoods — Cherry Street, Brookside, the Pearl District — making it one of the most livable hospital assignments in the market for nurses who want walkable access to restaurants and community.
Midtown Tulsa properties provide the closest whole-home access to St. John. See our Midtown Tulsa Furnished Housing guide for neighborhood detail and property positioning.
Hillcrest Medical Center is located just south of downtown Tulsa, close to the Utica Avenue medical corridor and within range of both Midtown and South Tulsa residential zones. Hillcrest is part of the Ardent Health Services system and handles significant cardiac, ortho, and general surgical volume that creates consistent travel RN openings.
See our Hillcrest Travel Nurse Housing page for specific housing positioning relative to the Hillcrest campus.
Your hospital assignment determines your best housing zone. Here is the honest breakdown:
Hospital / Assignment | Best Housing Zone | Why |
Saint Francis / Saint Francis South | South Tulsa (74133, 74136, 74137) | 5-15 min commute. Best neighborhoods. Jenks schools if you have family. Premium residential area. |
Ascension St. John Medical Center | Midtown Tulsa (74104, 74105, 74112) | Walking distance possible. Cherry Street/Brookside walkability. Best quality-of-life for a 13-week contract. |
Hillcrest Medical Center | Midtown or South Tulsa | 10-20 min from either zone. Midtown for walkability; South Tulsa for quieter residential. |
Bailey Medical Center (Owasso) | Owasso (74055) | 15-20 min commute. HeyStay has an Owasso property. Best for nurses assigned to Bailey. |
OSU Medical Center (Tulsa) | East or Midtown Tulsa | OSU Medical sits between these zones. Both work within 15-20 min. |
Multiple system assignments | Midtown Tulsa | Central position minimizes commute variance across all three major systems. |
Taking the housing stipend instead of agency housing is the foundational decision. Most experienced travel nurses know this. But the strategy has a second layer that determines the actual margin: what you find and how much it costs.
The difference between housing strategies in Tulsa:
HeyStay’s furnished homes are configured for the way travel nurses actually live, not for tourists. The specific features that matter for a 13-week assignment:
The GSA per diem lodging rate for Tulsa is $98 per night, which equals approximately $2,940 per month. This is the rate agencies use as the ceiling for housing stipend calculations. Your actual housing cost with HeyStay is $1,200 to $1,800 per month for single occupancy — the difference is tax-free money in your pocket.
Yes. Oklahoma is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If you hold a multistate compact license, you can work in Oklahoma without obtaining a separate state license. This makes Tulsa assignments accessible without additional licensing wait time or fees.
As of January 2026, Ascension St. John Medical Center (St. John) had 161 active travel nursing positions, Hillcrest Medical Center had 96, and Hillcrest Hospital South had 89. Saint Francis also maintains consistent travel nurse volume across its system. Total active travel RN positions in Tulsa exceeded 2,500 in early 2026.
Yes. Two nurses sharing a 2-bedroom HeyStay home pay approximately $700 to $900 each per month — well below the GSA rate. Both can take independent housing stipends from their respective agencies. The lease is at the property level and can accommodate two separate occupants on one agreement.
Midtown properties are within 5 to 15 minutes of St. John and Hillcrest. South Tulsa properties are within 5 to 15 minutes of Saint Francis. The Owasso property is closest to Bailey Medical Center. When you contact HeyStay, tell us which hospital you are assigned to and we will identify the closest available property.
Yes. Complimentary housekeeping is included — typically one to two visits per month. This is part of the monthly rate, not an add-on.
Yes. HeyStay can establish direct billing with your agency if they prefer to manage housing costs centrally. Contact corporate@heystay.com with the agency name and billing contact.
Call or text: 918-992-0533 | Email: corporate@heystay.com
Monthly contracts. Direct billing. Same-day placement. Complimentary housekeeping included.
→ Saint Francis Travel Nurse Housing — detailed positioning near each Saint Francis campus
→ Hillcrest Medical Center Travel Nurse Housing — Midtown positioning and commute details
→ 13-Week Travel Nurse Housing Tulsa — what to expect over a full contract
→ Travel Nurse Stipend Housing Tulsa — full stipend strategy guide
→ AMN Healthcare Housing Tulsa — if you are on an AMN contract
→ Aya Healthcare Housing Tulsa — if you are on an Aya contract
→ Midtown Tulsa Furnished Housing — neighborhood guide for nurses at St. John and Hillcrest
→ South Tulsa Furnished Housing — neighborhood guide for nurses at Saint Francis
→ Furnished Rentals Tulsa — the complete furnished housing guide for the Tulsa metro
HeyStay is an independent furnished housing provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of any hospitals, healthcare systems, staffing agencies, or companies mentioned on this page. Names are referenced for geographic context and proximity information only. Stipend amounts are general estimates — actual amounts depend on your specific agency contract and assignment.
Whether you are a general contractor looking for crew housing, an HR director managing a corporaterelocation, an insurance adjuster needing immediate placement, or a restoration company looking for a preferred housing partner — we would love to hear from you.
Call Now: 918-992-0533
HeyStay is an independent furnished housing provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of any companies, hospitals, employers, or insurers mentioned on this website. Company names are referenced for geographic context and proximity information only. Insurance coverage depends on individual policy terms — consult your adjuster or carrier to confirm your specific ALE coverage.
