According to a recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) report, hospital and healthcare spending are anticipated to grow between 2005 and 2016 at a compound annual rate of 7%. Part of this growth is being fueled by the aging of baby boomers. The U.S. Census Bureau projects 2.4% growth in the number of people over 65 over the next ten years.

With this growth in hospital spending comes the unavoidable cost pressures that cause hospitals to find ways to cut costs and boost their bottom lines. While RNs and travel nurses who are not specialized in any area may feel the effects of this pressure in the form of fewer and lower-paying job opportunities, highly skilled travel nurses will still see strong employment growth. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects seven of the 10 fastest growing occupations over the next six years will be in healthcare.