What Is Aya Healthcare?
Aya Healthcare was founded in 2001 and has grown to become one of the largest travel nurse staffing agencies in the United States. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California, and employs thousands of travel nurses, allied health professionals, and other healthcare workers at any given time. Aya operates as a traditional staffing agency, meaning they have their own team of recruiters, manage credentialing and compliance, coordinate housing, provide benefits, and handle payroll for all their travel professionals.
The traditional agency model works like this: Aya establishes relationships with hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country. When a facility needs temporary staff, they contact Aya (among other agencies) with their requirements. Aya’s recruiters then match available nurses to these openings, coordinating the application, interview, onboarding, and assignment management process. Nurses who work through Aya are Aya employees. Aya is the employer of record, provides W-2 employment, and manages all compensation and benefits.
Key features and services Aya Healthcare provides include: a large network of facility relationships across all 50 states; dedicated recruiters assigned to each travel nurse; housing coordination (agency housing or stipend option); comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), and life insurance; a loyalty program with rewards for repeat travelers; a mobile app and online portal for viewing available contracts and managing assignments; and 24/7 support for nurses on assignment.
Aya has consistently been one of the highest-volume travel nurse agencies, often appearing at or near the top of industry rankings for total number of travelers deployed. They cover a broad range of nursing specialties as well as allied health positions. The company has also expanded into per diem, local contract, and permanent placement in recent years.
However, the traditional agency model has inherent characteristics that are increasingly at odds with what modern travel nurses want. The recruiter-mediated process can feel opaque. You often don’t know what a contract pays until a recruiter tells you, and you may wonder whether the recruiter is showing you the best available options or the ones that generate the most margin for the agency. The size of Aya’s operation also means that the experience can feel impersonal, especially if you end up with a recruiter who is managing too many nurses to give each one adequate attention.
Why Nurses Look for Aya Healthcare Alternatives
Based on common feedback from travel nurses and healthcare professionals, here are the most frequently cited reasons people search for a Aya Healthcare alternative:
Lack of upfront pay transparency
This is the single biggest complaint about Aya Healthcare and the traditional agency model in general. When you browse Aya’s job listings online, many positions don’t display the specific pay package. Instead, you see a general listing and are prompted to “contact a recruiter” to learn more. This means you can’t efficiently compare contracts or determine if a position meets your financial requirements without first engaging in a conversation. In 2026, when other platforms show exact pay on every listing, this approach feels antiquated. Nurses report spending hours on the phone with Aya recruiters before learning that the pay for a contract doesn’t meet their minimum requirements, time that could have been saved with upfront pay information.
Recruiter quality inconsistency
Aya employs a large team of recruiters, and the quality of the recruiter experience varies enormously. Some nurses rave about their Aya recruiter: responsive, knowledgeable, genuinely advocating for the nurse’s interests. Others describe recruiters who are unresponsive, push contracts that benefit the agency’s margins rather than the nurse’s preferences, or who seem overwhelmed by their caseload. Because Aya assigns recruiters rather than letting nurses choose, the recruiter lottery is a real factor in your experience. If you get a great recruiter, Aya can be excellent. If you get a mediocre one, it can be frustrating.
Pressure to accept less-than-ideal contracts
Some nurses report feeling pressured by Aya recruiters to accept contracts quickly, take extensions they don’t want, or accept assignments that don’t match their stated preferences. While this isn’t universal, the incentive structure of agency recruiting (recruiters earn commissions on placements) creates a natural tension between what’s best for the nurse and what generates revenue for the agency. Phrases like “this will fill quickly” or “this is the best we can do” are commonly cited as pressure tactics.
Bill rate opacity
In the traditional agency model, the facility pays the agency a “bill rate” for each nurse. The agency takes a margin (typically 20-40%) and pays the nurse the remainder. Nurses often don’t know the bill rate and therefore can’t evaluate whether they’re getting a fair share. This information asymmetry benefits the agency and leaves nurses wondering if they could be earning more. While some agencies have moved toward greater transparency, Aya’s traditional model keeps this information largely hidden.
Bureaucratic onboarding process
As a large traditional agency, Aya’s onboarding process can be slow and bureaucratic. Nurses report extensive paperwork, redundant document requests, slow credentialing timelines, and poor communication about where they stand in the process. While Aya has invested in digital tools to streamline this, the underlying process remains more cumbersome than digital-first platforms. For nurses between contracts who need to start a new assignment quickly, delays can mean lost income.
One-agency limitation
When you work with Aya, you see only Aya’s contracts. Aya has relationships with many facilities, but not all of them. There may be excellent contracts at facilities where Aya doesn’t have a staffing agreement, or where another agency has a more favorable bill rate. By working exclusively with Aya, you’re voluntarily limiting your options. Smart travel nurses work with multiple agencies to access the broadest possible set of opportunities, or use platforms that aggregate across agencies.
Aya Healthcare vs MedNomadJobs: Feature Comparison
Here's a side-by-side comparison across the dimensions that matter most to travel healthcare professionals.
| Feature | Aya Healthcare | MedNomadJobs |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Transparency | Often requires recruiter call to see full pay | Actual weekly pay with full breakdown on every listing |
| Job Volume | Very large (one of the biggest agencies) | Broad multi-agency coverage with verified listings |
| Recruiter Model | Assigned dedicated recruiter | Self-directed; no recruiter calls unless you apply |
| Specialties Covered | Nursing, allied health, per diem, permanent | Travel nursing, allied health, therapy, imaging, lab |
| Benefits Package | Comprehensive (insurance, 401k, housing help) | Through the hiring agency for each contract |
| Housing Coordination | Agency housing option + stipend | Stipend details shown; housing is self-arranged |
| Application Process | Recruiter-mediated; phone/email heavy | Direct online application; fast and efficient |
| Contract Lengths | 4–26 weeks; strong extension culture | 4–26 weeks across all categories |
| Pay Negotiation | Recruiter negotiates on your behalf | What you see is what you get: transparent pricing |
| Market Analytics | Limited; recruiter provides market info | Self-service salary analytics and market data |
| 24/7 On-Assignment Support | Yes, dedicated support line | Through the hiring agency for each contract |
| Cost to Nurses | Free (agency-funded) | Freemium (free basic, Pro from €4/wk) |
indicates the stronger option for that feature.
Where MedNomadJobs Wins Over Aya Healthcare
Complete Pay Transparency Before You Apply
The most transformative difference between MedNomadJobs and Aya Healthcare is pay transparency. On MedNomadJobs, every single listing displays the actual weekly pay with a complete breakdown: taxable hourly rate, housing stipend, meals and incidentals, and any bonuses. You see this information before you apply, before you talk to anyone, and before you share any personal information.
With Aya, you often need to call or text a recruiter, explain your experience and preferences, wait for them to present options, and then ask about pay specifics, a process that can take hours or even days per contract. Multiply that by five or ten contracts you’re evaluating, and you’ve spent an entire week just gathering basic compensation information that should be available upfront.
This isn’t just a convenience issue. It’s a power dynamic issue. When you can’t see pay before engaging with a recruiter, the recruiter controls the information and the conversation. When you can see pay upfront, you’re in control. You decide which contracts are worth pursuing based on real data, not a recruiter’s pitch. This shift in power is why pay transparency matters so much, and it’s why MedNomadJobs built it into the foundation of the platform.
Self-Directed Job Search Without Recruiter Pressure
MedNomadJobs puts you in the driver’s seat of your job search. You browse listings at your own pace, compare contracts on your own terms, and apply when you’re ready, without anyone calling to “follow up,” pressure you to decide quickly, or steer you toward a contract that may not be your best option.
This is fundamentally different from the Aya experience, where a recruiter is involved in every step of the process. While some nurses love having a recruiter advocate for them, many experienced travelers find the recruiter involvement unnecessary or even counterproductive. You know your specialty, your preferred locations, your minimum pay requirements, and your career goals. You don’t need someone else to interpret job listings for you. You need accurate, transparent information so you can make your own decisions.
MedNomadJobs is designed for this self-directed approach. The platform provides all the information you need to evaluate and compare contracts independently, with no intermediary between you and the data. When you do apply, your information goes directly to the specific agency, not through a recruiter who may prioritize their own interests.
Multi-Agency Access from One Platform
When you work exclusively with Aya, you see only Aya’s contracts. Aya is large, but they don’t have staffing agreements with every hospital in the country. MedNomadJobs shows verified contracts from multiple agencies, giving you access to a broader set of opportunities.
This multi-agency access matters because competition between agencies works in the nurse’s favor. When multiple agencies are staffing the same facility, they compete on price, and that competition flows through to the nurse in the form of higher pay packages. By seeing offers from multiple agencies, you can identify the best deal, something that’s impossible when you’re working with a single agency.
The practical benefit is significant. Instead of asking your Aya recruiter “Is this the best you can do?” and hoping for an honest answer, you can see for yourself what other agencies are offering for the same or similar assignments. This transparency eliminates the guesswork and gives you real negotiating power, or better yet, eliminates the need to negotiate at all by showing you the best options upfront.
Faster, More Efficient Application Process
Applying to a contract on MedNomadJobs takes minutes. You see the full pay details, review the requirements, and submit your application directly online. No phone call required, no back-and-forth with a recruiter, no waiting for someone to “present” options to you.
Compare this to the typical Aya process: submit your profile, get assigned a recruiter, schedule a call, discuss your preferences, wait for the recruiter to send options, review them, ask about pay details, negotiate, and then formally apply. This process can take days or even weeks, especially if your recruiter is managing a heavy caseload.
For nurses between contracts who need to secure their next assignment quickly, MedNomadJobs’ streamlined process means less downtime between contracts. Less downtime means more earning time. Over a year of travel nursing, even a few extra days of work between contracts can add up to thousands of dollars in additional income.
Data-Driven Market Intelligence
With Aya, your understanding of the market is filtered through your recruiter’s perspective. They might tell you that “rates in California are strong right now” or “ER positions are hard to fill in Texas,” but you’re relying on their knowledge and honesty for market information.
MedNomadJobs gives you direct access to market data through its analytics tools. You can see average pay by specialty and state, track compensation trends over time, compare markets side by side, and identify the highest-paying opportunities based on real data from current listings. This empowers you to make strategic career decisions based on facts, not hearsay.
Want to know if the contract your Aya recruiter is presenting is competitive? Check MedNomadJobs to see what other agencies are offering for similar positions in the same area. This cross-referencing capability is one of the most powerful tools available to modern travel nurses, and it’s built into the MedNomadJobs platform.
Where Aya Healthcare Still Has an Edge
We believe in giving you the full picture. Here's where Aya Healthcare maintains advantages over MedNomadJobs:
Comprehensive Benefits and Support Infrastructure
Aya Healthcare’s biggest advantage is the full-service infrastructure that comes with being one of the largest agencies in the industry. As an Aya traveler, you get comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), 401(k) with company match, life insurance, short-term disability, a loyalty program with financial rewards, housing coordination, travel reimbursement, and 24/7 on-assignment support. This is a genuine, meaningful advantage for nurses who want everything managed by a single provider. When a housing issue arises at midnight or a payroll discrepancy needs immediate attention, Aya’s infrastructure and dedicated support lines can be invaluable.
Dedicated Recruiter Relationship (When It Works)
When you get a great recruiter at Aya, the relationship can be genuinely valuable. A top-tier recruiter knows your preferences, proactively sends you opportunities that match your criteria, negotiates aggressively on your behalf, coordinates all the logistics, and serves as your advocate when issues arise. For first-time travel nurses or nurses who prefer not to manage every detail themselves, this relationship can reduce stress and provide professional guidance. The key caveat is that recruiter quality varies significantly. But when it works well, the traditional recruiter model has real advantages.
Housing Coordination Services
Aya offers both housing stipends and agency-arranged housing for nurses who prefer not to find their own accommodations. Aya’s housing team can arrange furnished apartments in the assignment location, handle the logistics of move-in/move-out, and manage housing-related issues during the contract. For first-time travelers, nurses going to unfamiliar cities, or anyone who simply doesn’t want the hassle of finding short-term housing, this service saves time and reduces stress. MedNomadJobs shows stipend information but doesn’t arrange housing directly.
Pay Comparison: Aya Healthcare vs MedNomadJobs
Average weekly pay ranges across popular travel healthcare specialties. Ranges reflect typical contract pay packages including stipends.
| Specialty | Aya Healthcare | MedNomadJobs |
|---|---|---|
| ICU / Critical Care | $2,500 – $3,600/wk | $2,800 – $3,600/wk |
| Emergency Room (ER) | $2,300 – $3,400/wk | $2,600 – $3,400/wk |
| Operating Room (OR) | $2,500 – $3,200/wk | $2,700 – $3,200/wk |
| Med-Surg / Telemetry | $1,900 – $2,700/wk | $2,100 – $2,700/wk |
| Labor & Delivery | $2,300 – $3,000/wk | $2,500 – $3,100/wk |
| NICU | $2,200 – $2,900/wk | $2,400 – $3,000/wk |
| Physical Therapy | $1,800 – $2,500/wk | $2,000 – $2,500/wk |
| Respiratory Therapy | $1,600 – $2,300/wk | $1,800 – $2,300/wk |
Pay ranges are approximate and based on market data as of March 2026. Actual pay varies by location, facility, and agency.
Comparing pay between Aya Healthcare and MedNomadJobs requires understanding a fundamental difference in how compensation works at each. With Aya, the pay package is determined by Aya’s bill rate negotiation with the facility and Aya’s margin structure. You see what Aya decides to pay you, and you can try to negotiate through your recruiter. With MedNomadJobs, you see pay from multiple agencies, and those agencies are competing for your application, which tends to push rates upward.
The challenge with Aya’s model is the information asymmetry. Aya knows the bill rate, their margin, and what other agencies are paying for similar positions. You typically know only what your recruiter tells you. This asymmetry doesn’t mean Aya deliberately underpays nurses, but it does mean you can’t independently verify whether you’re getting a competitive rate. Some nurses report discovering, after the fact, that another agency was paying $300-$500 more per week for the same facility and shift.
MedNomadJobs eliminates this information problem entirely. By showing contracts from multiple agencies with real pay data, the platform gives you the ability to compare and choose the best option. If Agency A is paying $2,800/week for an ICU position in Dallas and Agency B is paying $3,100/week for the same facility, you can see that instantly and make an informed choice.
The pay ranges shown in the comparison table above reflect this dynamic. While Aya’s ranges can be competitive, they’re limited to Aya’s specific rates. MedNomadJobs’ ranges reflect the best available options across multiple agencies, which is why the floor tends to be higher. You’re seeing the competitive market rate, not just one agency’s rate.
It’s worth noting that Aya’s comprehensive benefits package (health insurance, 401(k) match, etc.) adds real value to the total compensation picture. When comparing total compensation, factor in the monetary value of these benefits against the potentially higher weekly pay available through MedNomadJobs.
Live Market Data on MedNomadJobs
Unlike static job boards, MedNomadJobs uses cutting-edge technology to constantly scan the web for travel healthcare contracts. Each listing goes through manual curation to ensure accuracy. Here's a snapshot of what's available right now:
225
$1,985
18
Top Paying Specialties Right Now
| Specialty | Avg Weekly Pay | Open Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Cath Lab | $3,037/wk | 1 |
| Operating Room | $2,651/wk | 5 |
| Mammography Technologist | $2,566/wk | 1 |
| Labor & Delivery | $2,449/wk | 7 |
| Ultrasound Technologist | $2,246/wk | 5 |
| Interventional Radiology Tech | $2,234/wk | 11 |
| Dialysis | $2,212/wk | 1 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $2,170/wk | 6 |
| Physical Therapist | $2,151/wk | 19 |
| Psychiatric | $2,150/wk | 8 |
Data updated automatically. Reflects currently active listings on MedNomadJobs. View full market analytics →
While we offer the most recent listings for free, we charge a small fee to maintain the site, keep our scanning technology running, and continue manually curating every listing for accuracy. Pro plans start from just €4/week, and you can cancel anytime.
Who Should Choose MedNomadJobs Over Aya Healthcare?
Best for: Experienced Travelers Who Know What They Want
If you’ve been traveling for years and don’t need a recruiter to explain the industry to you, MedNomadJobs’ self-service model with transparent pay data is a better fit than Aya’s recruiter-mediated approach. You know your worth, you know the market, and you just need accurate information to make decisions efficiently.
Best for: Nurses Frustrated with Recruiter Dynamics
If you’ve experienced recruiter pressure, unresponsive recruiters, or the feeling that your recruiter prioritizes the agency over you, MedNomadJobs offers a refreshing alternative. The platform removes the recruiter from the equation entirely. You see everything upfront and make decisions on your own terms.
Best for: Travel Nurses Who Want to Maximize Pay
Seeing contracts from multiple agencies means you can always identify the highest-paying option for your specialty and location. Nurses who treat travel nursing like a business and optimize for maximum income will find MedNomadJobs’ multi-agency transparency invaluable for ensuring they’re never leaving money on the table.
Best for: Allied Health Professionals
While Aya covers allied health positions, the company’s primary focus and infrastructure is built around travel nursing. Allied health professionals (PTs, OTs, SLPs, RTs, surgical techs, imaging techs, lab scientists) may find a more tailored experience on MedNomadJobs, which provides dedicated search pages and filters for each discipline.
What Nurses Say About Aya Healthcare vs MedNomadJobs
Nurse feedback on Aya Healthcare is genuinely polarized, more so than almost any other agency in the industry. This polarization reflects the recruiter lottery effect: your experience with Aya is heavily dependent on which recruiter you’re assigned.
Nurses with great Aya recruiters consistently praise the personal relationship, the proactive communication, and the support when issues arise. Comments like “my recruiter fights for the best rates for me” and “I never have to worry about logistics. Aya handles everything” appear frequently in positive reviews. Aya’s benefits package, particularly health insurance and 401(k), also receives consistent praise from nurses who value these perks.
On the other hand, nurses with negative Aya experiences describe a very different reality. Common complaints include: recruiters who are slow to respond or disappear for days; being presented with contracts that don’t match stated preferences; feeling pressured to accept assignments or extensions; discovering after the fact that other agencies were paying more for the same position; and bureaucratic onboarding processes that delay start dates.
Nurses who have transitioned to MedNomadJobs from Aya frequently describe the experience as “liberating.” The ability to see actual pay on every listing without waiting for a recruiter call is the most frequently mentioned benefit. Nurses also appreciate the efficiency of the self-directed search, comparing multiple contracts in the time it would take to have one phone call with a recruiter.
The recurring theme in nurse feedback is control. With Aya, the recruiter is the gatekeeper to information and opportunities. With MedNomadJobs, the nurse has direct access to everything. For nurses who want to manage their own career, this shift in control is profound. For nurses who prefer having someone else manage the details, Aya’s full-service model may still be the better fit.
The most balanced perspective comes from nurses who use both: they keep their Aya relationship for the benefits and support infrastructure while using MedNomadJobs to benchmark rates and discover opportunities Aya might not present.
How to Get Started with MedNomadJobs
Switching to (or adding) MedNomadJobs is simple. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Create your MedNomadJobs account
Visit MedNomadJobs.com and sign up in under two minutes. Browse the most recent listings for free, and upgrade to Pro from just €4/week for full access to all jobs, detailed pay breakdowns, and instant alerts.
Set your search preferences
Configure your specialty, preferred locations, minimum weekly pay, desired contract length, and shift preferences. The platform will prioritize relevant listings and send you alerts when new matches are posted.
Compare MedNomadJobs contracts with Aya’s offers
The next time your Aya recruiter presents a contract, search for similar positions on MedNomadJobs. Compare the pay, stipend breakdown, and contract details. This cross-referencing alone can be worth thousands of dollars over the course of a year.
Apply to contracts that offer the best overall value
When you find a better-paying or better-fitting contract on MedNomadJobs, apply directly through the platform. Your information goes to the specific agency for that contract.
Evaluate the total compensation picture
When comparing MedNomadJobs contracts with Aya’s offers, consider the total picture: weekly pay + stipend structure + benefits value + any bonuses. If an agency through MedNomadJobs offers significantly higher weekly pay but you need to arrange your own health insurance, factor that cost into the comparison.
Keep your Aya relationship if it works for you
There’s no need to burn bridges. Many nurses maintain relationships with 2-3 agencies while using MedNomadJobs as their primary job search tool. Use Aya for its benefits and support infrastructure, and use MedNomadJobs for market intelligence and ensuring you’re always getting competitive rates.
Other Aya Healthcare Alternatives Worth Considering
While we believe MedNomadJobs is the best overall alternative to Aya Healthcare, here are a few other platforms worth exploring:
Vivian Health
Vivian Health is a large healthcare job marketplace that aggregates listings from dozens of staffing agencies, including sometimes Aya’s own listings. It offers the widest single-platform job selection along with facility reviews. Best for nurses who want to see every available position in one place, though the trade-off is potential recruiter spam and variable listing quality.
Nomad Health
Nomad Health is a technology-first staffing platform that, like Aya, acts as the employer of record. Unlike Aya, Nomad eliminates the traditional recruiter role and shows pay upfront. It’s a good option for nurses who want a single-agency experience with more transparency than Aya provides, though its job inventory is smaller than both Aya and MedNomadJobs.
Cross Country Nurses
Cross Country Nurses is another large traditional travel nurse agency with a model similar to Aya’s. They offer dedicated recruiters, comprehensive benefits, and a large facility network. If you like the traditional agency model but want a different recruiter relationship, Cross Country is worth considering.
Medical Solutions
Medical Solutions is a well-regarded traditional agency known for consistent recruiter quality and competitive pay packages. They’re smaller than Aya but consistently rank high in nurse satisfaction surveys. A solid choice for nurses who want the agency model but with more personalized service than a large agency like Aya can always provide.
Frequently Asked Questions: Aya Healthcare vs MedNomadJobs
Is MedNomadJobs a staffing agency like Aya Healthcare?+
No. MedNomadJobs is a curated job board that shows verified travel healthcare contracts from multiple staffing agencies. Unlike Aya, MedNomadJobs is not your employer. The agency associated with each specific contract is your employer. This gives you the freedom to choose the best agency for each individual assignment rather than being locked into one company.
Can I see the full pay package on MedNomadJobs before applying?+
Yes, this is one of the platform’s core features. Every listing on MedNomadJobs shows the actual weekly pay with a full breakdown: taxable hourly rate, housing stipend, meals and incidentals, and any bonuses. You never need to call anyone to find out what a contract pays. This is a fundamental difference from Aya, where pay details often require a recruiter conversation.
Will I get benefits like health insurance through MedNomadJobs?+
Benefits are provided by the staffing agency you work with for each contract, not by MedNomadJobs itself. Many agencies listed on MedNomadJobs offer comprehensive benefits packages comparable to Aya’s. When evaluating contracts, consider asking the agency about their benefits offerings as part of your total compensation assessment.
How much does MedNomadJobs cost?+
MedNomadJobs uses a freemium model. You can browse the most recent listings and access public salary data for free. For full access (including all jobs, detailed pay breakdowns, housing stipend info, salary filters, and instant job alerts), Pro plans start from just €4 per week. We invest in cutting-edge technology and manual curation to ensure every listing is accurate and up-to-date. You can cancel anytime.
How do I handle housing if I switch from Aya to a contract through MedNomadJobs?+
Most travel nurses arrange their own housing using the tax-free housing stipend included in their pay package. Popular resources include Furnished Finder, Airbnb monthly stays, extended-stay hotels, and travel nurse housing Facebook groups. MedNomadJobs shows the housing stipend amount on every listing so you can plan accordingly. Many nurses prefer this approach because they pocket the difference between the stipend and their actual rent.
Can I use MedNomadJobs to benchmark the contracts my Aya recruiter shows me?+
Absolutely, and many nurses do exactly this. Search for similar positions (same specialty, same state or city) on MedNomadJobs to see what other agencies are offering. If you find significantly higher-paying options, you can either switch to those contracts or use the information to negotiate a better rate with Aya.
Does MedNomadJobs cover as many specialties as Aya?+
MedNomadJobs covers travel nursing, allied health, therapy, imaging, and lab positions across a wide range of specialties. While Aya covers a similarly broad range, MedNomadJobs often has better representation in allied health disciplines because it draws from multiple agencies. The specific specialty coverage varies by market conditions and location.
What if I need help during an assignment, does MedNomadJobs provide support?+
On-assignment support is provided by the staffing agency you’re working with for each contract, not by MedNomadJobs. Before accepting a contract, you can ask the agency about their support infrastructure (24/7 hotline, dedicated point of contact, etc.). Many agencies listed on MedNomadJobs provide support comparable to what Aya offers.
How does MedNomadJobs’ job volume compare to Aya’s?+
Because MedNomadJobs aggregates verified listings from multiple agencies, its total job volume is competitive with and often exceeds what any single agency (including Aya) can offer. The advantage of MedNomadJobs is that you’re not limited to one agency’s facility relationships. You see the best available contracts from across the market.
Should I stop working with Aya entirely if I start using MedNomadJobs?+
Not necessarily. Many nurses use MedNomadJobs as their primary job search tool while maintaining relationships with one or two agencies (including Aya) for the benefits and support infrastructure. The key advantage of MedNomadJobs is market visibility: ensuring you always know what competitive rates look like so you can make informed decisions regardless of which agency you ultimately work with.
Final Verdict: Aya Healthcare vs MedNomadJobs
Aya Healthcare is a well-established, large-scale travel nursing agency that provides a full-service experience including dedicated recruiters, comprehensive benefits, and housing coordination. For nurses who want everything handled by one company and who value having a personal recruiter relationship, Aya remains a solid choice, especially if you happen to get assigned a great recruiter.
However, the travel healthcare industry is evolving toward transparency and nurse empowerment, and Aya’s traditional model is showing its age. The lack of upfront pay transparency, the recruiter-mediated process, and the single-agency limitation all put nurses at an informational disadvantage.
MedNomadJobs represents the modern approach: full pay transparency on every listing, self-directed search without recruiter pressure, multi-agency access for broader options and competitive rates, and market analytics to make data-driven career decisions. For most travel nurses, especially experienced professionals who value their time and want to maximize their earnings, MedNomadJobs is the superior platform.
The best approach for many nurses is to use both: keep Aya for its benefits infrastructure and support, while using MedNomadJobs as your eyes and ears on the market. But if you have to choose one, MedNomadJobs gives you the transparency, options, and control that define the future of travel healthcare staffing.
Related Resources
Travel Nurse Salary Guide
Average pay by specialty and state, updated with live market data.
Housing Stipend Guide
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Market Analytics Dashboard
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Compact License States
Which states honor the NLC compact license and what it means for your job search.
Highest Paying Travel Nurse Jobs
Which specialties command the top pay packages in 2026.
Best States for Travel Nurses
Compare states by pay, demand, cost of living, and license requirements.
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