Internal travel rn vs agency travel rn

NedRN · Apr 22, 2016

A big part of travel compensation is tax free reimbursements for housing, per diems, and travel. If you don't have a tax home, you are itinerant and not eligible for special tax treatment. If you are "relocating" to Denver, you are "moving" and Denver is your home. Just like any other local, you cannot receive a tax free housing stipend and other reimbursements. To have a tax home, you have to maintain a residence and be working away from that home temporarily on business. If you move to Denver, all your compensation for that location will be taxed, but if you maintain your home there and take a travel assignment in Alaska, you will be eligible for tax free compensation. For a full time traveler, a tax home is worth around $20,000 extra take home annually. If it costs more than that to maintain, it is better to be eligible.

That is just background to your real question about working a travel assignment directly for a hospital versus an agency. The big one is that hospitals will not give you tax free per diems or travel reimbursement. They may well pay you a housing stipend (or in some cases provide housing), but they will tax the value of that housing just as if it were paid as taxable wages. Federal, state, local, and FICA. They don't have to legally if they do some minimum due diligence to check your eligibility (all agencies will), but I've never heard of a case where they didn't tax the housing value - apparently too much IRS risk for them to assume.

Generally in-house travel pays more an hour than an agency, but some of that will be eaten up by taxes per above (assuming you are otherwise eligible for tax free treatment). If you have a hot specialty, or there is an urgent need at a particular hospital, an agency will be able to offer better pay.

It is possible you will be treated better than regular travelers, but don't count on it. In fact, since they are referring it to a pool, they may float you more than an agency traveler.

You might want to flip your bucket list to Alaska first. The reason is that if you are moving and interview first, you may get a free interview trip, and a sign-on bonus or moving reimbursement. If you go to Denver first, even on a travel assignment, you may get a job offer and like the hospital so much that you cannot turn it down. Then you would miss out on Alaska! On the other hand, you may find you are sensitive to the altitude and that won't be a problem. Full physiological adaptation to altitude takes over a year, but most people don't notice that. I felt off my game for an entire three month assignment there. No regrets and I had a great time, and even took another high altitude assignment in California, but it is worth considering it as a factor for you. But I have declined at least one desirable to me assignment forever (Flagstaff) because of it.

Mjemm25 · Apr 23, 2016

Thanks for the response. The hospital position is a higher hourly pay than the travel agencies , and 1550 housing reimbursement -- with tax about 1000 she said. I can re-contract up to 4 times or 1 year. She said they do travel orientations every other Tuesday so it seems there are a lot of travelers there.

Im working with 2 travel agencies and now the hospital travel recruiter. Should I tell all my recruiters about each other ?

NedRN · Apr 23, 2016

Like invite them all over for a party? Well, no, but you will only hurt yourself if you pretend each one has an exclusive on you. As a matter of fact, the first agency to submit you to a particular assignment does "own" you. Thus you should be clear that you don't want to be submitted anywhere without your express approval. That gives you a chance to check out competitive offers and do some horse trading or simply choose the best offer.