Is traveling REALLY all that AND SOME???!!

jodyangel, RN · Mar 26, 2014

My job will be $8/hr, $395/week incidentals, $595/week housing. Now I don't see any company offering such a low rate. Some are telling me this is really a bad rate.

BD-RN, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2014

Okay, now that you've thrown out some real numbers people here can help you. The WEEKLY TOTAL is not bad for a first travel assignment; you're in NC? I'm calculating about $1250 take home, give or take a few $ after taxes. That's better than the market for local RN's there (I worked there as a new grad).

Your hourly rate is VERY SKETCHY though. What it looks like your company is trying to do is give you a crazy good tax-free benefit. What does this do? It takes the tax burden off of them and puts it all on you. Think about it; have you ever heard of an RN making minimum wage? Me neither, and neither has the IRS. Your stipend for housing is somewhere around $2600/month. I don't get that much here in LA. NC's housing is not expensive, and that also raises a red flag. My per diems (incidentals) are $245/week. I would talk to your recruiter about this before you sign your contract. If you have, well like I said on another post, this is a "live-learn-it" business.

The take away is the overall income is not bad, especially for the area, but the way it's laid out is very questionable. Also, please remember, different ares of the country are going to have different markets. SO while that might not be the best take-home here in CA (although I think that's what my first contract was), it's way better than most RN's make in the south.

NedRN · Mar 27, 2014

That amount is legal from almost every perspective. The agency (I'd love to know who it is) could do it wrong, and then they would potentially be in trouble, and the traveler would be in trouble if they were not working away from a valid tax home. Minimum wage is the law, and the only way the IRS would even know the hourly amount is if either the agency or the traveler gets audited for a different reason. Even then, it is legal if done correctly.

jodyangel, RN · Mar 31, 2014

Well I told my Recruitor that $8/ hr was unacceptable and that I was going to cancel my contract because I didn't want Uncle Sam knocking on my door OR to risk my eventual SS pay by that pay. After she flipping freaked Out on me...she saw I was serious and asked me what I needed. I said $18/hr. This am she called me and said would I accept $15/ hr as she wouldn't even make money if she paid me $18. Cough *bs* but I accepted it. I just won't work with her again. I Know I can get better pay.

Now tho I'm still doubting the whole where to stay thing as I lay here trying to relax. I got an awesome deal on CL but am renting a bedroom. It's just weird to me to come into someone's house and sit there with them thinking you would much rather be alone somewhere and not worry if your coughing or snoring will wake up their children! !