Advice on these pay packages please

[NurseAndLovinIt, BSN, RN]

One of my recruiters ( I have 3 companies looking for me) is showing me the pay package for every assignment she submits me to for me to OK it. I have already completed my first assignment as a travel nurse back in July. For reference, my base rate was $18/hr. I was bringing home $1200 + per week after taxes. I was ok with this amount as a first time traveler and plus it was more than I was making as a staff RN.

My concern was the base rate for these assignments she's submitting me to. I'm worried that I would not be paying Enough taxes.

#1

13 weeks/ 40 hours

Base Pay $9.00hr ($360.00 taxable)

Ot Rate after 40 $40.00

Per Diem (non-taxable stipend) $1140.00 weekly ($4560.00 monthly)

Travel Check $200.00 (half-half)

Approximate Net $1410.00

#2

13 weeks/36 hours

Base Pay $9.50 ($342.00 taxable)

Ot Rate after 40 $40.00

Per Diem (non-taxable stipend) $1140.00 weekly ($4560.00 monthly)

Travel Check $500.00 (half-half)

Blended Rate $41.16

#3

13 Weeks/36 hours PM

Base Pay $10.00hr (360.00 taxable)

Ot Rate after 40 $40.00

Per Diem (non-taxable stipend) $1140.00 weekly

Travel Check $600.00 (half-half)

Blended Rate $41.66

I have been waiting for another travel assignment for almost a month. At this point I will take whatever I can get. Also while I am still needing to gain experience as a Travel RN,I am OK with making 1100-1200/wk. I just want to know if the base pay is ridiculous and will hurt me in the long run. Thanks for your replies!

[NedRN]

Why would you be worried that you are not paying enough taxes? Do you have a tax home?

[NurseAndLovinIt, BSN, RN]

Yes, I do have a tax home. Even after reading through 12 plus pages on this travel forum, I couldn't find a post to compare mine to. I guess I just want to make sure things are in order. And the base rate is half of my first assignment, so that makes me wonder. I tried asking my recruiter, but she basically told me that the less taxed income in a package I have is good.

[NedRN]

Yup, less tax is better, and higher take home rules! If you want to compare offers on a level playing field, use PanTravelers calculator. That will spit out a single number per hour total pay to help figure out what is best financially.

[dutchie]

Is that per diem for housing and meals? I am also trying to compare numbers. Seeing such a low hourly offered to me is scary. For me it's hard to include the nontaxable as income as I know it will be spent on housing. PanTravelers is a great resource though and helps to put it in perspective.

[NedRN]

It is one pot of money. The more you spend, the less you have. It doesn't matter if the money comes from a housing stipend or another part of your compensation.

[Flygaze]

Wouldn't such low hourly rates trigger an IRS inquiry? I remember reading that on this forum. Nine and ten dollars is barely above the minimum wage in most states.

[NedRN]

Nope. IRS only sees withholding taxes. They have no idea what you make per hour. A large swing in income in our tax bracket will not trigger an audit.