Confusion Regarding Travel Nurse Salary

[mbudzi]

Hello all! I know that this is going to be a redundant topic however I can't seem to find any information that directly answers my question, which is in your experience what kind of money are we talking about with Travel Nursing? My wife and I are looking into starting travel nursing here in the next couple of years and rent out our house and travel around in a camper to work. When we were talking to some people they described how they were making good money but it was always in passing. We were hoping it was decent money but I can't seem to find any concrete information on it. So can anyone enlighten me on what we can expect in terms of pay?

[NedRN]

Typically total pay (all compensation) is on the order of $50 to $60 an hour (sometimes crisis rates or hard to find specialties such as L&D can pay more - and it is possible to make less in the Midwest and the South). This compares more directly to per diem nursing where you take a higher hourly in lieu of benefits. As staff, you will give up good health insurance, PTO, holidays, vacation, education, retirement to become a hired gun where if you don't perform, you are dead (staff get several get-out-of-jail-free passes). You have to on the top of your game and ready to hit the ground running with minimal orientation in a completely foreign (to you) workplace with different software, work flow, culture, and patient population (and often higher patient to nurse ratios) and the potential to float twice a shift.

Travel pay is usually leveraged by tax-free pay (part of the total pay). This includes housing (or a housing stipend), and a per diem that is not reported on your W-4. This tax status requires maintenance of a tax home. If you rent out your home, you are no longer eligible for tax free pay - which is worth upwards of $20,000 a year extra net pay.

Regardless, employment decisions should not be determined primarily by compensation. Take jobs based on other criteria, and the big one for travel nursing is lifestyle.

[wayemika]

I agree. Pay is important but also check online for the hospitals rating with other travel nurses. Some places are not safe and will result in you risking your license.