first assignment SD...advice please?

NedRN · Sep 11, 2012

Congrats on the first assignment! Kind of too late to be asking about pay. Go and be happy. Next time shop agencies before you are submitted.

No tax home means you must pay California and federal income taxes on all your compensation. This includes your housing and travel pay. Tell your agency to withhold taxes so you don't get hit with penalties and interest.

lkpdx · Sep 11, 2012

Sorry, I meant I got my first offer. I have not accepted. Just wondering if this is normal for Radys or if I low balled. And how does negotiations work or do they?

lkpdx · Sep 11, 2012

What do you mean withhold taxes? Dont you have to have a tax home to do that?

meandragonbrett · Sep 11, 2012

Is that your blended rate or is that your hourly base rate?

NedRN · Sep 11, 2012

Negotiations only work with homework and knowing the supply and demand situation. If you only talk to one agency, how could you ever know what is a good rate? What leverage will you have to ask for more? If you know agency A pays more than B, ask B to beat it.

All employers withhold income taxes, it is the law. At the end of the year when you file your tax return, you may receive a refund if taxes are overwithheld. When you have a tax home, and are working a short term contract away from that legitimate tax home, expenses such as housing and travel are not subject to income tax. Instead they are reimbursements. You are itinerant: "without a home". Thus you never have expenses related to working away from home. You should fill out a housing form for any agency you work for that will identify to the agency's mind if you qualify for tax free reimbursements. They err on the tax free side, because they also save money, not having to pay the employer's share of FICA. But that doesn't protect you from the IRS, just the agency from the IRS. Usually itinerant travelers have to be proactive to get agencies to properly withhold taxes from all compensation.

nola06 · Sep 17, 2012

I worked at Rady's in 2010 in the ER and the pay was about the same. I took the housing stipend and took home a little more money that way. Everyone wants to go to San Diego and it sells itself, that's why the pay is so low. I stayed for 6 months and loved it. Hope you enjoy it

alpatton · Nov 9, 2012

I am contemplating my first assignment in San Diego at Rady's as well. I was quoted $28/hr (AMN) (that includes my per diems, and the mandatory time and a half after 8 hours, but does not include my housing) I felt like that was low too, but I'm still not sure. That's why I got on here. Another company quoted me (they are rated #1 on highway hypodermics) ~$50 hr for the San Diego area but I'm not sure if that included housing, but even if it did, that's still another $1200/month more. The second company didn't have current postings, though.

meandragonbrett · Nov 10, 2012

I am contemplating my first assignment in San Diego at Rady's as well. I was quoted $28/hr (AMN) (that includes my per diems, and the mandatory time and a half after 8 hours, but does not include my housing) I felt like that was low too, but I'm still not sure. That's why I got on here. Another company quoted me (they are rated #1 on highway hypodermics) ~$50 hr for the San Diego area but I'm not sure if that included housing, but even if it did, that's still another $1200/month more. The second company didn't have current postings, though.

A travel company cannot give you salary details on a contract that they do not currently possess. That is ridiculous. You will not be pulling $50's an hour in SD base rate as a traveler. That's more than staff nurses in SoCal make.

selrach61 · Nov 16, 2012

I was a traveler for 8 years. My specialties were ICU and PACU. Anyways my folks lived there, and now my sister lives there and has a house with 4 bedrooms , she wants to rent each room separately. You would have free internet and utilities included if interested send me a message on this site or [email protected] . The companies usually do not pay a lot, so saving on housing will give you the best deal. Good luck.