How much weekly pay should I aim for?

ChrisMMS · Sep 4, 2018

Hello Jerrylundergard,

It's going to be dependent on the area you are working on, but the example you give is going to be well above average for most states. As long as the housing that is provided is not a motel and a hotel or extended stay that would be a great contract. In California you should be looking at 2000-3000/wk net on 36 hours, unless they are providing housing I would be weary of taking a contract lower then this due to the cost of living out there.

Important thing to note about pay is to not only focus on just the gross or net amount overall, but to look at the smaller details. Make sure that your housing stipend(if you are taking it) and meals/incidentals are maxed out or high for the area you are working. A lot of the benefit of being a travel nurse is being able to take home more tax free money. Double check to make sure that your overtime, on call, call back rate is something acceptable. Finally ensure that your taxable rate is acceptable by IRS standards.

NedRN · Sep 4, 2018

Much more important than money is a successful first assignment. After that you can chase the money as you will not only have proven success, but will gain valuable experience in the whole travel thing. It can be rough at first adjusting.

High pay can be dangerous to your license on a first assignment even seven years in. But if you can land a traveler friendly first assignment that pays well, great!

jerrylundergard · Sep 4, 2018

My question was cash payment based. I appreciate your input about the successfull assignment thing but i was raised on hell nursing and am familiar with the worst this country can throw at RNs. I did years a HCA south florida hospitals. That also included per diem and allabout staffing/parallon. So thats why my question is about how much pay to expect since I am one of those RNs that worked for years in those environments and am comfortable. Thanks.

jerrylundergard · Sep 4, 2018

Thanks for the input chris. I would go to highest bidder anywhere in country. I would aim for west coast due to pt/RN staffing laws but open to anything. Thanks

NedRN · Sep 4, 2018

OK, fair warning! I still don't recommend it, but yup, South Florida is a good way on the path to the worst you will see. If you really want the highest pay, Fastaff may be your best bet. I always warn newer travelers to work up to them though.

RN/WI, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Sep 4, 2018

I used to be like that , before and during my first years of travel. After a few years, here is my input: make a list of places you would like to go. Look to your choices and decide on an assignment. Do not look into price focus, ( of course don't rip your self off, but if you have rapport with a recruiter you choose, you should be fine). Check out housing costs and make sure your stipend covers housing costs you choose and you will be fine!Do not stress about the pay and it will come to you. If you enjoy the ideas of travel nursing it will work out fine for you. If you enjoy the routine of a permanent staff policy and routine- that's what will get to you. If you want to travel, just do it! If you hate it, go back to staff nursing. You won't lose anything. In fact you will have more to offer a staff position than what you started with. Have fun:)!

Ms_Interpret · Sep 4, 2018

The net weekly amount you should shoot for will depend on the city and state you plan to work in and the relative cost of living there. California and New York are expensive states to live in, so you're going to want to shoot for a little more in those states than in others.

Part of successfully completing that first assignment is also making sure you are paid enough to pay the cost of living in the area you're traveling to. You are smart to ensure that you are receiving fair compensation for your first assignment. You want it to go as smoothly as possible and your pay is a big factor in ensuring that.

Pay special attention to your hourly taxable rate. I would advise you not to accept an hourly taxable of less than $20/hr. Some of the smaller agencies will low ball the hourly taxable, which could end up being a red flag for to the IRS for wage recharacterization. If your agency gets audited, you could be dragged into that audit as well. I had one agency quote me $15/hr taxable and then ghost me when I questioned it. Agencies like that are best to stay away from. Let them ghost you, you'll be better off in the long run. There are over 400 agencies out there. No doubt you can find one whose business practices are on the up and up.

Also, try and find an agency that offers a respectable overtime/holiday rate. If they are paying you $20/hr taxable when staff nurses in the area are making $32/hr so that they can save overhead costs, don't let them pay you only 1.5 times that deflated hourly rate. Try to shoot for at least $50/hr.

NedRN · Sep 4, 2018

The IRS does conduct pre-agency audits on travelers to get a picture of what the agency is doing. Zero harm to any traveler, completely legal to accept low taxable hourly. The agency could get into trouble of course, and the fines for any behavior found to be illegal would be assessed against the employer, not the traveler. Do as you wish, but most travel contracts pay far less taxable hourly than the local staff gets. On top of that, actual audits by the IRS have been going down every year for a decade along with IRS staff. Not suggesting that is a reason to cheat, but certainly the risk of an audit or consequences is low, especially when the employee has down nothing wrong to accept common wages in the travel industry. We are not staff nurses.

Ms_Interpret · Sep 4, 2018

Consider your relationship with your agency to be a business relationship. While you may or may not be exposed to legal consequences for their actions, it's up to you if you want to do business with an agency whose business practices are suspect, or if you would rather find an agency whose business practices you respect and trust.

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Sep 5, 2018

Get as much pay as you can. You have 9 yrs of experience. I look at glassdoor to get an idea of how much is being offered to others for the position. Search your area, job and pay. It isn't always accurate but it is pretty close.

guest769224 · Nov 21, 2019

On 9/4/2018 at 9:58 AM, NedRN said:
High pay can be dangerous to your license on a first assignment even seven years in.

Would you mind elaborating on what you mean and how so?