Is this salary estimate bs or what?

NedRN · May 13, 2014

It all depends on how you calculate pay. My favorite way is to add all compensation, including employer's share of payroll taxes (which is compensation to the employee's benefit) and come up with a total per hour worked - this is how PanTravelers calculator figures total pay. When calculated this way, perhaps 90 percent of contracts end up paying between $40 and $50 an hour, or between $80,000 and $100,000 a year. By this measure, the estimated salary on that link is low, especially when you consider that many travel nurses end up working some overtime.

I disagree with the relative state by state figures of that link, but in absolute numbers, some of them are close using a different methodology than mine.

I'm not sure if you thought the figures overestimated or underestimated travel pay?

ASHRN828 · May 14, 2014

I wonder how accurate it is, too. I find it hard to believe that you make more in Massachusetts than California.

NedRN · May 14, 2014

The more interesting comparison is the first two states on the list: Alabama at 82K and Alaska at 68K. Those are clearly reversed!

For what it is worth, Massachusetts has paid as high as California for me and I've done multiple assignments in each state. I know that Boston and San Francisco flip back and forth for the highest paid staff nurses in the country.

wylie-coyote · May 14, 2014

This has the Virgin Islands paying more than California? From everything I have read that doesn't sound right.

katluv77 · May 27, 2014

As someone whohas worked a lot in alabama I can saythat they are one of the lowest paying states.