What did you get with your relocation package/assistance??

soigne, ASN, LPN, RN · Sep 14, 2019

Curious on answers to this as well. I'm from Indiana and would love to move to either Anchorage, Alaska or somewhere in Oregon. Would need some relocation assistance myself, but not sure how it all works. Hope you're able to get some responses and good luck to you!

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Sep 15, 2019

On 9/10/2019 at 2:34 PM, MzLopez4real said:
Seriously considering an offer but have no info on what a relocation package should look like! Thank you in advance for those of you who helped!!

This seems easy--ask them what relocation benefits they have, if any. If HR hasn't mentioned anything to you, then it's possible that there are none. If you're ever wondering about any hospital's relocation package, I think your best option is to ask HR directly; pretty much every hospital will have a policy.

Most facilities seem to do a lump sum a couple of pay periods after the start date, or after your initial new-hire probation period. Notably, if they pay you a lump sum, it is considered pre-tax, meaning that you'll only actually see about 2/3 of the total after taxes (depending on your state taxes and federal tax bracket). There's usually a caveat that you have to pay it back if you leave before a certain amount of time has passed (i.e. at least a year).

In my experience, the amount of assistance really varies from place to place. The worst I've seen is a $300 stipend for in-state moves with a $500 for out-of-state. Middle of the road was $1,000 in-state and $3,000 out-of-state. The absolute best I have received was when the hospital HR contracted with an agency that a $10,000 limit; the agency hired and paid my movers directly, paid to ship my car cross-country, and bought me my one-way plane ticket on my preferred airline. The best part is that since they paid it directly (instead of reimbursing me with a lump sum), they didn't have to take out any taxes. It was phenomenal, but definitely is not the norm.

As an aside (not that you're a new grad, OP), but I've never worked at a place that offers relocation benefits to new grads; it's possible that it isn't standard practice since new grad positions are so competitive (i.e. relocation packages are used as an incentive to recruit experienced people).

Editorial Team / Moderator · Sep 16, 2019

I received $1500 towards moving expenses. This was in-state, moved 2.5 hours away. I was very happy with that!

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2019

I moved from several states away, and was eligible for "expenses up to (x amount)". The amount varies based on position - we pay techs and nurses less to relocate than we do providers or senior administrators.

During orientation, I signed an agreement to stay until a specific period of time was over. At the time I believe it was 2 years, or I owed the money back. I submitted my receipts, they paid me everything as my amount was lower than expected.