How much do travel nurses make?

Travel nurse pay varies by specialty, location, and season. Typical weekly gross pay ranges from $2,000-4,000+. ICU and ER nurses tend to earn the most. Tax-free stipends mean travel nurses often take home significantly more than staff nurses with similar gross pay.

What is a travel nurse housing stipend?

A housing stipend is a tax-free payment to cover temporary housing at your assignment location. It is based on GSA per diem rates and typically ranges from $750/week in standard locations to $2,450+/week in high-cost cities.

Why is travel nurse base pay so low?

Travel nurse base rates appear low ($20-35/hour) because agencies shift a large portion of compensation into tax-free stipends to maximize your take-home pay. This is legal and standard practice, as long as you maintain a valid tax home.

Travel Nurse Pay Explained

Everything you need to know about how travel nurse compensation works — from base pay to stipends to take-home.

Pay Components

Base hourly rate (taxable) — typically $20-35/hour
Housing stipend (tax-free) — based on GSA per diem rates
Meals & incidentals stipend (tax-free) — $59-79/day
Overtime — 1.5x base rate
Completion bonuses — $500-3,000 (taxable)

Topics Covered

How pay packages work — taxable vs. tax-free components
How to calculate take-home pay
What affects pay rates — specialty, location, season, experience
Negotiating your pay package
Common pay mistakes to avoid

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