How Much More Do Travel Nurses Make Than Staff Nurses?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

But data from Indeed indicates that travel nurses are now making on average

more than 30%

more than staff nurses — a figure that even falls short of what industry experts say now and excludes sign-on bonuses, insurance and housing and meal stipends.

Do travel nurses actually make a lot?

Under normal circumstances,

many travel nurses have the potential to earn over $3,000 per week

. Travel nurses can bring in over $50 per hour, plus company-paid housing accommodations. Making it entirely possible for travel nurses to make well over $100K per year.

What is the highest paid travel nurse?


Telemetry Travel Nurses

hold one of the highest-paying travel nursing jobs, earning approximately $130,870 annually. This wage is equal to $62.92 hourly, $2,517 weekly, or $10,910 monthly.

Why do hospitals pay travel nurses so much?

Filling a position between full-time hires; covering for hospital nurses who are off the job due to health or personal reasons; or providing additional support during busy seasons, such as flu or tourist season, are some of the most frequent reasons hospitals hire traveling nurses.

Is travel nursing worth the money?

So, the question today remains, is travel nursing worth the money? and the short answer is

yes

. Throw in the adventure of travelling to new areas, meeting new people, working in new facilities and building your skills and resume, and you’ve got yourself one very interesting and unique job.

How do travel nurses make money?

The non-taxable reimbursements are made up mostly of

stipends for meals and housing

. The travel nurse can arrange their own housing and meals and possibly pocket some of the stipend or use for other expenses that may not be covered.

Do travel nurses pay taxes?

Because travel nurses are paid a bit differently than staff nurses, so too do travel nurses file taxes a bit differently. This is because

travel nurses are paid a base hourly rate, that is taxable, and a weekly travel stipend that is not taxable

– both of which equal their total pay in a given contract.

Why do travel nurses make more than staff nurses?


Because these extra stipends are classified as reimbursements and not income, they’re non-taxable

, so a travel nurse can bring home a higher total pay when compared to a staff nurse, who pays taxes on all of the income they bring home.

What’s the difference between a nurse and a travel nurse?


Travel nurses:


Are registered nurses with a valid license and at least 2 years of nursing experience

. Work short-term assignments at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Help by filling in gaps where there are nursing shortages.

Where are the highest paying travel nurse jobs?

Large metropolitan areas, such as

Los Angeles and New York City

, are experiencing high volumes of COVID-19 patients and have the capability to offer higher rates for travel nurses. Contracts in these cities have been listed as high as $10,000 per week.

Where can nurses make the most money?

Rank State Average RN Salary 1 California $124,000 2 Hawaii $106,530 3 Oregon $98,630 4 District of Columbia $98,540

How long does it take to be a travel nurse?

How long does it take to be a travel nurse? The education requirements for travel nurse positions include

2 to 4 years of education

, depending upon the path you choose to become a registered nurse.

Is it hard to get into travel nursing?

The most important element to becoming a travel nurse is experience.

Most travel agencies and hospitals require nurses to have a minimum of two years of nursing experience prior to applying for travel nursing contracts

.

Which hospitals hire the most travel nurses?

1.

Stanford Medical Center

– With almost 100 travel nurses on assignment per year, Stanford Medical Center offers plenty of assignment choices and an excellent clinical environment. The facility staffs travel nurses exclusively with AMN Healthcare companies.

Will nurses get paid more in the future?

Overall, the average annual salary for RNs, not including bonus pay, grew to $81,376, according to Premier—

a 4% increase across the first nine months of the year

. This is larger than the 3.3% increase in the average annual nurse salary for 2020 and the 2.6% increase in 2019, Evans writes.

What are the disadvantages of being a travel nurse?

  • You will always find yourself in an unfamiliar environment. …
  • You will always be the new guy. …
  • Varying pay rates. …
  • What do you do when your contract has ended? …
  • Not the best work assignments. …
  • License issues. …
  • Floating. …
  • Your contract can be canceled.

How do travel nurses survive?

  1. Do your research. …
  2. Get organized. …
  3. Get the right recruiter. …
  4. Understand your limits and flexibility. …
  5. Search for housing. …
  6. Connect with other nurses in the area.

Is being a travel nurse stressful?

Stress Management – Hospitals generally hire travel nurses because they’re short-staffed or facing a crisis, and so these nurses are often the first staff to be floated between departments. All of that

can be stressful

.

What is a traveling nurse called?

The term “travel nurse” most commonly refers to

Registered Nurses (RN)

. However, it could also refer to Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN) or Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). Some people use it to refer to Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA).

How much does a travel nurse make UK?

Competitive pay rates


Newly-registered travel nurses in the UK make around £17,000 annually

, while those in the most senior positions can expect to take home roughly £30,000 per year.

How much do local travel nurses make?

How Much Does a Travel Nurse Make? Hourly:

The average hourly rate for a travel nurse is $56.49

. However, recently-licensed travel nurses tend to earn a much lower starting salary of $37.71 while their more experienced counterparts earn an average of $82.06.

How long do travel nurse assignments last?

Assignments typically last

13 weeks

, at which time the travel nurse is free to accept another position, take some time off between assignments, or, possibly, get an extension on the current contract.

Is a travel nurse considered self employed?


Often, traveling nurses get hired as an independent contractor

as opposed to being a full-time employee. The difference means you’re accountable for all of your tax payments and all of your travel expenses.

How do travel stipends work?

An employee travel stipend, also called a vacation stipend or travel reimbursement, is

an allotment of funds that workers can use during each calendar year at their discretion to pay for personal travel expenses

.

Do travel nurses get healthcare?


Many travel nurse agencies offer travel nurse health insurance

, however a lot of nurses choose to get their own coverage. Sticking with the insurance that is provided by your travel nurse agency means that you don’t need to worry about finding your health insurance.

How much does a travel cna make?

As far as salary traveling, CNA usually takes

between $25,000 and $30,000 per year

. If you work for a traveling agency, your yearly salary could potentially go higher than that.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.