How Much Is A Travel Nurse Housing Stipend?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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This is why many companies now cap the amount of the travel they're willing to offer. My experience indicates that

the most common cap these days is $700

. In other words, most companies are only willing to provide a maximum of $700 for travel stipends.

How is travel nurse stipend calculated?

How do travel stipends work?

An employee travel , 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

.

What is the difference between per diem and stipend?


Per Diem refers to the daily stipend an employee receives to cover travel expenses in addition to salary and wages

. An employee's per diem pay typically covers lodging expenses. Per diem may also include additional money to cover meals and other incidental expenses, such as laundry or tips for service workers.

Do travel nurses get taxed on stipends?

For travelers,

stipends are tax-free when they are used to cover duplicated expenses, such as lodging and meals, and do not have to be reported as taxable income

. Under the new 2018 tax laws, deductions or write-offs are no longer an option for travel nurses.

What does stipend pay mean?

A stipend is

a nominal sum of money paid to trainees, interns, or students to help cover basic costs while they receive career training

. Stipends are offered to individuals rather than a salary. Interns, apprentices, fellows, and clergy are common recipients of stipends.

How much are travel stipends taxed?

A travel stipend is

tax-free

and is not counted as part of your income when you file taxes. A travel stipend is usually advertised as one blended amount that consist of both a housing stipend, and a meals and expenditure stipend (M&IE).

How is transportation stipend calculated?

Example of take home pay from taxable income:

To add travel reimbursement to the pot, find the number of hours in a travel contract by multiplying the hours per week by the number of weeks in the travel contract. Next, divide your travel reimbursement rate by the total hours of the agreement.

Are travel nurse stipends on W2?

Keeping your travel nursing contract for tax purposes

Find your next travel healthcare job on BluePipes! Finally, the contract clearly quantifies the amount that you are to receive in tax-free stipends. This is important because this information

will not appear on your W2

. Your W2 will only show your taxable earnings.

Do travel nurses get w2s?


Most travel nurses operate as W2 employees

. With the recent tax reform, many are considering the option of changing over to a 1099 employee.

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.

Is travel stipend considered income?

Travel stipends are

not considered regular income

and are therefore tax-free by the IRS' (Internal Revenue Service) standards. It's the responsibility of employees to pay taxes on fringe benefits. Your company may choose to cover the tax implications or pass it on to employees.

How do taxes work for travel nurses?

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.

What are incidental stipends?

Meals and Incidental Expenditures Stipend

Otherwise known as M&IE, this stipend is a completely separate entity of its own and

covers food and other expenses incurred during work and business travel

.

How long are travel nurse assignments?

On average, travel nurse assignments are pre-agreed for the duration of

13 weeks

. However, there are shorter-term contracts of eight weeks, and some that have stretch out to 26 weeks and longer.

Are stipends reported to the IRS?


Stipends are generally taxable

. IRS defines a stipend as a fixed sum of money paid periodically for services or to defray expenses. The fact that remuneration is termed a “fee” or “stipend” rather than salary or wages is immaterial.

Can travel nurses deduct mileage?


Travel nurses can no longer deduct travel-related expenses such as food, mileage, gas, and license fees

. The only way to recuperate this money is either through a stipend from your travel agency in accordance with GSA tables or in the form of reimbursements.

Is Travel Nursing worth it without a tax home?

In the end, I think the majority of nurses without a tax-home will find that

travel nursing is indeed worth it even if they only consider the financial aspects

. Even in difficult economic times, the fully blended rate for the average travel nursing contract is still somewhere between $37/hour-$43/hour.

Is a stipend a lump sum?

Whether it's an internship or apprenticeship, a stipend is a set amount of money that helps offset living expenses. This fixed amount is financial support provided while you're engaged in a service or contributing to a project.

It may be paid in a lump sum or in smaller increments

.

Does stipend get taxed?

Are Stipends Taxable? It depends. Because stipends aren't equivalent to to wages, an employer won't withhold any taxes for Social security or Medicare. But

in many cases, stipends are considered taxable income

, so you as an earner should calculate the amount of taxes that should be set aside.

Is a stipend paid monthly?

Stipends are usually predetermined, fixed amounts, and listed in policies put in place by schools, training programs, or companies providing training to employees.

They may be paid periodically, such as weekly or monthly, or in a lump sum

.

What can a travel nurse write off on taxes?

Travel nurses can also claim tax deductions for legitimate business expenses in excess of reimbursements or allowances. These include

expenses for transportation, lodging, and meals

. However, a 50 percent limit applies to deductions for business meals and entertainment.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.