Ways to find travel work, compared
Who employs you, when you see the pay, and who each option fits. Each one is good at something.
| Compared | Bypass | Traditional agency | Job marketplace | Per diem shift app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who employs you | Magnet Medical (W-2) | The agency (W-2) | The agency behind each job | The app or a partner; W-2 or 1099 varies |
| Pay visible before applying | Exact weekly take-home on every listing | Usually after a recruiter call | Usually an estimate per listing | Hourly rate per shift |
| Stipends | Yes, when you qualify | Yes, when you qualify | Set by the placing agency | No |
| Commitment | 13-week contracts, typically | 13-week contracts, typically | 13-week contracts, typically | One shift at a time |
| Who runs your search | You, with a small team behind you | A recruiter | You, then the placing agency's recruiter | You |
| Best fit | Experienced travelers who want the most take-home | First-time travelers who want guidance | Travelers who want to see many agencies' jobs | Clinicians staying close to home |
Bypass vs a traditional travel nurse agency
Same hospitals and the same contracts, with 10–20% more take-home on most Bypass contracts. What is the same, what is different, and which travelers each one suits.
Travel nurse agency vs job marketplace
Travel job marketplaces list contracts from many agencies; an agency employs you and sets your pay. How the two differ, and the questions to ask before you apply on any site.
Travel nursing vs per diem shift apps
A travel contract is 13 weeks away from home with stipends; a per diem app books single local shifts. How pay, stability, benefits and taxes compare, and who each suits.
Bypass vs the big agencies
How Bypass compares with the largest travel staffing agencies, with sourced facts about each.
What is the best travel nurse agency?
There is no single best one; it depends on whether you want the most pay or the most support. To compare fairly, ask each agency for the weekly take-home on the same contract, with guaranteed hours and the taxable-versus-stipend split. Bypass shows its take-home and the standard agency package on every listing so you can see the difference directly.
Which travel nurse agency pays the most?
Pay on the same contract depends mostly on each agency's overhead, because through a vendor management system the hospital usually pays every agency the same rate. Bypass runs with a small team instead of a recruiter floor, and most Bypass contracts pay 10–20% more take-home than the standard agency package, about 14% on a typical one.
More on pay: guides · travel pay by specialty