Bypass vs Cross Country Healthcare
Cross Country Healthcare is a Boca Raton, Florida healthcare staffing company offering travel and local nurse and allied staffing, per diem, permanent placement and education staffing, plus workforce technology for hospitals. It was publicly traded until July 2026, when the investment firm Knox Lane acquired it. Bypass is a self-serve travel staffing platform run by Magnet Medical. Both employ travelers on hospital contracts with payroll, insurance and compliance handled. The difference is the model: on Bypass you search and apply yourself and see the exact weekly take-home before you apply, and most Bypass contracts pay 10–20% more than the standard agency package on the same contract, about 14% on a typical one.
Facts about Cross Country Healthcare checked October 22, 2026 from the public sources listed below.
Side by side
| Compared | Bypass | Cross Country Healthcare |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Run by Magnet Medical, a licensed W-2 healthcare staffing company in 47 states | Privately held by Knox Lane since July 21, 2026; previously traded on Nasdaq as CCRN |
| How you find jobs | Self-serve: browse every open contract, apply in a few clicks, upload documents once | Recruiter-led: a recruiter walks you through applying; public job search and the Xperience app |
| Pay before you apply | Exact weekly take-home on every listing, next to the standard agency package | Yes: most public listings show a weekly figure; some show hourly |
| Benefits and insurance | Weekly W-2 payroll, workers' comp, $1M occurrence professional liability, health insurance plans | Medical and dental with prescription coverage, life and disability insurance, free professional liability coverage, 401(k) through Fidelity, and up to 20% tuition reimbursement toward nursing degrees |
| Best for | Experienced travelers who know their specialty and want the most take-home | Travelers who want an established, recruiter-led agency with education benefits |
About Cross Country Healthcare
- Headquarters
- Boca Raton, Florida
- History
- Nearly 40 years in healthcare staffing, per its 2025 annual report
- Ownership
- Privately held by Knox Lane since July 21, 2026; previously traded on Nasdaq as CCRN
- Recent
- Aya Healthcare agreed to acquire Cross Country in December 2024; that agreement was terminated in December 2025. Its locum tenens business is now part of All Star Healthcare Solutions.
- Also
- Intellify, a workforce and vendor management platform for hospitals
- Accreditation
- Joint Commission certified, as of its 2025 annual report
What Cross Country Healthcare does well
- Nearly 40 years in healthcare staffing.
- Tuition reimbursement toward nursing degrees and free continuing education through Cross Country University.
- Shows weekly pay on most public job listings.
Where Bypass is different
Bypass runs with software and a small operations team instead of a recruiter for every traveler. You browse every open contract yourself, see the exact weekly take-home before you apply, and upload your documents once. The team submits you, handles credentialing and compliance, works with the facility on your behalf, and runs weekly W-2 payroll.
The lower cost of placing you is passed through as pay: most Bypass contracts pay 10–20% more than the standard agency package on the same contract. If this is your first travel contract and you want a recruiter guiding each step, an agency like Cross Country Healthcare is a sound place to start.
On today's open contracts
Median weekly take-home on open Bypass contracts, and how much more that is than the standard agency package on the same contracts. Across all of them: a median of 14% more. Updated hourly; as of October 2026.
| Specialty | Open contracts | Bypass median / week | More than agency / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| ER RN | 820 | $2,288 | +$268 |
| MedSurg RN | 682 | $2,209 | +$254 |
| MedSurg/Tele RN | 467 | $2,389 | +$290 |
| ICU RN | 465 | $2,394 | +$285 |
| L&D RN | 417 | $2,633 | +$310 |
| PCU RN | 375 | $2,389 | +$287 |
| Physical Therapy | 337 | $2,582 | +$303 |
| CT Tech | 329 | $2,696 | +$318 |
| Telemetry RN | 307 | $2,306 | +$270 |
| Operating Room RN | 294 | $2,607 | +$321 |
| Respiratory Therapist | 247 | $2,262 | +$258 |
| Cath Lab Tech | 201 | $3,072 | +$341 |
How to compare a Cross Country Healthcare offer with Bypass
- Ask for the weekly take-home, not the hourly rate, and how it splits between taxable wage and stipends.
- Match the contract: same specialty, location, shift, hours per week and length.
- Check guaranteed hours and the cancellation policy on both offers.
- Find the same specialty and state on Bypass: every listing shows the weekly take-home up front.
Quick answers
Does Bypass pay more than Cross Country Healthcare?
Bypass doesn't publish Cross Country Healthcare's pay. What it measures is its own pay against the standard agency package on the same contracts: most Bypass contracts pay 10–20% more, about 14% on a typical one. To compare with a Cross Country Healthcare offer, put the weekly take-home for the same specialty, location, shift and hours side by side.
Is Cross Country Healthcare a good agency for travel nurses?
Cross Country Healthcare is known for its long history in healthcare staffing and its tuition and continuing education benefits. It suits travelers who want an established, recruiter-led agency with education benefits.
Can I work with Cross Country Healthcare and Bypass at the same time?
Yes. Many travelers keep profiles with several agencies. Agree with each one which jobs it submits you to: most vendor management systems reject a second submission of the same traveler to the same job.
Sources
- Cross Country Healthcare: 2025 annual report (Form 10-K)
- Knox Lane completes acquisition of Cross Country Healthcare (July 2026)
- Cross Country: travel FAQs (benefits, how to apply)
- Healthcare Dive: Aya Healthcare and Cross Country terminate acquisition (Dec 2025)
Cross Country Healthcare is a trademark of its owner. Bypass and Magnet Medical are not affiliated with Cross Country Healthcare, and this page is not endorsed by it. Facts about Cross Country Healthcare come from its public materials as of October 22, 2026; check its site for current details.