How travel nurse pay works
A travel contract pays in two parts: a taxable hourly wage for the hours you work, and weekly stipends for housing and meals. The weekly number on a listing is the two added together. Stipends are non-taxable only when you maintain a tax home and are paying for lodging away from it.
Reviewed October 14, 2026
The two parts of the weekly number
The taxable wage is your hourly rate times your scheduled hours. Federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare come out of this part, the same as any W-2 job.
Stipends cover the cost of living away from home: lodging, meals and incidentals. The federal per diem rates published by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for the assignment's location set the usual ceiling. Expensive cities have higher GSA rates, so the same contract can carry very different stipends depending on where it is.
Add the two and you get the weekly package agencies advertise. On Bypass every listing shows that number, plus how it breaks down.
Why the taxable rate matters
Two offers with the same weekly total can be worth different amounts. The taxable hourly rate drives the parts of your pay that are calculated from it.
- Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the taxable rate, so a low taxable rate makes extra shifts worth less.
- Some states, including California, Alaska and Colorado, require daily overtime, which can apply on 12-hour shifts.
- Social Security credits, unemployment benefits and any 401(k) match are based on taxable wages.
- Agencies are expected to pay a taxable rate that is reasonable for the work. A rate set far below that, with the difference moved into stipends, can create problems at tax time.
Hours and guarantees
Most contracts schedule 36 hours a week as three 12-hour shifts. Some schedule 40 or 48. The weekly number assumes you work the scheduled hours, so check how many hours are guaranteed and what happens to stipends if the facility cancels a shift.
Comparing offers
Compare the weekly total first, then the taxable rate, then the guarantees. Our guide to comparing offers has the full checklist. The rate check shows what your specialty pays on Bypass this week, next to what you make now.
Quick answers
Is the weekly pay on a travel nurse listing before or after taxes?
Before taxes. The weekly number is the taxable wage plus stipends. Taxes come out of the taxable wage only; stipends are non-taxable when you maintain a tax home.
What is a blended rate?
The weekly total divided by scheduled hours. It is useful for comparing offers but is not the rate overtime is calculated on. Overtime uses the taxable hourly rate.
Who sets the maximum travel nurse stipend?
Agencies generally cap non-taxable lodging and meal stipends at the GSA per diem rates for the assignment's location.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Tax home rules depend on your circumstances. A tax professional who works with travel clinicians can tell you how they apply to you.