Nobody in staffing wants you to read this
So obviously, you should.
Let's start with a number: ~30%
That's the share of every travel contract a traditional agency keeps. Not the number they'll tell you. They'll say “single digits” or “industry standard.” But the math doesn't lie.
On a typical 13-week contract, that 30% comes out to thousands of dollars per assignment of what should be your money. Hidden in the spread between what the facility pays and what hits your paycheck.
The Reality
What agencies actually do for that money:
- Find a job posting (takes minutes)
- Match you to it (you could do this yourself)
- Handle compliance (a couple weeks of paperwork)
- Process payroll (standard payroll service)
- Provide “support” (a recruiter who texts you)
The actual cost of doing all of this is a fraction of the 30% they keep. The rest is margin.
The “competitive pay” illusion
Ever notice that no agency shows you the full cost breakdown? There's a reason. If you knew how much of every contract was being skimmed, you'd have questions. Instead, they show you a “pay package” and call it competitive.
Competitive with what? Other agencies taking the same percentage? That's not competition. That's a cartel dressed up in scrubs.
Why recruiters don't want you self-serving
A good recruiter manages 30-50 travelers. At thousands in margin per placement, that's six figures of gross profit per recruiter per cycle. The agency needs you to believe that a recruiter adds enough value to justify that cost.
If you've done 2+ assignments, you know the truth. You know your specialty. You know what locations work. You know the compliance process. What exactly is the recruiter doing that's worth thousands of your money?
What Bypass actually is
Bypass is the honest version of travel staffing. We pay you at least 20% more than a traditional agency would on the same contract. Every contract. Our cut covers placement, compliance, payroll, insurance, everything. Enough to run a real operation with a reasonable margin. Not enough to buy a boat.
We show you exactly what you take home and exactly what we keep on every job. If that scares other agencies, good. It should.
Simple Math
With Bypass
+20%
more take-home than the agency package. Every contract.
Traditional agency
~30%
of every contract skimmed off the top.
Who this isn't for
If you're brand new to travel and want someone holding your hand through every step, a traditional agency might be right for you. Recruiters provide real value for first-timers.
But if you've done this before, if you know how it works and you're tired of watching thousands of dollars disappear from every assignment, Bypass was built for you.
Why we built this
We didn't come from Silicon Valley. We came from inside the industry. Our team has placed thousands of travelers, managed compliance for hundreds of facilities, and handled every part of the process: credentialing, payroll, insurance, housing, all of it.
We've seen exactly where the money goes. We know what compliance actually costs. We know what's overhead and what's margin. And we decided that experienced travelers deserve to see those numbers too.
Bypass isn't a guess at how staffing should work. It's built on years of doing it, and knowing it could be done more fairly.
The bottom line
You're the one with the license. You're the one working 36+ hours a week at the bedside. You're the one the hospital is paying for.
You should keep what you earn.