{"id":4475,"date":"2022-11-15T18:11:10","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T18:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/?p=4475"},"modified":"2026-03-04T18:09:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:09:35","slug":"travel-nurse-pay-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Nurse Pay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Many healthcare professionals become travel nurses because of the exceptional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/5-top-tips-for-negotiating-a-pay-package\/\" rel=\"noopener\">pay<\/a> &#8211; on average traveling nurses make much more than a typical permanent staff nurse. But there\u2019s so much other \u201cmoney stuff\u201d to think about when accepting a particular <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/nurse\/jobs\/search\">travel nurse<\/a> contract aside from your hourly rate. Here are some of the most talked about topics surrounding travel nurse compensation &#8211; from travel to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/licensure-changes-covid19\/\" rel=\"noopener\">licensing<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-housing\/\">housing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search all pay packages on Wanderly <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderly.us\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_62 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/#Getting_There_Pay_for_your_Travel_Nurse_Reimbursements\" title=\"Getting There: Pay for your Travel Nurse Reimbursements&nbsp;\">Getting There: Pay for your Travel Nurse Reimbursements&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/#Travel_Nurse_Pay_Traveling_Without_a_Car\" title=\"Travel Nurse Pay: Traveling Without a Car\">Travel Nurse Pay: Traveling Without a Car<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/#Housing_Allowance_Per_Diem\" title=\"Housing Allowance &amp; Per Diem\">Housing Allowance &amp; Per Diem<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/#Reimbursement_for_Licensing_and_Continuing_Ed\" title=\"Reimbursement for Licensing and Continuing Ed&nbsp;\">Reimbursement for Licensing and Continuing Ed&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-pay-2\/#Keep_Your_Eye_on_the_Prize\" title=\"Keep Your Eye on the Prize\">Keep Your Eye on the Prize<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_There_Pay_for_your_Travel_Nurse_Reimbursements\"><\/span>Getting There: Pay for your Travel Nurse Reimbursements&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-31.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s state the obvious: as a travel nurse the first step of your journey will be just that &#8211; travel. You have to get where you are going! Most travel nurses choose to travel by car to their assignments. Why? Because it\u2019s the easiest way to pack up your belongings, pets, your whole life and move it to your next assignment. Plus you\u2019ll have transportation once you arrive. Most nursing contracts will include reimbursements for your travel expenses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For your initial journey, most travel nurse agencies will give a per-mile reimbursement based on the distance you are traveling. You\u2019ll want to be aware of a maximum each way or round trip from your assignment and when you can expect the reimbursement to hit your account. As a travel nurse, you\u2019ll want to save all your assignment-related receipts. Most agencies will require a reimbursement form and will want you to include the receipts.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check your contract, but most reimbursements should be \u201ctax-free\u201d &#8211; meaning you won\u2019t have to pay taxes on any money given back to you as a result of travel expenses. Also, you may opt out of the travel reimbursement. This sometimes is a way to increase your take-home compensation. This is a good option if you are carpooling with someone!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Travel_Nurse_Pay_Traveling_Without_a_Car\"><\/span>Travel Nurse Pay: Traveling Without a Car<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some places where you cannot get there by car, particularly if you\u2019re going overseas on an assignment. In other cases, like in a dense downtown area like Manhattan, a daily commute in a car doesn\u2019t make sense (not to mention the exorbitant costs of parking in these areas!). In this case, you\u2019ll want to do your research on how you\u2019ll be able to manage a daily commute. Will you be able to rent a car? Can you bike or take public transportation? These are important facts to know before you arrive at your destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Housing_Allowance_Per_Diem\"><\/span>Housing Allowance &amp; Per Diem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After you select your next travel nursing assignment and agree on travel nurse pay, the next thing you\u2019ll want to know is where and how you are going to live. This is a consideration that you should think about when you go over your travel nurse contract with your agency.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some agencies will provide a per diem (literally \u201cper day\u201d) allowance. This is a set amount of money per day that you receive for meals and incidentals during your contract. This per diem is good for both your days that you are working as well as your days off. As a general rule, your housing and per diem allowance will be tax free so long a you have an established \u201ctax home\u201d that the IRS defines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to the housing allowance, it will depend on your situation. Most travel nurses like to make their own housing arrangements. This way you can have more control over where and how you live. There are now a variety of services available to help you find the perfect location like AirBnB and Furnished Finder. When you find your own housing, most agencies will offer you either a monthly subsidy or an increased pay rate to cover your housing expenses and this is usually based on the cost of living wherever your assignment may be.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your other option here is to eliminate the hassle of finding your own housing and go with a full service agency that will offer free, private housing. With Wanderly, it\u2019s easy to seek out these particular opportunities. When this happens, generally the agency will take care of providing you with a furnished, private apartment and pay for utilities (usually with some sort of monthly cap). You\u2019d still most likely be responsible for phone\/cable\/internet services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reimbursement_for_Licensing_and_Continuing_Ed\"><\/span>Reimbursement for Licensing and Continuing Ed&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Licencing and certifications are one of the most important aspects of your travel nurse application. Traveling nurses must be licensed in the state that their desired assignment is in. Many agencies will reimburse you for your temporary or permanent license. You\u2019ll also want to check with your agency to see if any CEUs taken while on assignment are reimbursable<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_Your_Eye_on_the_Prize\"><\/span>Keep Your Eye on the Prize<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these different reimbursements can make the difference between an okay travel nurse contract and a great one. You\u2019ll want to check with your agency on all of these points before signing a contract to make sure you get the best possible experience during your next travel nursing assignment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many healthcare professionals become travel nurses because of the exceptional pay &#8211; on average traveling nurses make much more than a typical permanent staff nurse. But there\u2019s so much other \u201cmoney stuff\u201d to think about when accepting a particular travel nurse contract aside from your hourly rate. Here are some of the most talked about [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":{"author_name":"Kelley","author_description":"","author_user_level":10,"author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe55d4feb1c4e681b976a3b0f3c15157?s=96&r=g"},"featured_media":4477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[51,19],"tags":[63,118,104,62,111,57,71],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Kelley","author_link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/author\/manshu\/"},"featured_image":{"size_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1-150x150.jpg","size_medium":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1-300x300.jpg","size_large":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1-1024x1024.jpg","size_full":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1.jpg"},"loftocean-view-count":["730"],"category":[{"id":51,"slug":"nursing-industry-trends","name":"Industry Trends"},{"id":19,"slug":"travel-nursing-taxes","name":"Money &amp; Taxes"}],"post_tag":[{"id":63,"slug":"nurse","name":"Nurse"},{"id":118,"slug":"nursing","name":"nursing"},{"id":104,"slug":"travel","name":"travel"},{"id":62,"slug":"travel-nurse","name":"Travel nurse"},{"id":111,"slug":"travel-nursing","name":"travel nursing"},{"id":57,"slug":"wanderly","name":"wanderly"},{"id":71,"slug":"wanderly-nurse","name":"wanderly nurse"}],"views":7212,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fall-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p92mSz-1ab","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4475"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5307,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475\/revisions\/5307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}