Travel nursing career is not just about hourly pay but a cleverly designed paycheck that can turn salary into a rewarding and adventure-filled lifestyle, because travel nurses do not just clock in or clock out, but they cash in and check out. If you want to maximize your income as travel nurse, then it is important to understand how pay packages work because the right pay package can add thousands to your income.
Travel Nurse Pay Package Breakdown
Travel nurses can make more if they strategically plan their pay package. There are different elements to a travel nurse’s pay packages which include the following:
- Base pay
- Stipends
- Bonuses
- Benefits
What is base pay in travel nursing?
To understand a travel nurse’s pay package, the first thing is base pay. Base pay nursing is the hourly rate of the travel nurses that they have worked for the assigned facility. There are many factors that affect the base pay of the travel nurses:
- Location: The hourly rate of the nurses depends on the location, for example, in high-cost living areas, the hourly wage is higher.
- Experience: Experience is another factor that influences the hourly rate of travel nurses. Experienced nurses with more certifications have higher hourly wages.
- Facility: Specialties that are high in demand pay more than the others, for example, travel nurses specialized in ICU, ER, OR, NICU are paid more than the other med-surg nurses.
What are stipends in travel nursing?
To understand how travel nursing pay works it is important to know about the stipends. In travel nursing stipends are the tax-free payments. Some of the stipends are:
- Housing stipends: Travel nurses receive fixed amounts from agencies or sometimes directly from hospitals to cover the cost of housing during their assignments. They receive these fixed amounts on a weekly or a monthly basis. Nurses can save extra money with housing stipends by renting a place cheaper than the mount.
- Meals: Nurses also get free meals that can save them extra expenses.
- Travel Reimbursements: Travel nurses sometimes also get travel reimbursements during their assignments. Sometimes this also covers airfare.
Bonuses and Incentives
Travel nurses can also make extra money from bonuses. Some common types of bonuses are:
- Sign on Bonus: This payment is given to nurses at the start of their assignment. It is onetime payment.
- Completion Bonus: Travel nurses can also get a completion bonus as a reward for completing their assignment.
- Referral Bones: Travel nurses can also make money by referring other nurses. With SkillGigs, if you refer a nurse to us, then you can make $750 per nurse once they complete their assignment with us. So why wait? Start Referring Now!
How to qualify and negotiate bonuses?
To make extra money with bonuses you can do the following:
- Always ask for bonuses.
- Maintain excellent performance so you can qualify for completions bonus.
- You can also make extra money by referring your qualified nurses and getting referral bonuses.
What are the benefits that travel nurses can get?
Travel nurses can also save money with the benefits they can get during their assignment.
- Health insurance
- Retirement plans
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Licensing and certification reimbursement
- Travel and moving reimbursements
- Continuing education stipends
What are the tips to maximize your travel nurse pay packages?
While looking for contracts, don’t look only at base pay, but consider other elements too, such as stipends, benefits, bonuses, and other benefits, to maximize your income. Some of the tips and tricks to maximize your travel nurse pay packages are as follows:
- Keep a valid tax home in your state to qualify for tax-free stipends.
- Always compare the total package and not just the hourly pay.
- Be flexible.
- Always negotiate for pay, stipends and bonuses.
- Work with Skill Gigs to avoid the middleman and know your pay transparency.
How can you maximize your income as a travel nurse?
Travel nurses can make more after the base payment. As a travel nurse you can always boost your income by doing the following:
- Get tax-free stipends.
- Look for benefits.
- Ask for bonuses.
- Take overtime and extra shifts.
- Be flexible and choose assignments at difficult locations but pay more.
- Watch for hidden deductions such as agency fees, licensing and certification, housing penalties, etc.
What are the top-paying states for travel nurses?
The top-paying states for travel nurses in 2025 are as follows (source: Beckers):
- California: $2,776.15/ week.
- Alaska: $2,728.22 /week.
- Rhode Island: $2,597.01/week.
- Massachusetts: $2,530.15/week.
- New York: $2,525.73/week.
What is the difference between agency-provided housing and a housing stipend?
Agency-provided housing: Travel nurses work on temporary assignments and therefore the agency provides temporary places ( Airbnb, apartment, hotel, etc.) to live in. The benefit of this is that travel nurses don’t have to worry about renting and looking for a place to live, and they can focus on other important things.
Housing Stipends: Some agencies and even hospitals provide housing stipends, which are fixed amounts, to travel nurses. With this stipend, nurses find their own housing and have freedom to choose their own place, location, etc.
Conclusion
How do travel nurses get paid? Travel nurses’ pay packages are not just hourly wages, but they consist of base pay, bonuses, incentives, stipends, etc. Travel nurses can maximize their income by understanding each element and strategically planning their income. If you are a new travel nurse or seasoned nurse and want to make more money, join SkillGigs now and look for top-paying travel nursing jobs. SkillGigs is offering $750 for each referral if the nurse completes an assignment with us. Download our app today and start earning more with SkillGigs.
