Travel Nurse Contract Calculator

Turn a travel nurse pay package into three numbers you can compare: the weekly package, the total over the contract, and the effective hourly rate.

Taxable hourly rate

Guaranteed hours

Contract length

Weekly stipends

Housing stipend

Meals & incidentals

Other stipend

Potentially non-taxable depending on eligibility. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and eligibility. Nurse Pay does not provide tax advice.

Overtime, bonuses & costsOptional

Expected overtime

Overtime hours

Multiplier

Overtime rate, if the contract states one

Only used if you expect to work more than the guaranteed hours.

One-time payments

Sign-on bonus

Completion bonus

Travel reimbursement

Other one-time pay

Your costs

Housing cost

Duplicate expenses

Lets you compare offers after the housing and duplicated living costs you expect to pay.

Estimate after-tax cash flowA single flat rate you enter. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and eligibility. Nurse Pay does not provide tax advice.

Estimated 13-week contract total

$36,946

Before taxes. Stipend tax treatment depends on eligibility.

$2,842
weekly package: $78.94
effective hourly: 468
contract hours

Breakdown

Taxable wages$1,152.00/wk × 13 wks: $14,976.00
Stipends$1,690.00/wk × 13 wks · potentially non-taxable depending on eligibility.: $21,970.00
Contract total: $36,946.00

How this was calculated

Weekly package

Taxable wages ($1,152.00 regular) plus stipends ($1,690.00) = $2,842.00.

Effective hourly

Contract total ÷ contract hours (468) = $78.94/hr. Stipends and bonuses are included, which is why it is higher than the taxable rate.

Rounding

Each figure is rounded to the cent once; totals are sums of rounded parts.

Weighing more than one contract?

Nurse Pay for iPhone saves every offer you're considering. With Nurse Pay Pro, compare any two side by side — contract total, weekly, hourly or after housing — with the exact reasons one pays more.

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Worked example: a 13-week contract

$32/hour taxable for 36 hours a week, a $1,260/week housing stipend, $430/week meals & incidentals, a $1,000 sign-on bonus, $500 completion bonus and $500 travel reimbursement, for 13 weeks.

$1,152.00
taxable wages / week: $2,842.00
weekly package: $38,946.00
contract total: $83.22
effective hourly (468 hrs)

The effective hourly rate is well above the $32 taxable rate because stipends and bonuses are spread across every contract hour.

How the contract is calculated

Weekly taxable wages = hourly rate × guaranteed hours, plus expected overtime hours × the overtime rate (the contract's stated rate, or rate × multiplier).
Weekly package = weekly taxable wages + weekly stipends.
Contract total = weekly package × weeks + one-time payments (bonuses, reimbursements).
Effective hourly = contract total ÷ (guaranteed + expected overtime hours × weeks).
After housing subtracts the housing and duplicate living costs you expect to pay, if you enter them.

To weigh two offers against each other, use compare travel nurse contracts.

About stipends and taxes

Stipends are shown separately from taxable wages because they may be treated differently for tax purposes. Whether they are is not automatic: it depends on your circumstances and eligibility, such as maintaining a tax home. Nurse Pay never labels a stipend tax-free. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and eligibility. Nurse Pay does not provide tax advice.

The optional after-tax figure uses one flat rate you choose, applied to taxable wages and bonuses (and to stipends only if you switch that on). It's a rough cash-flow estimate, not a tax calculation.

What to check in a pay package

Guaranteed hours: 36 vs 48 guaranteed hours changes the weekly package a lot. Use what the contract guarantees, not what you hope to work.
Low taxable rate, high stipends: A high effective hourly rate can come with a low taxable rate — which also affects overtime pay.
Completion bonus: Only paid if you finish the contract. It's in the contract total, not the weekly package.
Different lengths: Compare a 13-week and an 8-week contract on the weekly package or effective hourly, not the total.

Frequently asked questions

What is a travel nurse weekly package?

Taxable wages for the guaranteed hours plus weekly stipends (housing, meals & incidentals, other). It excludes one-time bonuses.

Are travel nurse stipends tax-free?

Potentially non-taxable depending on eligibility. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and eligibility. Nurse Pay does not provide tax advice.

What is effective hourly pay for a travel contract?

The contract total divided by all contract hours. It's the fairest single number for comparing contracts of different shapes.

Nurse Pay for iPhone

Which contract actually pays more?

Save every offer a recruiter sends.
With Nurse Pay Pro, compare any two on contract total, weekly, hourly or after housing.
See the exact reasons one wins — wages, stipends, bonuses.