Travel Nurse Contract Analyzer
Paste your contract's numbers. See what the recruiter isn't quantifying — stipend legality under IRS Pub 463, cancellation exposure if the assignment ends early, agency-specific weekly deductions, and how the annualized rate compares to BLS 29-1141 permanent-staff pay for the assignment state.
Run the honest math
The headline number on the recruiter's pitch sheet — what you'd see on the email subject line.
The W-2 wage portion. Usually $18-$40/hr even on a $3,800/wk package; the rest is stipends.
Typical 3×12 = 36; some ICU / ER contracts run 4×12 = 48 with overtime.
Typical 8 / 13 / 26. Contracts over 52 weeks at the same location trigger IRS "indefinite assignment" rules.
State determines BLS 29-1141 permanent-staff comparison baseline.
Critical for stipend legality under IRS Pub 463. If unchecked, stipends are taxable wages.
Per contract clause. 0 = can cancel same-day. Typical 7-14.
Health insurance premium + 401(k) Roth contributions + other weekly deductions. Leave at preset unless you have a specific offer number.
- ⚠ HIGH AUDIT RISK — stipends taxable
- ⚠ Stipend amount exceeds GSA ceiling
- ✓ Stipends appear legitimately non-taxable
- Gap vs recruiter's advertised
- Taxable weekly (W-2)
- Stipends weekly
- Est. weekly take-home (after fed + FICA)
- Agency weekly deductions ()
- Total contract value (13 wks)
- Est. total take-home
- Mid-contract cancellation exposure
- Annualized contract rate (× 52)
- BLS permanent-staff median ()
- Annualized vs permanent median
- ✓ Contract passes the baseline signing bar
- Legality risk non-red, annualized rate at least 40% above permanent-staff median, gross gap vs advertised within $50/wk. Still consult a CPA — this is a conversation-starter, not tax advice.
- ✗ Contract fails one or more baseline checks
- At least one of: stipend legality is red, annualized rate is less than 40% above permanent-staff median, or the recruiter's advertised gross differs from the math by more than $50/wk. Ask the recruiter the questions in the long-form section below.
Travel premium should exceed ~40% above permanent-staff median to compensate for lost PTO / 401(k) match / tenure / healthcare subsidy.
What the recruiter is not quantifying
1. The gross reconciliation gap
Recruiters quote a single weekly gross number. That number is supposed to equal taxable hourly × weekly hours + housing stipend + M&IE stipend + travel stipend. When you reconcile the math yourself, the recruiter's headline number is often $50–$300/week higher than the underlying components actually produce — because they quoted a "blended" or "average" rate that rolls up optional overtime, one-time bonuses, or best-case call pay. The calculator shows the gap. If it's positive, ask the recruiter to put the full breakdown in writing before signing.
2. Stipend legality under IRS Publication 463
IRS Pub 463 sets the test for when travel stipends are non-taxable reimbursements vs. taxable wages. Three factors matter:
- Regular place of business at tax home. Is there a permanent work base (or regular abode) at the nurse's tax home? For staff RNs who transition into travel, this is the former regular workplace. For contractors who have always traveled, this factor fails.
- Duplicate living expenses. Is the nurse incurring rent / mortgage / utilities at both the tax home AND the assignment location? If the nurse sub-lets their home while traveling, this factor fails.
- Economic ties to tax home. Family, bank accounts, voter registration, driver's license, vehicle registration, utility bills, lease/mortgage — the more ties to the tax home, the stronger the claim.
Meet at least two of three factors and the tax-home claim is defensible. Meet one or none and every stipend dollar is taxable wages. An IRS audit that reclassifies stipends costs the average travel nurse $10,000–$25,000 in back-federal + back-FICA + back-state — plus penalties and interest if the audit lands years later.
The calculator's stipend legality risk score is green / yellow / red:
- Green: permanent tax home documented, stipend amount within GSA per-diem ceiling. Audit risk low; keep receipts.
- Yellow: stipend amount exceeds the GSA CONUS ceiling for the assignment city. The excess portion may be reclassified as taxable wages on audit.
- Red: no permanent tax home declared. Every stipend dollar is taxable wages. Sign this contract and you owe $10,000+ in surprise back-tax if audited.
3. Cancellation exposure
Contracts cancel. Facilities drop-down patient census. Travelers don't mesh with home-staff culture. The charge nurse files a complaint. Whatever the cause, the remaining weeks of expected gross disappear — plus the out-of-pocket relocation costs (flight home, car shipping, housing deposit lost) that the agency generally won't reimburse on early termination. A 13-week contract that cancels at week 3 typically costs $30,000–$45,000 in lost expected earnings alone. Model the cancellation at week 3 BEFORE you sign a lease at the assignment location.
4. Agency-specific weekly deductions
Every agency runs a different benefits structure. The recruiter's pitch rarely includes a line-item of weekly deductions because it reduces the headline gross. Observed patterns (Q1–Q2 2026):
- Aya Healthcare — health benefits employer-paid; typical weekly deduction ~$0.
- AMN Healthcare — partial employee-funded health; $25–$75/wk typical.
- Cross Country Healthcare — higher employee share; $75–$150/wk typical.
- Favorite Healthcare Staffing — premium-package structure; $100–$200/wk typical.
- Krucial Staffing — crisis/strike contracts, short; $0/wk typical but high cancellation risk.
These are averages. Ask for your specific offer's weekly deductions in writing.
5. Annualized rate vs permanent-staff median
Weekly gross × 52 = annualized contract rate. Compare to BLS OES 29-1141 Registered Nurses state median. A travel premium should exceed ~40% above the permanent-staff median to compensate for the benefits a permanent position provides that travelers don't get:
- Paid time off ($4,000–$8,000/yr of value).
- Employer health insurance contribution ($10,000–$18,000/yr).
- 401(k) match + vesting ($3,000–$6,000/yr).
- Continuing-education allowance ($500–$2,000/yr).
- Tenure / seniority / schedule-priority.
- Short-term disability + life insurance.
A travel contract that annualizes to only 20% above the permanent median is usually a losing trade once benefits are included.
Source policy
| Assumption | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BLS RN national median | $86,070 | BLS OES 29-1141, May 2024 release |
| BLS RN 10th percentile | $66,030 | BLS OES 29-1141 national distribution |
| BLS RN 90th percentile | $132,680 | BLS OES 29-1141 national distribution |
| GSA standard lodging | $110/day | GSA CONUS FY2025 standard rate |
| GSA standard M&IE | $68/day | GSA CONUS FY2025 standard rate |
| Travel-premium threshold | 40% above permanent median | Captures ~$20K/yr lost benefits value (KFF health benchmarks + industry-standard PTO + 401(k) match) |
| Mid-cancel model | Week 3 of contract | Typical bad-fit cancellation window from nurse-forum reports |
| Relocation out-of-pocket estimate | $1,500 | Flight home + deposit loss + car-shipping industry average |
Questions to ask a travel recruiter before signing
- What is the taxable hourly rate, and what is the stipend breakdown (housing / M&IE / travel)?
- What is the exact weekly deduction for health insurance and any 401(k) elections?
- What is the cancellation-notice requirement on both sides? Is there a cancellation fee?
- If the facility cancels the contract early, what is the agency's obligation — partial pay? Relocation coverage? A replacement assignment?
- Does the agency provide W-2 or 1099 paperwork, and will they document the tax-home determination for audit purposes?
- What is the guaranteed hours clause — does the agency pay if the hospital "calls off" a shift?
Frequently asked questions
Is this legal / tax advice?
No. This is informational math based on published IRS and BLS sources. Consult a CPA with travel-nurse experience or a tax attorney for contract-specific guidance before signing.
What counts as a "permanent tax home"?
Per IRS Pub 463, your tax home is generally the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located — not necessarily where you live. A traveler can maintain a tax home at a former workplace city if they continue to return regularly and maintain economic ties there (lease / mortgage / utilities / family). A traveler who sells their home and travels full-time without a base generally does not have a tax home for per-diem purposes.
Why does the calculator flag "red" for no permanent tax home?
Because the audit exposure is material and commonly misunderstood. Without a tax home, stipends are not reimbursements for duplicate living expenses — they're extra wages. The calculator surfaces that reclassification so you see the back-tax exposure BEFORE signing a contract where you've been structuring your compensation around a false assumption.
What if my assignment is 52 weeks or longer?
IRS Pub 463 treats an assignment expected to last more than 12 months at the same location as "indefinite" — which means the assignment location BECOMES your tax home, and the original tax-home claim is invalidated. Stipends paid during the indefinite period are fully taxable. If your contract plus extension is trending above 52 weeks, either rotate to a different metro or accept the tax reclassification.
Does this work for per-diem nursing (non-travel)?
Only partially. The stipend-legality logic doesn't apply (per-diem nurses work local shifts and don't receive tax-home-dependent stipends). The BLS comparison is useful. For per-diem pay analysis, see the separate Shift Differential Stack Calculator (coming soon).
Where do the state median numbers come from?
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses), May 2024 release (published March 2025). Each state's median is the 50th percentile of the OES survey for RNs in that state. Source URLs per state: bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm plus state-specific breakdowns.
