Reviewed by Stephanie Ungles, BSN, RN, CEO of CK Medical Staffing
If you’ve ever compared two travel nurse job postings and wondered why one pays $2,100 a week and another pays $2,600 for what looks like the same job, you’re not alone. Travel nurse pay is one of the most confusing parts of the industry — and most agencies don’t explain it.
At CK Medical Staffing, we calculate every pay package the same way, using the same public data, for every job we post. Here’s exactly how it works.
The Short Answer
A travel nurse weekly pay package has two parts: a taxable hourly base rate and a tax-free stipend for housing, meals, and incidentals. The stipend portion is capped by rates set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for the city where you’re working. Because the stipend isn’t taxed, your take-home pay is significantly higher than the same gross amount would be at a staff position.
That’s the whole system in three sentences. Now let’s break each piece down.
Part 1: The Bill Rate — Where the Money Starts
Every travel contract starts with a bill rate — the hourly amount the hospital pays the staffing agency for your time. You never see this number on a job posting, but everything flows from it.
Out of the bill rate, the agency covers:
- Your taxable hourly wage
- Your tax-free stipends
- Payroll taxes the agency pays on your wages
- The agency’s operating margin
Two agencies quoting different weekly pay for the same hospital job are usually just splitting that same bill rate differently — one may take a bigger margin, another may structure the taxable/stipend split differently.
Part 2: The Taxable Base Rate
This is the hourly wage that appears on your paycheck and W-2. It’s taxed like any regular income — federal, state, Social Security, Medicare.
You’ll notice travel nurse taxable rates often look low — sometimes $20–$28/hour. That’s not a trick; it’s how the package is structured. The taxable rate covers the “wage” portion, while the stipends cover your duplicated living expenses tax-free. Together they make up your real weekly income.
One thing to watch: a taxable rate that’s unreasonably low (below minimum wage territory) can be an IRS red flag. A legitimate agency keeps the taxable rate defensible.
Part 3: The GSA Stipend — The Part Nobody Explains
Here’s the piece that separates travel pay from staff pay, and it’s the part most agencies gloss over.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) publishes per diem rates for every county in the United States — the same rates federal employees use when they travel for work. Each location has two numbers:
- Lodging rate — the maximum daily amount for housing
- M&IE rate — meals and incidental expenses per day
You can look up any city’s rates yourself at gsa.gov/per-diem — they’re public.
Travel nurse agencies use these rates to calculate the maximum tax-free stipend you can receive for a given assignment location. Working in Wichita, KS? The stipend cap is based on Wichita’s GSA rates. Same job in Austin, TX? Different GSA rates, different stipend cap — which is a big part of why the same specialty pays differently in different cities.
Why is it tax-free? Because the IRS treats these payments as reimbursement for duplicated expenses — you’re maintaining a tax home while also paying to live near your assignment. That’s also why you must genuinely maintain a tax home to qualify. If you don’t, the stipends become taxable income (talk to a tax professional about your situation — we’re recruiters, not accountants).
Part 4: Putting It Together — A Real Example
Here’s how a typical package comes together for a travel ICU RN position:
| Component | Amount |
| Taxable base rate | $25/hour × 36 hours = $900/week |
| Housing stipend (GSA lodging-based) | $980/week |
| M&IE stipend (GSA meals-based) | $520/week |
| Total weekly pay | $2,400/week |
Of that $2,400, only $900 is taxed. That’s why a travel nurse earning $2,400/week takes home substantially more than a staff nurse with the same gross pay.
At CK Medical Staffing, the weekly pay number you see on every job listing is this total — taxable plus stipends — calculated using the actual GSA rates for that assignment’s location. No inflated teaser numbers, no “up to” ranges that never materialize.
What Changes the Weekly Number
Now you can decode why pay varies between postings:
- Location — GSA rates differ by city. Higher cost-of-living areas have higher stipend caps.
- Bill rate — trauma centers and hard-to-fill units bill higher, which flows through to pay.
- Specialty — ICU, OR, and L&D typically bill higher than med-surg.
- Hours — a 48-hour contract pays more than a 36-hour contract, but the hourly stipend math stays the same.
- Season and urgency — crisis and rapid-response contracts carry premium bill rates.
Questions Nurses Ask Us About Pay
How much does a travel ICU nurse make per week? Travel ICU RN pay typically ranges from $2,200 to $2,800 per week in 2026, depending on location, shift, and facility. Current ICU positions at CK Medical Staffing are paying between $2,300 and $2,550 weekly, including the tax-free GSA-based stipend.
Is the housing stipend really tax-free? Yes — if you maintain a legitimate tax home and are working far enough away that you’re duplicating living expenses. If you don’t have a tax home, stipends become taxable. Consult a tax professional who works with travel clinicians.
Why is my taxable hourly rate so low? The taxable rate only covers the wage portion of your package. Your stipends cover housing and meals tax-free. Judge a contract by total weekly pay and take-home, not the hourly rate alone.
Can I negotiate my pay package? Sometimes. The bill rate is fixed by the facility contract, but there can be flexibility in how the package is structured or in travel reimbursement. Ask — a good recruiter will tell you honestly what’s movable.
Do all agencies use GSA rates the same way? No. GSA rates set the maximum tax-free stipend, but agencies choose how much of that maximum to pay. That’s why comparing total weekly pay across agencies matters.
The Bottom Line
Travel nurse pay isn’t complicated once someone shows you the pieces: a taxable wage, plus tax-free stipends capped by public GSA rates for your assignment city. Any agency should be able to walk you through exactly how your package breaks down — and if they can’t or won’t, that tells you something.
Every job on the CK Medical Staffing job board shows the full weekly pay number upfront, calculated from real GSA data for that location. Browse current openings or reach out and we’ll walk you through any package line by line.
Pay examples and figures in this article are illustrative and will vary based on location, specialty, facility, and current market conditions.
Ready to Find Your Next Travel Assignment?
At CK Medical Staffing, we believe every healthcare professional deserves transparent pay packages, honest recruiters, and opportunities that fit their goals.
Browse current travel nursing jobs or connect with our nurse-led recruiting team today.
Related Articles
- Travel Nursing 101: How Contracts Work & How to Get Started
- Nursing License Compact States: What Travelers Need to Know
- How to Read a Staffing Contract Before You Sign
Travel ICU RN pay typically ranges from $2,200 to $2,800 per week in 2026, depending on location, shift, and facility. Current ICU positions at CK Medical Staffing pay between $2,300 and $2,550 weekly, including a tax-free GSA-based housing and meals stipend.
The taxable rate covers only the wage portion of a travel pay package. Housing and meal stipends are paid separately, tax-free, up to the GSA cap for the assignment city. Total weekly pay — taxable plus stipends — is the number to compare between contracts.
Yes, provided the nurse maintains a legitimate tax home and is duplicating living expenses by working away from it. Without a qualifying tax home, stipends become taxable income. Travelers should consult a tax professional familiar with travel healthcare.
The GSA (General Services Administration) publishes daily lodging and meals rates for every U.S. county. Travel nurse agencies use these public rates to calculate the maximum tax-free stipend a traveler can receive for their assignment location. Because this portion of pay isn’t taxed, take-home pay is significantly higher than an equivalent staff wage.
