Gypsy,
I’ve just received an offer for a travel position. I’m a new traveler, and I really don’t understand the offer. The pay offered is $30/hour, and the company will pay for housing. The second offer is for $22/hr, and they give me a weekly $645 tax-free stipend. These are both horrid pay rates!! Is this normal?
Lee
Thank you for reading The Gypsy Nurse. You have taken the first step on your journey to becoming A Gypsy Nurse.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it…DO NOT TRAVEL JUST FOR THE MONEY!!
Travel nursing ‘myths’ about pay are highly inflated. The market tanked (2008), and travel nursing cannot catch up from a financial standpoint. The offer that you have presented sounds about right (without doing the calculations myself) for the area. Travelers RARELY receive a shift differential, so this is a moot point.
With either one of these scenarios, your approximate take home (Approximate because I do not know your personal tax situation and any other benefits you are being offered.) would be around $800-1000 weekly after you account for housing costs. In my experience, this is about the norm. You could probably put a little more in your pocket each week by finding your own housing. I would think that you could find your own housing for less than what the company is accounting for.
You should also remember that you do not have to accept the first offer that the company gives to you. There is always room to negotiate. The thing to understand and remember in negotiating is that one way or another, it all comes out of the ‘Bill Rate.’
Don’t forget to get everything written into the contract as well. If the company ‘promised’ something, it doesn’t mean anything if it isn’t written into the contract.
I love hearing the opinions of my readers. Your opinion could be the perfect solution for someone. Please share your thoughts below in the comments.
