Travel Nurse Housing: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Safe and Affordable Short-Term Housing (2023)

FAQs

How much should I spend on housing as a travel nurse? ›

I've seen travel nurses calculate their living expenses one of two ways. The first way to decide how much to spend is to take 1/4 of your MONTHLY Pay (not your housing stipend) and spend one week worth of pay on rent. So if you're taking home $1,500/week ($6,000/month), your rent should cost $1,500 for a month.

We are by far and away the nation's leader in traveling nurse housing. Our system is also open for other types of non-medical traveling professionals, such as athletes, engineers, military and relocating families.

Aya Healthcare Housing Stipend

They offer fully-paid company housing. This provides travel nurses easy access to clean, comfortable housing. You can arrive for your assignment and walk into a fully furnished home for the duration of your assignment without having to do any of the leg work.

Travel nurse stipends, also known as tax-free money, are one of the many awesome benefits of travel nursing. These stipends cover duplicated living expenses like housing, travel, and meals. These stipends are not reported as taxable income as long as you are duplicating living expenses.

Do Travel Nurses Get Free Housing? Technically, no. You can either choose between agency-provided housing or a travel nurse housing stipend. Either way, you're paying for housing.

As a travel nurse, employment gaps are the norm, and proving your true income to a mortgage lender can be tricky. Lenders tend to like “inside-the-box applicants”: the kind that work nine to five, make the same amount each month, and are never between jobs.

Renting to traveling nurses can be very lucrative. However, as with any rental property, there are no guarantees of profitability. Think about this type of rental as short term with a more targeted audience. If you have experience in this area, you already know what to expect.

How Long Are Travel Nursing Assignments? The standard travel nurse assignment is 13 weeks. However, contracts can range from as little as 2 to 26 weeks depending on the travel nursing agency and facilities. Many travel nurses choose to extend their contracts beyond the initial 13 weeks.

Average Host Healthcare Travel Nurse weekly pay in the United States is approximately $3,001, which is 52% above the national average.

What amenities do travel nurses need? ›

It's easier than you think

Many nurses aren't aware that it's totally possible to travel with a friend for a travel nursing assignment. The first step in making this happen is to discuss the possibility with your recruiter, who will work to find assignments for both of you.

The agency offers you a pay package that includes a taxable base rate of $20 per hour plus a monthly lodging stipend of $3000, among other compensation variables.

Aya Healthcare offers a generous relocation reimbursement to and from your travel assignment. Per Mile reimbursements: There are other companies that will reimburse you via a specified mileage rate. This is generally lower than the GSA mileage rate and most times, the company will cap this.

Whether you want furnished housing provided for you or a housing stipend to find your own place instead, the choice is yours! You may find that Aya-offered housing is best for one assignment while the housing stipend works better for another.

Presently Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming won't tax your travel nurse salary.

The disparity between your expenses and your income could look a little funny on paper, so the bureau may want to double-check everything. Another reason you may face a travel nurse IRS audit is if the IRS is auditing your entire agency. The final reason you may be on the radar of the IRS is pretty universal.

Because travel nurses are paid a bit differently than staff nurses and local travelers, travel nurses file taxes a bit differently. This is because travel nurses are paid a base hourly rate, that is taxable, and a weekly travel stipend that is not taxable – both of which equal their total pay in a given contract.

Difference Between Travel Nurse Stipend vs. Housing Placement. The travel nurse housing stipend is a reimbursement for nurses who choose to find their own housing accommodations. The housing placement is a benefit that provides housing for travel nurses paid for by the staffing agency.

$20 per hour – taxable base rate that is reported to the IRS. $250 per week for meals and incidentals – non-taxable. $2,000 a month for lodging – non-taxable.

Do travel nurses use Airbnb? ›

For travel nurses, Airbnb can be a great option for finding housing. With its wide range of prices and locations, travel nurses can find an Airbnb that fits their budget and preferences.

The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.

Travel nurses take on short-term assignments, which typically start at 13-weeks, ensuring that patients receive quality care even if a facility is having trouble filling open nursing positions. In exchange for their experience and flexibility, travel nurses typically get paid more than staff nurses.

Traveling Nurses Earning 1099 Income

There are many traveling nurses who work as independent contractors earning 1099 income. If this is the case for you, then you can still get an FHA loan.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for temporary, short-term nurses to fill staffing gaps was significant. According to estimates from travel nursing employment agencies, there were between 50,000 and 100,000 open travel nurse positions available in healthcare facilities across the country.

How Much Money Do Travel Nurses Make? Under normal circumstances, many travel nurses have the potential to earn over $3,000 per week. Travel nurses can bring in over $50 per hour, plus company-paid housing accommodations. Making it entirely possible for travel nurses to make well over $100K per year.

The unfortunate truth is: Yes, at some hospitals travel nurses are treated poorly and unfairly and there is a stigma at these hospitals that travel nurses aren't as experienced or educated in their profession.

In the United States overall, the average registered nurse salary is $82,750 and the median (50th percentile) is $77,600. California, with RN salaries averaging $124,000, is the highest-paying state for nurses as of May 2021 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Who Can Cancel a Travel Nurse Contract? Both facilities and travelers can cancel contracts, and there are many unique scenarios that could lead to either party doing so.

If you're considering a career as a travel nurse, you may move frequently, often several times a year. While some contracts may receive extensions, it's common for travel nurses to change locations as much as four times per year.

What type of travel nurse makes the most money? ›

ICU Travel Nurse

ICU nurses are the most in-demand and highest-paid travel nurse specialty for obvious reasons. They are highly trained in caring for the most critical patients—patients who are intubated, ventilated, on life-sustaining medication drips, or whose life hangs on by a thread.

$65-85 an hour is a common bill rate for travel nurses. That is for your normal hours. Orientation may be fully unpaid or paid at only a fraction of the bill rate.

On a typical day as a travel nurse, you might do things such as conduct physical exams to assess a patient's condition, listen to patients and care for their needs, provide counseling to patients, and coordinate with healthcare providers.

If you have other “stuff,” then most people either place it in storage or get rid of it by donating, selling, or throwing away. In any case, most traveling nurses find that they need to do a major purge before they take their first assignment.

Generally speaking, travel nurses will usually work a 40-hour workweek. The workweek will either be: Five 8-hour shifts. Four 10-hour shifts.

Dating a travel nurse can be a benefit when you've both experienced temporary placements and the changing schedules common in the nursing profession. And what's better is when you date someone who actually has the same schedule and days off that you do.

As a travel nursing spouse, you can help research and secure housing and get recurring bills transferred and established. You can also get ahead and help sort all your belongings, pack, and sell or store anything you're not taking on your move.

For some travel nurses, living in an RV is a smart move. Many travel nurses are even able to bring their families along and explore the country together because of their RV. There are some major benefits to taking home with you wherever you go.

Your recruiter will work with you to find an opportunity that meets your salary desires and professional goals. You will be paid weekly by Aya via direct deposit. Pay rates for locum tenens providers are based on several factors: Specialty demands.

Does Aya pay out sick time? ›

Premium medical, dental, vision and life insurance beginning day one of your assignment. Paid sick time. Aya provides paid sick leave in accordance with all applicable state, federal, and local laws. Aya's general sick leave policy is that employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

Most estimates conclude that AMN Healthcare is the largest travel nursing company with anywhere from 19% to 25% of the market. Therefore, the fact that Aya Healthcare outranked AMN is notable.

Rather than working as a W-2 employee, most travel nurses take on the role as an independent contractor. While most independent contractors are able to deduct actual vehicle expenses, such as mileage, gas, and insurance.

The process generally takes about 2-3 weeks for full compliance. However, we may have certain contracts available where we could get you started in 1-2 weeks from the time you complete your application.

Generous sign-on bonuses. Relocation assistance. Premium health and dental benefits.

Travel nurse stipends, also known as tax-free money, are one of the many awesome benefits of travel nursing. These stipends cover duplicated living expenses like housing, travel, and meals. These stipends are not reported as taxable income as long as you are duplicating living expenses.

Renting to traveling nurses can be very lucrative. However, as with any rental property, there are no guarantees of profitability. Think about this type of rental as short term with a more targeted audience. If you have experience in this area, you already know what to expect.

Ask any travel nurse is travel nursing worth it? They will likely tell you the money makes it worth it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a travel nurse was $73,300 per year, but there are opportunities to increase that figure just by knowing some insider tips and tricks.

Travel nurses tend to make a significant amount more than staff nurses, they usually receive a higher hourly rate and receive tax-free stipends that increase their take-home pay. If you can secure your own housing, you'll often make even more money thanks to the tax-free housing stipends.

Can you negotiate your pay as a travel nurse? ›

There are basic areas where travel nurses can negotiate in their assignment contracts. These include benefits, salary, tax-free money, and overtime. Before negotiating your next assignment contract, consider these tips.

So, why do travel nurses get paid more? It's because they fill short-term needs, accept assignments in areas with severe nursing shortages, receive extra compensation for their flexibility and work in hard-to fill specialties.

As a travel nurse, you can claim all the out-of-pocket expenses you incur during short-term contracts, as long as you're there for less than a year and you maintain a tax home.

Travel nurses should bear in mind that they must file non-resident tax returns in every state they have worked in, as their wage income will be subject to tax in every state in which they perform services (with the exception of the states noted above, with no income tax on wage income).

So even though your physical residence may be in Arizona, you will pay taxes in Oregon because that's where you spent most of your time. As a travel nurse, you will always pay state income taxes except in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.