 Nursing Pay Rates
Here
is a some advice and help in understanding nursing pay rates, hourly
rates and the complete benefit packages offered by travel nursing
agencies.
Travel Nursing pay rates may be a little
confusing to understand. The pay rates vary from travel agency to
travel agency. Your recruiter will be able to help you
decipher and understand the different rates.
There are different things to consider when looking into a
travel nursing assignment. The location,
cost of living, hours worked, different shifts and what
benefits are included can determine what your
nursing pay will be for an assignment.
It's important to look at everything when researching
assignments and travel nursing agencies to determine if the nursing
assignment will pay you what you are expecting to be paid. The bonuses,
benefits, housing, travel reimbursement and the hourly pay
rate will be added together. This will let you know exactly what you will
make.
As an example, if you look at $35.00 and hour for the nursing
pay rate with a $5000.00 completion bonus it looks good but it doesn't
add in the travel expenses, shift differentials etc. Shift
differentials are important to ask also. Is the nursing
hourly pay adjusted appropriately when you work an evening or
night shift? What is the overtime pay and after how
many hours are needed to be considered overtime? Weekend
shifts compared to weekday shifts are usually different also. Some
travel nursing agencies may have higher pay rates but will offer you
less in other areas of benefits and bonuses ultimately leaving
you with less cash.
You need to ask the recruiter you talk with if the hourly nursing pay
rates are for the hours worked or if other areas have been
combined together in the hourly pay like medical/dental, housing
or other benefits.
The
location is another consideration in the pay rate. Some
states offer lower hourly pay but the states don't have an income
tax which actually makes the pay you receive more or the same as some of the
"higher" hourly nursing pay rates offered. The cost of living
in the city is different then for a rural area.
Your
nursing specialty and experience will also play into what your pay will
be.
It is still important to look into all the
aspects of your final pay - the whole package together.
Your
travel nursing recruiter will help you decipher and
understand the different areas for the travel nursing pay rate.
The agency will also be able to help you look at the overall
picture to know what you will receive as the complete package.
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