{"id":421,"date":"2009-05-27T10:23:01","date_gmt":"2009-05-27T15:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/?p=421"},"modified":"2020-01-14T15:40:15","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T20:40:15","slug":"things-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-travel-nurse-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/things-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-travel-nurse-job","title":{"rendered":"Does Experience Really Matter When it comes to Travel Nurse Pay?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;421&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this post&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Does Experience Really Matter When it comes to Travel Nurse Pay?&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this post<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<p>Travel nurse pay is complicated \u2013 there are hourly rates, tax-free money, overtime rates, holiday rates\u2026 so many things to consider before you sign a contract. Yet, the one thing that doesn\u2019t really affect your pay rate is how much experience you have as a nurse. Say what?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"838\" height=\"471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VuNIys5pFrc?start=2&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You need to have at least two years of experience to become a travel nurse. Other than that, experience doesn\u2019t really affect your pay. For example, if you have 10 years of experience or 15 years of experience, your pay rate as a travel nurse isn\u2019t\u2019 really going to be affected by that. The rates are typically previously agreed upon between the agency and the hospital. From there, it\u2019s the recruiter\u2019s job to find someone to fit into the positions they\u2019ve created. So, what does actually affect your travel nurse pay?<\/p>\n<h2>What Affects Your Travel Nurse Pay?<\/h2>\n<p>The main thing that will affect your pay is where you decide to go. Each location can differ in demand, cost of living, and in the dollar amount of stipends that are available to you. Here are all of the things that can affect your pay.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Demand for your specialty<\/h3>\n<p>Some specialties are in higher demand than others, and therefore hospitals will pay more to have you. The reality of it is, if a hospital is desperate for coverage in a certain unit, they will pay top dollar to get those positions filled. If you happen to have experience in something that they need, you\u2019ll be in luck! This is the only time your experience could really factor into how much you make as a travel nurse.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Your specialty in general<\/h3>\n<p>Your specialty, in general, can affect your pay. For example, certain specialties require more certificates and training. Therefore, nurses who work in those fields \u2013 say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/neuro-travel-nursing-jobs\">neurology<\/a> \u2013 will make more money than a nurse who works in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/med-surg-travel-nursing-jobs\">med-surg<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Cost of living where you go<\/h3>\n<p>Third, the cost of living varies across the country. If you go somewhere that has a high cost of living, this can affect how much money ends up on your pocket vs how much goes toward rent and other living expenses.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Stipends, or tax options available<\/h3>\n<p>Fourth, you are eligible for stipends, or tax-free money, depending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/what-is-a-tax-home\">how far from home you travel<\/a>. These stipends are essentially money that cover any expense you acquire as a result of traveling, such as temporary housing, food, gas, and any other living expenses.<\/p>\n<h3>5. What schedule you sign up for<\/h3>\n<p>Depending on what shift you are scheduled, your rate could fluctuate. For example, some contracts may show more money if you work night shift instead of day shift. Other times where you could make more money are if you are scheduled on a holiday or all weekends.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Your personal situation<\/h3>\n<p>This one doesn\u2019t really affect your pay, per say, but it does affect how far you can stretch your money. IF you are traveling with a pet, you may have to pay extra for that. If you have kids, of course that costs money too. Think about your personal situation and additional expenses you might have that won\u2019t be covered by the stipends.<\/p>\n<h2>VIDEO: A Breakdown of How Salary Works in Travel Nursing<\/h2>\n<p>Travel nurse pay is complicated. Here is a breakdown of exactly how your salary works. It\u2019s important to understand this so that when you see each line item on your contract, you know what you\u2019re looking at! You want to make sure you are making the most money that you possibly can before you sign your contract.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"838\" height=\"471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vf5EhZEYFcA?start=56&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Do you have any additional questions about travel nurse pay? Drop them in the comments below!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Travel nurse pay is complicated \u2013 there are hourly rates, tax-free money, overtime rates, holiday rates\u2026 so many things to consider before you sign a contract. Yet, the one thing that doesn\u2019t really affect your pay rate is how much experience you have as a nurse. Say what? You need to have at least two [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,55,16,17],"tags":[1188,1187,1186],"class_list":["post-421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nurse-compensation","category-travel-nurse-housing","category-travel-nurse-taxes","category-travel-nursing-jobs","tag-experience-and-pay-in-travel-nursing","tag-travel-nurse-experience","tag-travel-nurse-pay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6657,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions\/6657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}