If you’re a staff nurse or a nursing student interested in learning more about being a travel nurse, stick around. We’re here to walk you through all the benefits of being a travel nurse and help answer any questions you may have.
Standard Benefits of Travel Nursing
New travelers often don’t understand the benefits of nurse travel jobs that are available. They often think that because these are temporary positions that traditional benefits like health, dental and vision insurance and a 401(k) with company match aren’t available. Untrue!
At Triage, you’ll be eligible for Day One insurance coverage and you can start your 401(k) withdrawals after you receive your first paycheck. Once you’ve worked for Triage for one calendar year and completed 1,000 hours worked, we’ll start your company-paid Safe Harbor match. Triage will match 100% of your first 3% of your contribution and 50% of your next 2% of contributions. If you contribute 5%, you will max out Triage’s contribution. And because this is a Safe Harbor match, there’s no vesting waiting period. The money in your account, including the Triage match is fully vested once it’s deposited.
Once you understand the benefits of travel nursing, it can be easier to make the leap. But wait, there’s definitely more. Keep reading for more benefits of travel nursing.
Travel Nurse Benefits: Freedom
Freedom is one of the biggest reasons nurses choose to travel is the freedom that comes along with it. When you’re traveling, you get to pick when and where you work, including taking time off between assignments. Want to take the entire month of December off? Or want to spend time with your kids during summer vacation? It’s all possible when you’re a traveler.
Travel Nurse Benefits: Higher Pay
It’s no secret that one of the benefits of a travel nurse career is a higher paycheck. And it’s true that some companies don’t think you should talk freely about your paycheck. We disagree and strive to be as transparent as possible.
How You Get Paid
When you work with Triage, you’re paid every week by direct deposit. You’ll submit your first timecard via the Triage Timecard App on the Monday of your second week. You’ll receive your first paycheck that Friday and then are paid weekly for the rest of your assignment. Your last paycheck will actually be after your assignment ends.
How Your Paycheck Works
But what are you actually paid and how does it work? Each assignment has a rate and how you divide it up is partially up to you. You’ll have a taxable hourly rate, then a separate stipend for housing and per diems, which is a fancy way of saying money for your meals. Your housing and per diem stipends are tax-free, which means more money in your paycheck.
One of the perks of being a travel nurse is slicing up your pay package so that it fits your lifestyle. Think of your pay package as a pie—you get to choose your slices depending on your personal needs. We recommend that you talk to a tax professional who specializes in travel nurse taxes. For instance, it may seem valuable to take a super low, taxed hourly rate in exchange for higher tax-free stipends. But if your tax-free portion of your paycheck is too low, you risk getting flagged by the IRS (no one wants an audit) or could have issues when it comes to buying a house or vehicle. Also, there are guidelines for how much you can receive in stipends, related to where you’ll be working. Talk to your recruiter if you have questions about how pay and stipends work—they’ll be able to explain everything in detail as it relates to your specific contract.
Travel Nurse Benefits: Explore Locations So You Know Where You Want to Land
Another one of the benefits of being an RN who travels is the opportunity to explore different locations throughout the country. While plenty of travelers decide to travel indefinitely, there are many who like to use traveling as a way to decide where they want to end up once they’re done with living the nomad lifestyle.
If you’re looking for a place to call home permanently, traveling is the perfect way to do that and still earn a living. And as a bonus, when you stay in a specific location for a few months, you really do get a feel for the area and the hospital. You’ll also be able to make professional connections, which leads to an easier job search when you’re looking for a permanent position.
Travel Nurse Benefits: Building Your Professional Network
Speaking of professional connections, this is another of the pros of being a travel nurse. When you work with other healthcare professionals throughout the country, you create a network of folks who can help you find a full-time position. Stay connected with them via LinkedIn and don’t forget to update your own LinkedIn to show which agencies and facilities you worked for while traveling. This will make things easier when applying for a new travel or permanent position.
Finding a Travel Nurse Agency
We know there are lots of choices when it comes to being a travel nurse and choosing a travel nurse agency. We’re not the biggest, but we do hustle like hell to become the best. We understand the benefits of travel nursing, but we don’t shy away from shooting you straight and being upfront about any drawbacks of a specific assignment. We will give you all the information we have about each specific assignment so you can make your own decisions.
At Triage, we’ll never sell you on the idea of a paid vacation, just so you sign a contract. If you’re looking for allied or travel nurse jobs, check out our job board with thousands of positions throughout the country.