Travel Nurse Salary Calculator — California
Pre-loaded with California's numbers: a state income tax (rate not estimated here), average pay of $2,200/week ($55/hr), and CA GSA stipend rates. Adjust to your offer and see real take-home.
Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates
Market pay figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.
$2,200/wk
Avg CA Pay
Applies
State Income Tax
~$2,919/wk
Typical Stipend Ceiling
151.7
Cost of Living Index
Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown
Estimate your take-home pay, taxes, and blended rate in seconds.
Federal tax applies to wages after the $16,100 standard deduction; FICA applies to all wages. Tax-free stipends are excluded from both.
Same-state assignment — you file one resident return in your home state.
State income tax not included
We do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for this state, so we are not estimating its income tax. A wrong state figure is worse than none. Federal and FICA figures above are complete and sourced; your true net pay will be lower than gross by more than the amounts shown, so the take-home figures on this page are labelled "before state tax" rather than presented as final net pay.
Overtime (Optional)
Blended Hourly Rate
$136.08
Based on 36 hours in CA.
Gross Weekly Pay
$4,899
Taxable Weekly Income
$1,980
Estimated Weekly Taxes
$417
Federal + FICA only; state income tax not included
Net Before State Tax
$4,482
After federal + FICA; your state tax will lower this
Assignment Projections
13-Week Assignment
$58,263
Net before state tax
26-Week Assignment
$116,525
Net before state tax
Annual (52 weeks)
$233,050
Net before state tax
Take Home vs Taxes
Before state tax
$4,482
per week
Federal + FICA
$417
per week
Total Gross: $4,899 per week
🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis
Your Weekly Housing Stipend
$2,275
≈ $9,851/month
Est. 1BR Rent in California
$2,300
Monthly average
✅ Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money
+$7,551
Your stipend covers rent with $7,551 left over each month.
Find apartments under $2,300/month in San Francisco:
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Top-Paying California Cities
California Pay Questions
How much do travel nurses take home in California?
With the average California package of $2,200/week and a state income tax (rate not estimated here), most travel nurses take home roughly 75–85% of gross — the tax-free stipend share is what pushes take-home above staff-job ratios. Enter your actual split above for your number.
What is the maximum tax-free stipend in California?
Stipend ceilings are set per city by GSA per diem rates. Using California's average GSA rates ($325/night lodging + $92/day M&IE), the typical weekly ceiling is about $2,919. Specific cities differ — check your assignment ZIP in the GSA Rate Explorer.
Is California a good state for travel nurse pay?
California averages $2,200/week and does levy a state income tax — we don't publish a specific rate here, since we only compute exact state tax for the 9 states with no wage income tax at all. With a cost-of-living index of 151.7, whether it beats a no-tax alternative depends on the actual rate gap — check California's official tax tables and run both offers through the calculator to compare take-home.
Do I pay California taxes as a travel nurse from another state?
Generally yes — you pay California income tax on money earned there, and your home state typically credits it against your home liability. You won't usually be double-taxed, but multi-state filing is why many travelers use a travel-nurse-specialized tax preparer.