Kentucky Travel Nurse Stipend Calculator
Kentucky's average GSA rates allow up to $1,148/week in tax-free housing plus $560/week for meals — a combined ceiling around $1,708/week. Verify any KY stipend quote below.
Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates
Market pay and rent figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.
$164/night
Avg GSA Lodging
$80/day
M&IE Rate
~$1,708/wk
Combined Weekly Ceiling
$4,986/mo
Monthly Housing Allowance
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 we are not displaying a net figure for this state.
Overtime (Optional)
Blended Hourly Rate
$87.44
Based on 36 hours in KY.
Gross Weekly Pay
$3,148
Taxable Weekly Income
$1,440
Estimated Weekly Taxes
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True Net Weekly Pay
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Assignment Projections
13-Week Assignment
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Net Pay
26-Week Assignment
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Net Pay
Annual (52 weeks)
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Net Pay
Take Home vs Taxes
Take Home
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per week
Taxes
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per week
Total Gross: $3,148 per week
🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis
Your Weekly Housing Stipend
$1,148
≈ $4,971/month
Est. 1BR Rent in Kentucky
$850
Monthly average
✅ Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money
+$4,121
Your stipend covers rent with $4,121 left over each month.
Find apartments under $850/month in Louisville:
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Stipend vs Rent by Kentucky City
Monthly GSA housing allowance against average one-bedroom rent — positive margin means the max stipend more than covers housing.
| City | GSA Lodging/mo | 1BR Rent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $4,986 | $1,100 | +$3,886/mo |
| Lexington | $3,587 | $1,000 | +$2,587/mo |
| Bowling Green | $3,344 | $900 | +$2,444/mo |
| Owensboro | $3,344 | $1,000 | +$2,344/mo |
Kentucky Stipend Questions
What is the maximum housing stipend in Kentucky?
Stipend ceilings follow GSA per diem rates, set per city. Kentucky's average GSA lodging rate is $164/night — about $1,148/week or $4,986/month in tax-free housing allowance. Add the $80/day M&IE rate and the combined weekly ceiling is roughly $1,708. Individual cities run higher or lower.
Is my Kentucky stipend offer good?
Compare it to two numbers: the GSA ceiling for the assignment city (offers at the ceiling are maxed; offers well below have negotiating headroom) and the local one-bedroom rent (a stipend above rent is tax-free profit). The table on this page shows both for every Kentucky city we track.
Are travel nurse stipends taxable in Kentucky?
Stipends are federal-tax-free (and state-tax-free) when you maintain a qualifying tax home and work far enough away to need overnight lodging — the state doesn't change the IRS rules. Amounts above the GSA ceiling for your assignment ZIP are generally treated as taxable wages.
Which Kentucky cities have the best stipend margin?
Louisville currently has the best margin we track in Kentucky — the monthly GSA lodging allowance runs $3,886 above average one-bedroom rent. See the full city table above and the GSA Rate Explorer for all 221 cities nationally.