Travel Nurse Tax Calculator

Travel nurse taxes are calculated on your taxable hourly wages only. Your tax-free stipends (housing, meals, incidentals) are not taxed if you maintain a valid tax home. You'll pay federal income tax (22-37%), state income tax (0-13.3% depending on state), and FICA (7.65% for Social Security + Medicare).

It depends on the states involved. Generally, you pay taxes in the state where you work (assignment state). However, if your home state and assignment state have a reciprocity agreement, you may only pay taxes in your home state. Some states like Texas, Florida, and Nevada have no income tax at all.

Travel nurse stipends for housing, meals, and incidentals are tax-free IF you maintain a valid tax home — meaning you have a permanent residence where you pay rent/mortgage and return to regularly between assignments. Without a tax home, stipends become taxable income.

Travel nurses typically take home 70-85% of their total pay package. The tax advantage comes from stipends being tax-free. For example, on a $3,000/week package with $1,600 taxable and $1,400 in stipends, you'd only pay taxes on the $1,600 — keeping more of your total compensation.

Usually not. While you may owe taxes in your assignment state, most states offer credits for taxes paid to other states. Some states have reciprocity agreements that simplify this. The biggest tax savings come from maintaining a tax home in a no-income-tax state like Texas or Florida.

States with no income tax offer the biggest tax advantage: Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, and New Hampshire. If your tax home is in one of these states AND you take assignments there, you'll pay zero state income tax.