Travel Nurse Tax Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes. See exactly how much your tax-free stipends save you compared to fully taxable income.
Key insight: Travel nurses with a valid tax home typically keep 70-85% of total pay because stipends are tax-free. This calculator shows you exactly where your money goes.
Location & Filing
Sets which 2026 IRS bracket table and standard deduction apply.
Pay Package
Tax Estimate Results
⚠️ After-tax pay is unavailable for this state combination
We compute federal income tax and FICA from published IRS and SSA figures, but we do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for every state — and your home state taxes you as a resident even when your assignment state does not. Rather than guess at the missing piece, we withhold the net figure. Understating your tax would be as harmful as overstating it. Gross pay, stipends and the federal and FICA line items are unaffected.
Where you will file
No reciprocity agreement — CA generally taxes the income you earn there on a nonresident return. TX levies no wage income tax, so no resident return is due there.
Which state has taxing authority is set by statute — that part is unaffected by the withdrawn estimate. Only the dollar amounts are unavailable.
Your package, before tax (unaffected — plain arithmetic)
Weekly Gross
$3,420
Weekly Taxable
$1,620
Weekly Stipends
$1,800
Contract Gross
$44,460
How Travel Nurse Taxes Work
What Gets Taxed
Only your taxable hourly wages are subject to income tax. Tax-free stipends (housing, meals, incidentals) are not taxed if you maintain a valid tax home.
Three Types of Tax
- Federal income tax: 22-37% depending on income bracket
- State income tax: 0-13.3% depending on state (9 states have no income tax)
- FICA: 7.65% (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare)
Why Stipends Matter
Example: On a $3,200/week package ($1,620 taxable + $1,580 stipends), you only pay taxes on $1,620. That saves approximately $475/week in taxes compared to a fully taxable $3,200/week salary — that's $6,175 saved per 13-week contract.
Tax-Free States
These states have no income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. Working in these states means you only pay federal + FICA taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are travel nurse taxes calculated?
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).
Do travel nurses pay taxes in their home state or assignment state?
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.
Are travel nurse stipends taxable?
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.
How much do travel nurses actually take home after taxes?
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.
Do travel nurses pay double state taxes?
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.
What is the best state for travel nurse taxes?
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.
Related Tax & Pay Tools
Compare Full Pay Packages
Taxes are just one piece. Use our full Travel Nurse Pay Calculator for a complete contract comparison including stipends, cost of living, and net take-home pay.
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