How to Read Your Travel Nurse Pay Stub (Line-by-Line Walkthrough)

Introduction: Your Pay Stub Tells a Story — Learn to Read It

Most travel nurses open their pay stub, glance at the net pay number at the bottom, confirm it looks roughly right, and close it. If that sounds like you, you are not alone — but you are also missing critical information that could be costing you money.

Your pay stub is the single best tool for catching errors, understanding your tax situation, and planning your finances. Travel nurse pay stubs are more complex than staff nurse pay stubs because they include non-taxable stipends, potentially multi-state withholdings, and a mix of earnings types that do not exist in a typical hospital payroll. Reading yours carefully — every pay period — is one of the smartest financial habits you can build.

This guide walks through every section of a travel nurse pay stub, line by line, so you know exactly what you are looking at.

Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Anatomy of a Travel Nurse Pay Stub

Every pay stub follows the same general structure, regardless of your agency. The format, labels, and layout will differ — some agencies have clean, detailed stubs while others are cluttered and confusing — but the core components are consistent:

Employee information and pay period details
Gross earnings (taxable and non-taxable)
Tax withholdings
Pre-tax deductions
Post-tax deductions
Net pay

Travel nurse pay stubs differ from staff nurse pay stubs in one critical way: they include non-taxable line items (stipends and reimbursements) alongside taxable wages. On a staff nurse pay stub, nearly everything above the deduction lines is taxable income. On yours, a significant portion may be tax-free — and understanding that distinction is essential.

Note that your agency may use different terminology for the same items. “Housing allowance” and “housing stipend” are the same thing. “Per diem” and “M&IE” often refer to the same stipend. Do not get hung up on labels — focus on what each line represents.

Section 1: Employee Information and Pay Period

The top of your pay stub shows identifying information:

Your name and employee ID — Verify these are correct. Errors here can cause problems with tax filings.
Agency name and information — The staffing agency that employs you.
Pay period dates — The start and end dates for this paycheck. Confirm these match the dates you actually worked.
Pay date — The date the money hits your bank account.
Hours worked — Total regular hours and overtime hours for this pay period.

What to verify: Check the hours first. Compare them against your own records — your timesheet, your calendar, or whatever system you use to track your shifts. If the hours are wrong, everything downstream is wrong. This is the most common source of pay stub errors and the easiest to catch.

Section 2: Gross Earnings

Gross earnings is the total amount the agency is paying you before any deductions. For travel nurses, this section is divided into two categories: taxable earnings and non-taxable earnings.

Taxable Earnings

These are the wages that appear on your W-2 and are subject to federal and state income tax:

Regular hours: Your contracted hours multiplied by your base hourly rate. For a 36-hour week at $22 per hour, this is $792.
Overtime hours: Hours worked beyond 40 per week (or beyond your state’s OT threshold) multiplied by your OT rate, which should be 1.5 times your base hourly rate. At a $22 base, your OT rate should be $33 per hour.
Holiday pay: If your contract includes holiday premium pay, it appears here. The rate varies by contract.
Shift differentials: Extra pay for working nights, weekends, or other less-desirable shifts. Typically $2 to $6 per hour.
Bonuses: Sign-on bonuses, completion bonuses, and referral bonuses are all taxable income.

What to verify: Check that your hourly rate matches your contract. Check that your hours match your timesheet. Check that overtime is calculated at 1.5 times your base rate — not a lower number. If you worked a holiday or earned a shift differential, make sure it appears.

Non-Taxable Earnings (Stipends)

These line items represent your tax-free stipends and reimbursements. They are paid to you but are not subject to income tax (assuming you maintain a valid tax home):

Housing stipend: Your weekly or biweekly housing allowance. This may be labeled “housing allowance,” “lodging stipend,” “housing per diem,” or similar.
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE): Your stipend for food and incidental expenses. May be labeled “M&IE,” “per diem,” “meals stipend,” or “incidentals.”
Travel reimbursement: A one-time or periodic payment for travel costs to and from the assignment. May appear only on your first and last pay stubs.

What to verify: Confirm the stipend amounts match what is stated in your contract. Stipends should be consistent each pay period (unless you took unpaid time off). These amounts should NOT appear on your year-end W-2. If they do, something is wrong and you need to contact payroll immediately.

For a deeper dive into how stipends work and when they are taxable, see are travel nurse stipends taxable.

Section 3: Tax Withholdings

This section shows the taxes deducted from your taxable earnings. It can be the most confusing part of your pay stub, but understanding it helps you avoid surprises at tax time.

Federal Income Tax

Your federal income tax withholding is based on the information you provided on your W-4 form — your filing status (single, married, head of household) and any additional withholding you requested. The amount withheld each pay period is an estimate of what you will owe on your annual tax return.

Because a large portion of your travel nurse income is non-taxable stipends, your taxable wages may be lower than what a staff nurse earns. This can mean lower withholdings — which is correct, not an error. However, if your withholdings are too low, you may owe money at tax time. A travel-nurse-savvy CPA can help you calibrate your W-4 to avoid surprises.

State Income Tax

State income tax withholding depends on which state you are working in and which state is your tax home. Multi-state taxation is one of the most complex parts of travel nurse taxes.

Some states have no income tax — Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Tennessee, and New Hampshire (on wage income). If you are working in one of these states, you will not see a state income tax withholding line.

If you work in multiple states during a year, you may have withholdings from multiple states on different pay stubs. Keep track of all state withholdings — you will need them at tax time.

The Social Security withholding rate is 6.2% of your taxable wages. Your employer (the agency) pays an additional 6.2% on your behalf. This withholding applies to wages up to the annual Social Security wage base (which adjusts yearly). Once your cumulative taxable wages for the year exceed the wage base, Social Security withholding stops — you may notice this on later pay stubs if your taxable income is high enough.

Medicare Tax

The Medicare withholding rate is 1.45% of your taxable wages. Unlike Social Security, there is no wage base cap — Medicare tax applies to all taxable earnings. If your annual taxable wages exceed $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly), an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies.

Other Withholdings

Depending on your assignment state, you may see additional withholdings:

State Disability Insurance (SDI): Required in states like California and New York.
Local or city taxes: Some cities and counties levy their own income taxes (common in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and a few other states).
Union dues: If the facility is unionized and your contract requires it.

Section 4: Pre-Tax Deductions

Pre-tax deductions are taken from your gross pay before taxes are calculated, which reduces your taxable income:

Health insurance premiums: If you opted into the agency’s health plan, your premium is deducted here.
Dental and vision premiums: Same as health insurance, if you enrolled.
401(k) contributions: Traditional (pre-tax) retirement plan contributions reduce your taxable income now. The money is taxed when you withdraw it in retirement.
HSA contributions: Health Savings Account contributions, if you have a qualifying high-deductible health plan.
FSA contributions: Flexible Spending Account contributions for healthcare or dependent care expenses.

Pre-tax deductions are beneficial because they lower your taxable income, meaning you pay less in taxes now. But make sure you only see deductions for benefits you actually elected. If you opted out of the agency’s health plan but see a premium deduction, that is an error.

Section 5: Post-Tax Deductions

Post-tax deductions are taken from your pay after taxes have been calculated:

Roth 401(k) contributions: Unlike traditional 401(k), Roth contributions are made with after-tax dollars. You pay taxes now but withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
Garnishments: Court-ordered wage garnishments for child support, student loans, or other debts.
Additional voluntary deductions: Some agencies offer supplemental insurance, life insurance, or other voluntary benefits that are deducted post-tax.

Section 6: Net Pay

Net pay is the bottom line — the amount deposited into your bank account after all taxes and deductions are subtracted from your gross earnings.

The formula: Gross Earnings (taxable + non-taxable) - Tax Withholdings - Pre-Tax Deductions - Post-Tax Deductions = Net Pay

Your pay stub should also show Year-to-Date (YTD) totals for each line item. These running totals are invaluable for tax planning. By mid-year, you can look at your YTD taxable wages and estimate whether your withholdings are on track for your annual tax liability. If they are not, you still have time to adjust your W-4.

Common Pay Stub Errors to Catch

Travel nurse pay stubs are processed by humans and software, both of which make mistakes. Here are the errors to watch for:

Wrong hourly rate. The rate on your stub does not match your contract. This happens more often than you would think, especially after extensions or rate renegotiations.
Missing hours. Your stub shows 32 hours but you worked 36. Always compare against your own records.
Stipends taxed incorrectly. Your housing or M&IE stipend appears under taxable earnings instead of non-taxable. This means taxes are being withheld on money that should be tax-free.
Wrong state tax withholding. You are working in Florida (no state income tax) but your stub shows state tax being withheld. Or you are working in California but taxes are being withheld for a different state.
Missing shift differentials or overtime. You worked nights or overtime but the premium pay does not appear on your stub.
Health insurance deducted when you opted out. You declined the agency’s health plan but premiums are still being deducted.
Double deductions. Occasionally, the first or last pay period of a contract includes duplicate deductions for insurance or other benefits.

What to Do If You Find an Error

If something on your pay stub does not match your contract or your records:

Step 1: Document the discrepancy. Write down exactly what is wrong — the line item, the amount shown, and what the amount should be according to your contract.

Step 2: Contact your recruiter or agency payroll department. Start with your recruiter, who can escalate to payroll. Be specific: “My contract states a base rate of $24 per hour, but my pay stub shows $22 per hour for this pay period.”

Step 3: Follow up in writing. Send an email summarizing the issue and the resolution you expect. This creates a paper trail if the issue is not resolved promptly.

Step 4: Know your rights. Federal and state wage laws protect you from being underpaid. If your agency consistently makes errors or refuses to correct them, you have legal options. The Department of Labor handles wage complaints at the federal level, and each state has its own labor board.

Step 5: Escalate if not resolved. If your recruiter cannot fix the issue, ask to speak with a payroll manager or compliance officer. Most agencies resolve pay errors quickly once they are clearly documented.

Using Pay Stubs for Financial Planning

Your pay stubs are more than receipts — they are planning tools:

Track YTD income for tax planning. Your YTD taxable wages tell you how much income you have earned and how much tax you have paid. Use this mid-year to assess whether you will owe or get a refund.
Verify your estimated tax liability. If your stipends make up a large portion of your income, your taxable wages (and therefore your withholdings) may be lower than expected. Make sure you are withholding enough to cover your actual tax bill.
Calculate your effective tax rate. Divide your total tax withholdings by your total taxable earnings. This gives you the percentage of your taxable income going to taxes — useful for financial planning and comparing contracts.
Documentation for mortgage or loan applications. Lenders often ask for recent pay stubs. Your pay stubs show your base hourly rate and documented income, which is critical when applying for a mortgage or other loan. Keep them organized and accessible.

Use the pay calculator to cross-reference your expected weekly pay against what your pay stub actually shows. If they do not match, you know to investigate.

FAQ

Why is my hourly rate on the pay stub different from my contract?

This is one of the most common questions — and most common errors. Check whether the rate shown is your base hourly rate (which should match your contract) or a blended rate that includes stipends divided across hours. Some agencies display pay differently than they contract it. If the math does not add up — your total gross pay does not match your contracted base rate times hours worked plus stipends — contact payroll. For more on blended vs. itemized pay, see our blended rate guide.

Where are my stipends on the pay stub?

Stipends should appear as separate line items in the earnings section, typically labeled as non-taxable. Look for labels like “housing stipend,” “housing allowance,” “M&IE,” “per diem,” “meals allowance,” or “travel reimbursement.” If you cannot find them, they may be lumped into your taxable earnings — which is a problem. They may also be on a separate page or section of the pay stub. If you truly cannot identify your stipends, ask your recruiter or payroll department to walk you through the stub format.

Why is my net pay different each week?

Several factors can cause week-to-week variations. The most common reasons are: different hours worked (especially if you picked up or missed a shift), overtime in one week but not another, shift differentials that apply to some shifts, one-time deductions (like the first health insurance premium of a new contract), or adjustments from a previous pay period. Review the hours and deductions on each stub to identify the specific cause. If the variation does not match any of these explanations, investigate further.

Should I keep my pay stubs? For how long?

Yes, keep every pay stub. Store them digitally — scan or screenshot each one and save it in an organized folder by year and contract. Keep pay stubs for at least three years, which is the standard IRS audit window. If you want extra protection, keep them for seven years, which covers the extended audit period for substantial underreporting. Pay stubs are also valuable for resolving disputes with agencies, supporting mortgage applications, and verifying your W-2 at tax time.

My agency does not provide detailed pay stubs — is that legal?

Pay stub requirements vary by state. Some states require employers to provide detailed, itemized pay stubs. Others have minimal requirements. However, regardless of state law, you have the right to understand how your pay is calculated. If your agency provides a vague or incomplete pay stub, request a detailed breakdown in writing. If they refuse, consider it a red flag about the agency’s transparency and record-keeping. You can also request a copy of your payroll records directly from the agency’s payroll department.

Key Takeaways

Review every pay stub when you receive it. Do not just look at the net pay — check hours, rates, stipends, and deductions against your contract.
Verify that your hours match your timesheet and your rates match your contract. These are the two most common sources of errors.
Confirm stipends appear as non-taxable line items. If they are being taxed, you are losing money unnecessarily.
Catch and report errors immediately. The sooner you flag a discrepancy, the easier it is to resolve.
Save all pay stubs for at least three to seven years. They are essential for tax filing, audits, and financial documentation.
Use the pay calculator to cross-check your expected pay against your actual pay stub every pay period.

Affiliate Placement Notes

Pay calculator tool CTA in key takeaways and “Using Pay Stubs for Financial Planning”
Tax software affiliate in the tax withholding section
Payroll / expense tracking app affiliate in the “Common Pay Stub Errors” section