Free Nursing Calculators

How nurses actually use these calculators

Pay calculation in nursing is harder than in most professions because the field combines weight-based hourly rates, mandatory overtime under three different federal frameworks (40-hour workweek, FLSA 8/80 hospital rule, and per-state daily-OT rules), tax-free stipends for travel assignments, multiple specialty differentials (night, weekend, holiday, charge, certification, BSN), and pension-versus-403(b) decisions that compound over decades. A 5% error in any single input cascades into thousands of dollars over a contract or a career. Every calculator on this hub is built to mirror the exact order of inputs that recruiters, HR departments, and payroll systems use, so the numbers you see here match the numbers you will see on your actual paystub.

The most common error nurses make when comparing job offers is comparing gross hourly rates instead of net annual income. A travel contract paying $2,800/week with $1,200/week tax-free stipends and zero PTO has very different real value from a staff position paying $52/hour at 36 hours/week with full benefits, accrued PTO, employer 403(b) match, tuition reimbursement, and pension eligibility. Use the Agency vs Staff Calculator to flatten that comparison into a single annual number. Pair the Pay Calculator with the Cost-of-Living Calculator when evaluating an out-of-state opportunity — a $40/hour role in Indianapolis is often higher real purchasing power than a $58/hour role in San Francisco after housing, taxes, and BEA Regional Price Parity adjustment.

For travel nurses specifically, the GSA Stipend Lookup is the single most valuable tool on this hub. Federal IRS rules require that tax-free housing and meals stipends not exceed the GSA per-diem ceiling for the contract location, or the entire stipend becomes taxable wages. Hospitals and agencies sometimes structure stipends just under the cap, sometimes well below, and the difference between a contract that puts $2,200/week in your pocket and one that nominally pays the same but actually delivers $1,950 is whether the stipend math is correct. Always verify the stipend ceiling against the GSA database before signing.