Every result should be reproducible.

NursePay uses direct arithmetic from the values entered in the browser. This page documents the formulas, assumptions, and boundaries behind each estimate.

Shared rules

Negative inputs are treated as zero. Hours and weeks are capped where a larger number would be impossible: weekly hours cannot exceed 168 and annual paid weeks cannot exceed 52. Currency is displayed in U.S. dollars. Some results are rounded for display, but the underlying calculation uses the entered numeric values.

The calculators do not retrieve a user’s payroll, tax return, location, benefit plan, or employment classification. No result determines legal entitlement or eligibility. Inputs are assumptions chosen by the user and should be compared with written source documents.

Shift differential calculator

Base earnings equal base hourly rate multiplied by total hours. Night pay equals eligible night hours multiplied by the entered night differential. Weekend pay is calculated the same way. Eligible differential hours are limited to total hours, but night and weekend hours may overlap because both premiums can apply to one hour under some policies.

When “include differentials in the overtime regular rate” is selected, the regular rate equals base earnings plus both entered differentials, divided by total hours. The additional overtime premium equals overtime hours multiplied by one-half of that regular rate. Straight-time compensation for every hour is already included, so adding only the half-time premium avoids counting the straight-time portion twice.

If the checkbox is cleared, overtime uses the entered base rate. That option exists for comparison; it does not decide whether a premium can legally be excluded. The tool does not allocate bonuses, multiple job rates, holiday premiums, callback pay, or retroactive compensation. It also relies on the user to enter the correct number of overtime hours for the applicable workweek, state rule, contract, or 8-and-80 arrangement.

Travel nurse pay calculator

Taxable weekly wages equal taxable hourly rate multiplied by weekly hours. Entered housing, meal, and other stipends are added to create weekly gross. Estimated taxes equal taxable weekly wages multiplied by the selected percentage. Weekly take-home equals taxable wages plus stipends minus estimated taxes.

Annual figures multiply weekly results by paid weeks. Effective take-home per hour divides weekly take-home by entered weekly hours. The calculation assumes all entered hours and stipends are paid and does not include overtime, bonuses, payroll deductions, housing costs, reimbursements, or unpaid gaps.

The tool treats entered stipends as untaxed only for the arithmetic. It does not determine whether that treatment is correct. IRS treatment can depend on the worker’s tax home, assignment duration, duplicated expenses, documentation, and the employer’s reimbursement arrangement. Actual withholding and final tax liability can differ substantially from the selected percentage.

PRN versus staff calculator

Annual hours equal weekly hours multiplied by weeks worked. Staff and PRN wages each equal their hourly rate multiplied by those same annual hours. The entered value of staff benefits is added to staff wages. The PRN advantage equals PRN wages minus total staff value.

Using the same hours makes the rate comparison understandable, but it may not reflect real schedule availability. The calculator does not include PRN benefits, differentials, bonuses, taxes, commute costs, or unpaid requirements. Users should enter a realistic number of weeks and separately account for meaningful differences.

Editorial and source standard

Educational explanations are written to match the implemented formulas and are checked against primary public references where available. Key sources include the U.S. Department of Labor’s health-care overtime and regular-rate guidance, IRS Publication 463 for travel and tax-home concepts, IRS Publication 15-B for fringe benefits, and Bureau of Labor Statistics compensation categories.

References explain general rules, not an individual case. When a page says an arrangement “may” or “generally” receive a treatment, that wording is deliberate. State law, collective-bargaining agreements, employer policies, plan terms, and individual facts can change the outcome.

Corrections and review dates

Material formula changes are covered by automated tests before release. Content pages display a review date and should be rechecked when a cited agency changes relevant guidance. If an estimate differs from payroll, preserve the inputs and compare each line with the written policy or wage statement; do not assume either number proves entitlement.