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Travel pay isn't the sticker rate. WageBench ranks every state and metro for your specialty on a single 0–100 score that nets out state tax, cost of living, stipend efficiency, and license-compact access — so you compare real take-home, not headline pay.
Most-traveled specialties
Start with the biggest travel markets, or browse every specialty below.
All travel specialties
Nursing
Therapy
Imaging & Tech
Five factors that turn a sticker rate into real take-home.
A 9% income-tax state effectively cuts $250/week from a $2,700 paycheck — before COL even enters the equation.
BEA Regional Price Parities scale every wage by local prices. $80K in Mississippi spends like $96K nationally.
GSA per-diem lodging vs HUD Fair Market Rent — assignments where the housing stipend overshoots local rent are tax-free upside.
NLC compact members let nurses skip per-state license fees and start day-one. PT + APRN compacts work similarly.
HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area scores flag where bonuses and crisis rates tend to surface.
Full methodology + source citations: How the WageBench Score works →
High-ROI travel assignments — quick examples
Sticker rate often higher in CA, but TX has no state income tax + an NLC compact license. WageBench Score routinely flips the ranking.
Mid-size markets in the upper Midwest combine low COL, modest tax, and chronic shortage premiums. Often a top-5 ROI metro.
PT Compact membership eliminates weeks of license-by-endorsement delay. Most members rank higher on the travel-weighted score.