Contract Comparison Calculator
Two offers on the table? Enter both — tax-free stipends included — and see which one pays more over a full 13-week assignment.
By the NursePayLab editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Contract A | Contract B | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable gross / week | $880 (40 h × $22) | $1,008 (36 h × $28) |
| Stipends / week | $2,200 | $1,400 |
| Est. taxes / week | $134 | $159 |
| Take-home / week | $2,946 | $2,249 |
Contract A
Contract B
Same tax model as the take-home calculator: 2025 single-filer federal brackets, standard deduction, FICA 7.65%, stipends tax-free. Estimate only.
Read the result the right way
Take-home isn't everything: factor location cost of living, hospital reputation, overtime culture and cancellation clauses. But when two offers are close, the 13-week dollar difference is the cleanest tiebreaker — a $150/week gap is nearly $2,000 per assignment.
What the comparison tends to reveal
In practice the comparison usually exposes one of three patterns. First, the stipend-heavy contract wins — tax-free dollars beat taxable ones at equal gross, especially in high-tax states. Second, the hours guarantee hides the story: a 36-hour contract at higher rates may beat 40 hours at lower pay once you compute per-hour value, or lose to it if you needed the fifth shift's income. Third, state tax flips the winner: the same gross package in a 0% state versus a ~9% state differs by $60–150/week — sometimes the entire difference between offers.
Run each offer through the take-home calculator individually when they're close, and check the blended rate view — per-hour numbers make the decision legible when weekly totals blur.
Beyond the numbers: what else to weigh
Take-home parity is the entry ticket, not the decision. Four factors routinely flip real-world choices. Cost of living on assignment: a contract that pays $150/week more in a city where housing eats $400 more of it is a worse contract — run stipends against actual local rents, not against each other. Cancellation terms: a facility that can cancel week one with five days' notice is selling you optionality, and you are paying for it; guaranteed-hours language matters more than the rate when winter census drops.
Extension odds: contracts at facilities known to extend are worth a small discount over one-and-done gigs once you count the tax-free travel money and the gap week you don't take. Float requirements and ratios: the extra dollar per hour that buys you a permanent float assignment to med-surg is not a dollar, it's a fee.
Finally, weigh the boring one: commute and parking. A "better" contract across a toll bridge from your housing can quietly cost $60 a week and forty minutes a shift. The calculators here handle the math; the judgment about what the math doesn't see is still yours — make it with numbers in hand, not instead of them.
The default two offers run through that same tax model — 0% state, 2025 federal brackets, stipends tax-free:
| Contract A | Contract B | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable gross / week | $880 (40 h × $22) | $1,008 (36 h × $28) |
| Stipends / week | $2,200 | $1,400 |
| Est. taxes / week | $134 | $159 |
| Take-home / week | $2,946 | $2,249 |
FAQ
Should I automatically take the higher-paying contract?
Almost always start there — but verify the three things that hollow out a big number: guaranteed hours (36 vs 40 changes everything), the assignment state's income tax, and cancellation terms. The comparison calculator handles the first two automatically.
What if the contracts are in different states?
Change the state income tax field and re-run — a 0% state like Texas versus a ~9% state can swing a weekly comparison by $60–150, which is often the entire gap between offers.
Is a 36-hour or 40-hour contract better?
Neither, inherently. Thirty-six hours at a higher blended rate often beats forty at a lower one, but the fifth shift is still income if you need it. Compute both the per-hour value and the total weekly take-home — the calculator settles it in seconds.
Should I negotiate a higher rate or bigger stipends?
If you have a valid tax home, a dollar of stipend is worth roughly 25–40% more than a dollar of wage after tax. Two guardrails: keep the taxable rate in the sane $18–25/hr range, and keep stipends under the GSA caps for that city — past either line, the tax-free treatment is at risk.
How do I compare a travel contract to a staff job offer?
Convert both to after-tax dollars per hour. Add 25–30% to the staff salary for benefits value (401k match, PTO, health insurance), and subtract the travel-side gaps: insurance you now buy yourself and unpaid days between contracts. Then set it against the travel contract's after-tax equivalent from the blended rate calculator.