How to compare a travel nurse contract with a paystub.

First, compare the hourly rates

Regular and overtime rates are usually the easiest place to start because they can often be compared line by line. If your assignment says $52.00/hour and the paystub shows $50.00/hour for the same type of hours, that is worth reviewing.

A difference does not automatically mean payroll is wrong. Some assignments separate orientation, training, callback, or holiday work into different rates.

Then check guaranteed hours

Guaranteed hours are often written as a weekly promise, while your paystub may cover one or two weeks. Make sure you know the payroll schedule before comparing totals.

Also check the assignment language around missed shifts, facility cancellations, requested time off, and low census. Those details can change whether the guarantee applies for a particular pay period.

Stipends need the right time period

Housing and meals stipends may be quoted weekly even when you are paid biweekly. For a clean two-week pay period, a $1,050 weekly housing stipend would usually map to $2,100 before considering proration or other assignment rules.

Semimonthly payroll is different. Two checks per month is not the same as every two weeks, so a weekly stipend should not be multiplied by two without looking at the dates.

Travel reimbursement may not appear on every check

Travel reimbursement is often paid once, split across the assignment, or handled outside normal payroll. If it is in your assignment but missing from one paystub, treat it as something to verify rather than immediately calling it unpaid.

A simple example

Use the documents, not memory

Pay packages are easy to remember as one big weekly number, but the useful details are in the individual rates and allowances. Keep the assignment terms and the actual paystub side by side.

PlainMile can help with that comparison by reading the values in your browser, letting you correct them, and then showing which items match or need a closer look.