Your travel nurse paycheck looks wrong. What should you check first?

Check the rate before the total

Gross pay can move for many reasons, so it is often easier to begin with the regular hourly rate. Compare the rate on your assignment or pay package with the rate printed on the paystub.

Then do the same for overtime, holiday, or callback pay if those appear in your documents.

Make sure the hours are for the same period

A weekly guarantee should not be compared to a two-week paycheck as if both cover the same span. Confirm whether the paystub is weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or something else.

If the hours are lower than expected, look for orientation time, unpaid breaks, missed shifts, facility cancellations, or time that may be posted on a different check.

Do not treat a missing stipend as zero too quickly

Housing and meals can be prorated, split, delayed, or labeled differently. A stipend that is not obvious at first glance may appear under another line or in a separate payment.

If the amount is lower than the assignment terms, check the pay-period dates and any rules tied to start dates, end dates, missed shifts, or requested time off.

Travel reimbursement is often separate

A travel allowance may be paid on the first check, final check, or outside the normal paycheck. If you do not see it on one stub, note it for follow-up rather than assuming it should have been on that exact check.

When a difference is worth asking about

A repeated hourly-rate mismatch, unexplained missing hours, or a stipend that stays below the reviewed assignment amount across the relevant period is a reasonable reason to ask payroll or your recruiter for an explanation.

Keep the question factual: which line differs, what the assignment says, and what the paystub shows.

Example: one line off, one line correct