Travel Nurse Salary in Illinois
A representative travel-nurse package in Illinois — a $24.00/hr taxable base on a 3×12 schedule, plus tax-free housing and meal stipends benchmarked to the Chicago GSA per-diem — runs about $2,614 gross per week, or $2,450 take-home after federal, FICA, and state tax. Illinois's top income tax rate is 4.95%.
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Avg RN wage (BLS)
$43.00/hr
$89,400/yr staff mean
Example weekly gross
$2,614
3×12 blended package
Take-home / week
$2,450
6.3% effective tax
State income tax
4.95% top
on taxable wages
GSA housing cap
$6,000/mo
Chicago
Cost of living
92
US average = 100
What travel nurses earn in Illinois
Travel-nurse pay in Illinois depends far more on your specialty, the season, and the assignment's urgency than on a single statewide number. As a baseline, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average staff-RN wage of $43.00/hour ($89,400/year) in Illinois. Travel contracts typically pay more than the staff mean because they bundle a taxable base wage with sizable tax-free stipends — and because they fill urgent, hard-to-staff gaps.
The reason travel pay looks so high is the stipend structure. In Illinois, tax-free housing stipends are benchmarked to the GSA per-diem for the assignment's county — about $6,000/month for the Chicago area — plus roughly $79/day for meals and incidentals. Because that money isn't taxed (when you qualify for a tax home), the effective tax rate on the whole package in our example is just 6.3%, even though the taxable base wage is modest.
Keep in mind Illinois taxes wages at up to 4.95%, which applies to the taxable base portion of your pay (not your tax-free stipends). With a cost-of-living index of 92 (US average = 100), Illinois is more affordable than average, so your take-home stretches further than in pricier states.
Run your own numbers for Illinois
Illinois travel nurse pay FAQ
How much do travel nurses make in Illinois?
Travel-nurse pay in Illinois varies by specialty, season, and demand, but a representative 3×12 package — a $24/hr taxable base stacked with tax-free housing and meal stipends benchmarked to the Chicago GSA per-diem — comes to roughly $2,614 gross per week, or about $2,450 take-home after federal, FICA, and state tax. For context, the BLS reports an average staff-RN wage of $43/hr ($89,400/yr) in Illinois; travel rates typically run higher.
Do travel nurses pay income tax in Illinois?
Illinois's top state income tax rate is 4.95%, which reduces take-home on the taxable portion of your package. You owe income tax to the state where you physically work, and separately to your state of legal residence (usually with a credit for tax paid to the work state). Your tax-free housing and M&IE stipends are not taxed in any state as long as you maintain a qualifying tax home.
What is the housing stipend for travel nurses in Illinois?
Tax-free housing stipends in Illinois are benchmarked to the GSA per-diem for the assignment's county. For Chicago, the representative GSA ceiling is about $6,000/month for lodging and $79/day for meals & incidentals. Agencies usually pay at or just under these limits to keep the stipend tax-free; amounts above the GSA cap can be reclassified as taxable wages.
Is Illinois a good state for travel nurses?
Illinois taxes wages at up to 4.95%, and its cost-of-living index is 92 (US average = 100), so your pay stretches further than in pricier markets. Weigh the pay package against housing costs, license requirements, and unit quality — and run your specific offer through the Compare Contracts and Stipend Analysis tools before signing.
Educational estimates, not a pay quote or tax advice. RN wages are BLS OEWS state means (May 2024) for all staff RNs; the example package is an illustrative 3×12 benchmarked to representative GSA per-diem (FY2025) and modeled as a single filer taxed in Illinois. Your actual offer, metro, and tax situation will differ — confirm with a travel-tax professional.