Pay and Benefits

Excellent pay. Not only do we consistently rank at or near the top of the industry in our pay, we also quote our travel nurses and other healthcare professionals a total hourly rate for each assignment. If our travel or lodging expenses come in lower than expected, for example, the savings go to the traveler.

Medical benefits. Medical, dental and vision coverage are available through established, reputable carriers for all travel nurses and other healthcare professionals from day one. Coverage is also available for spouses and dependents.

401k plan. Our plan is available to all travelers who work 1000 hours or more during any 12-month period. A great way to provide for retirement income in a tax-advantaged way, the plan has a wide variety of funds to choose from to fit any retirement horizon.

Wide selection of assignments. We get dozens of requests every day from across the country for travel nurse jobs and travel assignments for other healthcare professionals. See a sampling of our travel assignments, or contact us for up-to-date information.

Loyalty bonuses. For any travel nurse or other healthcare professional who works two or more 13-week assignments (or over 1000 hours) in a year, we pay a bonus of $1/hour for each hour worked. That's about $2000 for a full-time employee!

Completion bonuses. Offered by some of our client hospitals, ranging from $500 to $5000 for completion of a travel assignment, these bonuses are passed on dollar-for-dollar to our travel nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Referral bonuses. Anyone referring a nurse or other healthcare professional gets a $500 referral bonus once that person completes a 13-week assignment.

Tax-free lodging reimbursement. We provide carefully selected, private quality housing convenient to our client facilities. Accommodations are fully furnished and include a variety of useful amenities. Travelers securing their own accommodations receive a generous housing allowance or a higher wage.

Meals and incidentals allowance. We provide a generous, tax-free allowance to cover meals and other expenses incurred while on assignment.

Tax-free travel reimbursement. We also cover the cost of getting to and from assignments, tax-free.

Tax-smart strategies. We want our travel nurses and other healthcare professionals to get the best possible compensation, but we are careful to follow existing tax law. When talking to any travel company, make sure the package you're being offered doesn't create tax trouble down the road. Our tax professionals make sure our healthcare professionals get the best possible compensation within the law.

Professional liability insurance. All Optimal healthcare professionals are covered from day one by our excellent, comprehensive professional liability insurance.

24-hour support. We're always available for our healthcare professionals - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our clinical managers all have extensive clinical experience themselves, so they're a great resource for any questions you might have.