✦

Travel nursing in Santa Barbara, CA

The tax-free housing stipend ceiling in Santa Barbara, CA is $1,572/week (about $6,812/month, GSA FY2027), plus up to $644/week for meals. Median 1-bedroom rent in Santa Barbara is $2,111/month. Santa Barbara has 2 hospitals; the most common charting system is Epic. California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a California license by endorsement.

Updated October 2026

Housing ceiling
$1,572/wk
Meals & incidentals
$644/wk
License
Not a compact state
Hospitals (CMS)
2

Is your Santa Barbara offer good?

Job boards show one weekly number. What matters is the split: tax-free stipends can't exceed the GSA ceiling for Santa Barbara, and the rest is taxable pay. Example: a $3,300/week package with both stipends at the max is $2,216 tax-free and $1,084 taxable, about $30/hour over 36 hours. That taxable share is under 40%, which shrinks overtime, holiday pay and 401(k) contributions.

Aim for $4,100–$5,450/month in rent (60–80% of the ceiling). Landlords often price right up to the ceiling; with a stipend at the max, staying in that range keeps about $1,362–$2,712 a month for you.
Median 1-bedroom rent in Santa Barbara: $2,111/month across all renters. New furnished short-term leases cost more, sometimes far more in tight markets, so check listings near the hospital before you accept.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25031 (median gross rent, 1 bedroom). Includes utilities and long-time tenants.
Check an offer in Santa Barbara

Free, no account. It checks the stipends against the ceiling for your exact dates and shows what you keep after rent. Only have a job post? Paste it into the decoder.

What travelers were offered in Santa Barbara

No offers shared yet. Pay is published as medians once 3 travelers have shared, so no one's offer can be singled out.

Got an offer in Santa Barbara? Share it anonymously

Shared by travelers: the taxable rate and stipends from their offer, never their name, and agencies aren't named per hospital. Figures are rounded medians from the last 24 months when there are enough, otherwise all time.

Hospitals in Santa Barbara (2)

California nursing license

California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a California license by endorsement.

Endorsement steps and every California stipend area →

Agencies travelers used in California

No agency has 3 reviewed contracts in California yet. Review yours or see all agencies.

Nearby cities

Questions

What is the travel nurse housing stipend in Santa Barbara, CA?
The most an agency can pay tax-free for housing in Santa Barbara is $1,572/week (about $6,812/month) under GSA FY2027 rates for Santa Barbara, plus up to $644/week for meals and incidentals. Agencies can pay less; anything above the ceiling is taxable.
How much is rent in Santa Barbara for a travel nurse?
The median 1-bedroom rent in Santa Barbara is $2,111/month (Census ACS, all renters, utilities included). That includes long-time tenants, so a new furnished short-term lease usually costs more. The housing stipend ceiling is about $6,812/month; whatever you pay below it is yours.
Is $3,300 a week good for a travel nurse in Santa Barbara?
If both stipends are at the GSA maximum ($2,216/week tax-free), $3,300 leaves $1,084/week of taxable pay, about $30/hour over 36 hours. Under 40% of the package is taxable, which usually means lower overtime, holiday and 401(k) pay; ask how overtime is calculated. Whether it's good depends on your rent: housing that costs less than the stipend is money you keep. Check the exact split for your dates with the free offer checker.
Do I need a California nursing license to work in Santa Barbara?
California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a California license by endorsement. Status per the NCSBN compact map, checked 2026-10-11.
How many hospitals in Santa Barbara hire travel nurses?
CMS lists 2 hospitals in Santa Barbara, CA: Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Each page lists the hospital's stipend ceiling, charting system and reports from travel nurses.
What EHR do hospitals in Santa Barbara use?
2 hospitals use Epic, per the certified EHR each reported to CMS for 2023–2024.