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Travel nursing in Chicago, IL

The tax-free housing stipend ceiling in Chicago, IL is $1,416/week (about $6,136/month, GSA FY2027), plus up to $644/week for meals. Median 1-bedroom rent in Chicago is $1,325/month. Chicago has 27 hospitals; the most common charting system is Epic. Illinois is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a Illinois license by endorsement.

Updated October 2026

Housing ceiling
$1,416/wk
Meals & incidentals
$644/wk
License
Not a compact state
Hospitals (CMS)
27

Is your Chicago offer good?

Job boards show one weekly number. What matters is the split: tax-free stipends can't exceed the GSA ceiling for Chicago, and the rest is taxable pay. Example: a $3,100/week package with both stipends at the max is $2,060 tax-free and $1,040 taxable, about $29/hour over 36 hours. That taxable share is under 40%, which shrinks overtime, holiday pay and 401(k) contributions.

Aim for $3,700–$4,900/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 $1,236–$2,436 a month for you.
Median 1-bedroom rent in Chicago: $1,325/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 Chicago

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 Chicago

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 Chicago? 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 Chicago (27)

Illinois nursing license

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

Endorsement steps and every Illinois stipend area →

Agencies travelers used in Illinois

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

Nearby cities

Questions

What is the travel nurse housing stipend in Chicago, IL?
The most an agency can pay tax-free for housing in Chicago is $1,416/week (about $6,136/month) under GSA FY2027 rates for Chicago, plus up to $644/week for meals and incidentals. Agencies can pay less; anything above the ceiling is taxable.
How much is rent in Chicago for a travel nurse?
The median 1-bedroom rent in Chicago is $1,325/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 $6,136/month; whatever you pay below it is yours.
Is $3,100 a week good for a travel nurse in Chicago?
If both stipends are at the GSA maximum ($2,060/week tax-free), $3,100 leaves $1,040/week of taxable pay, about $29/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 Illinois nursing license to work in Chicago?
Illinois is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so you need a Illinois license by endorsement. Status per the NCSBN compact map, checked 2026-10-11.
How many hospitals in Chicago hire travel nurses?
CMS lists 27 hospitals in Chicago, IL: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Presence Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago, The University of Chicago Medical Center, University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics and others. Each page lists the hospital's stipend ceiling, charting system and reports from travel nurses.
What EHR do hospitals in Chicago use?
10 hospitals use Epic, 3 hospitals use Oracle Health (Cerner), 3 hospitals use MEDITECH MAGIC, 2 hospitals use MEDITECH Expanse, 1 hospital uses MEDITECH 6.x, 1 hospital uses MEDITECH Client/Server, per the certified EHR each reported to CMS for 2023–2024.