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Travel nursing in Hickory, NC

The tax-free housing stipend ceiling in Hickory, NC is $791/week (about $3,428/month, GSA FY2027), plus up to $476/week for meals. Median 1-bedroom rent in Hickory is $940/month. Hickory has 2 hospitals; the most common charting system is MEDITECH Expanse. North Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it.

Updated October 2026

Housing ceiling
$791/wk
Meals & incidentals
$476/wk
License
Compact state
Hospitals (CMS)
2

Is your Hickory offer good?

Job boards show one weekly number. What matters is the split: tax-free stipends can't exceed the GSA ceiling for the standard GSA rate (Catawba County), and the rest is taxable pay. Example: a $2,300/week package with both stipends at the max is $1,267 tax-free and $1,033 taxable, about $29/hour over 36 hours.

Aim for $2,050–$2,750/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 $678–$1,378 a month for you.
Median 1-bedroom rent in Hickory: $940/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 Hickory

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 Hickory

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 Hickory? 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 Hickory (2)

North Carolina nursing license

North Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it.

Endorsement steps and every North Carolina stipend area →

Agencies travelers used in North Carolina

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

Nearby cities

Questions

What is the travel nurse housing stipend in Hickory, NC?
The most an agency can pay tax-free for housing in Hickory is $791/week (about $3,428/month) under GSA FY2027 rates for the standard GSA rate (Catawba County), plus up to $476/week for meals and incidentals. Agencies can pay less; anything above the ceiling is taxable.
How much is rent in Hickory for a travel nurse?
The median 1-bedroom rent in Hickory is $940/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 $3,428/month; whatever you pay below it is yours.
Is $2,300 a week good for a travel nurse in Hickory?
If both stipends are at the GSA maximum ($1,267/week tax-free), $2,300 leaves $1,033/week of taxable pay, about $29/hour over 36 hours. That is a reasonable taxable share. 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 North Carolina nursing license to work in Hickory?
North Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers it. Status per the NCSBN compact map, checked 2026-10-11.
How many hospitals in Hickory hire travel nurses?
CMS lists 2 hospitals in Hickory, NC: Catawba Valley Medical Center, Frye Regional Medical Center. Each page lists the hospital's stipend ceiling, charting system and reports from travel nurses.
What EHR do hospitals in Hickory use?
1 hospital uses MEDITECH Expanse, 1 hospital uses Oracle Health (Cerner), per the certified EHR each reported to CMS for 2023–2024.