Agency RN Cost Calculator

What are your agency RNs actually costing?

The bill rate is what the agency charges. This calculator shows the full loaded cost including stipends, onboarding, productivity gap, and the turnover your agency dependency is likely driving. Enter your numbers below.

Staff RN Hourly Wage
Average base wage for employed RNs
$ /hr
Benefits & Payroll Tax Rate
As % of base wage (typical: 28–32%)
%

Agency Bill Rate
What you pay the agency per hour
$ /hr
Monthly Housing Stipend (per RN)
Funded within bill rate; typical $1,500–2,500
$ /mo

Onboarding Hours per Contract
12 hrs
Hours of orientation per 13-week contract cycle
Productivity Gap (Weeks 1–4)
20%
Illustrative estimate; agency RNs ramp on new unit

Agency RN FTEs
Current agency RN headcount
Total Agency RN Hours (Last 12 Mo)
Auto-calculated: 10 FTEs × 2,080 hrs = 20,800 hrs. Override by entering a different number.

Staff RN
Fully Loaded Cost
Per productive hour
Agency RN
Fully Loaded Cost
Per productive hour
Cost
Multiplier
Agency vs. staff fully loaded
Annual Agency Cost Premium
What you'd save replacing agency with employed RNs
Break-Even: Monthly Retention Investment vs. Agency Premium
Spend up to this amount monthly on retention and still break even against your current agency cost
Diagnostic Insight
Enter your numbers above to see your personalized insight.
Results are modeled estimates based on your inputs and illustrative assumptions. Actual costs vary by market, specialty, and contract structure.

Ready to make agencies unnecessary?

These numbers are the starting point. The harder question is why the dependency exists and whether it's a retention, job design, or leadership problem.

Start a Conversation