Is It Worth
Traveling?
Enter your home scale and rent. We show every active market ranked by what you'd actually net per month — after cost of living, state income tax, and per diem.
Effective hourly = scale after state tax + per diem monthly ÷ hours, adjusted for local cost of living index.
Housing estimates: typical extended stay or 1BR near job sites — not downtown rates. Per diem data from where2bro.com, GoHereBro, and verified community reports.
Always confirm current per diem with the dispatch hall before making the move. Numbers vary by contractor and project.
The Per Diem Playbook
Per diem is a daily allowance contractors pay travelers to cover meals and incidentals while working away from home. Under IRS rules, per diem paid at or below the federal GSA rate is completely non-taxable — you receive it as cash with no withholding. For most journeymen, this is the biggest financial lever in the traveling decision.
Per diem rates are not posted on most local dispatch pages — they're job-specific and contractor-specific. Where2Bro (Bo Moreno) and GoHereBro both surface per diem on specific active calls. Always ask the dispatcher: “Does this call include per diem, and at what rate?” before committing to a travel.
If you're in a 22% federal bracket + 5% state = 27% marginal tax rate, $125/day non-taxable per diem is equivalent to ~$171/day in taxable wages. Over 22 working days, that's $2,750/month non-taxable = equivalent to $3,767/month in wages. This is why travelers in high-per-diem markets often net more than locals in higher-wage markets.