🏥 PRN / Per Diem Pricing Calculator
PRN (as needed) and per diem shifts command premium rates because there are no guaranteed hours and the worker can decline any shift. This calculator, straight from Dee's How To Charge workbook, prices those premium shifts and then pressure-tests the compensation plan behind them: the PRN scheduler who fills shifts at 5am, the account executive who signs facilities, and whether the company still profits under a W2 or 1099 model. Run your numbers once free; the $27 one-time unlock keeps every section live forever and includes the Excel workbook.
Base rates (from your contract staffing)
PRN (as needed) and per diem shifts command premium rates because there is no guaranteed schedule and the worker can decline any shift.
PRN premium settings
Typical: 15-30%.
Typical: 20-40%.
Role 1: PRN scheduler / coordinator (W2)
The scheduler manages the float pool: sourcing PRN-eligible workers, maintaining credentials, and filling last-minute shift requests. Not glamorous, but it is the backbone of a PRN business.
Market range: $38,000 to $55,000. PRN schedulers work irregular hours including nights and weekends on call.
Small flat bonus per shift confirmed and worked. Range: $3 to $10 per shift; it adds up fast at volume.
Higher bonus for urgent fills. These are the hardest to fill and the most valuable to the client.
Role 2: PRN account executive (W2)
The PRN AE signs new facility contracts, grows shift volume, and owns the relationship with the facility's staffing coordinator. Commission anchors to GP spread per hour, not bill rate.
Market range: $45,000 to $65,000 for a PRN-focused AE.
Range: 6-10% of GP, anchored to the spread per hour rather than the bill rate.
Range: $250 to $750.
Role 2B: PRN account executive (1099 commission-only)
The 1099 PRN AE is commission-only with no base salary. All inputs here are fully independent of the W2 role.
Range: 10-16%, higher than W2 because there is no base.
Slightly higher than W2: with no base, one-time bonuses carry more weight.
Estimates for planning, not financial advice. Rates, premiums, and burden numbers are the workbook's guidance ranges; your market and your carriers decide the real ones.
Does this resonate?
PRN staffing is a volume machine. Build the agency around it.
If filling premium shifts sounds like your kind of business, the platform can turn it into a real plan: positioning, licensing checklist, and the week-by-week path from first facility contract to a full float pool.
Build my launch plan free →Good questions about this math
What premium should PRN and per diem shifts carry?
The workbook's guidance is a 15 to 30 percent pay premium and a 20 to 40 percent bill premium over your regular contract rates. The premium exists because there is no guaranteed schedule: the facility pays for flexibility, and the worker gets paid for being on call.
Why is the bill premium higher than the pay premium?
Because last-minute coverage is worth more to the facility than the extra pay is to the worker. Setting the bill premium a notch above the pay premium widens your spread on exactly the shifts that are hardest to fill, which is what funds the scheduler who fills them.
What does a PRN scheduler cost and how should I pay them?
The sheet models a $38,000 to $55,000 base (they work irregular hours including nights on call) plus per-shift fill bonuses of $3 to $10 and a higher bonus for fills under 4 hours notice. At 150 shifts a month the bonuses become a meaningful part of their pay, which is the point: their income scales with fills.
Should my PRN account executive be W2 or 1099?
The calculator runs both. W2 pairs a base salary with 6 to 10 percent commission on gross profit; 1099 is commission-only at 10 to 16 percent. At low shift volume the 1099 model keeps your fixed cost near zero; as monthly hours grow the W2 math often wins. The side-by-side section shows the crossover for your numbers.
Why do this calculator's answers differ from the original spreadsheet?
The source sheet's compensation section contained wrong-row references (for example, the commission formula multiplied the annual salary instead of the commission rate). This version implements the corrections documented in the committed spec, so the totals reflect the sheet's intent. The corrections are footnoted on the page.
Do I get the Excel version?
Yes. The $27 unlock includes the standalone PRN / Per Diem workbook from Dee's How To Charge master, plus the START HERE guide tab, yours to download and keep.
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