General · May 18, 2026
Which per diem calculator should you use?
Federal employees, airline crew, teachers, and truck drivers follow different rate systems. Match your profession to the right free tool on this site.
PerDiemCalculator.com hosts profession-specific tools because “per diem” means different things on your paycheck, your tax worksheet, and your employer’s policy.
Federal government travelers
Use the federal GSA calculator with ZIP or locality lookup, travel-day options, and meal deductions. Browse state hubs for FY lodging and M&IE caps by destination.
Airline pilots and cabin crew
Use the crew calculator for trip logs, GSA M&IE by airport, contract compare, schedule import, and free CSV/PDF exports—not the same as contract per diem pay.
Teachers and school staff
Use the teacher calculator for conference and field-trip travel with GSA rates plus state education rules, or enter custom district rates.
Truck drivers
Use the trucker calculator for IRS transportation industry rates ($80 CONUS / $86 OCONUS for the current period), CONUS vs OCONUS days, and an optional DOT 80% meal deduction estimate.
Travel nurses and allied health travelers
Use the travel nurse calculator at /calculator/nurse/ for assignment GSA lodging and M&IE by hospital ZIP, split housing vs meals stipend compare, and optional 75% travel-day M&IE. Read /guides/nursing/ for stipend caps and tax-home basics.
Locum tenens physicians
Use the locum calculator at /calculator/locum/ for facility ZIP lookup, weekly stipend vs GSA caps, and assignment dates—same framework as travel nursing. See /guides/locum/ for locum-specific guides.
Field sales representatives
Use the field sales calculator at /calculator/sales/ for territory trip GSA totals and accountable-plan compare (nightly lodging + daily M&IE vs federal caps). Read /guides/sales/ for accountable-plan and trip documentation basics.
Police officers and law enforcement
Use the police travel calculator at /calculator/police/ for training, court, and deployment trips—GSA lodging and M&IE by destination ZIP with optional department nightly lodging and daily M&IE compare. Read /guides/police/ for when per diem applies and how agency policy relates to GSA.
Hotel managers and hospitality corporate staff
Use the hotel management calculator at /calculator/hotel/ for property visits, audits, and conferences—compare company reimbursement to GSA caps. See /guides/hotel/ for corporate travel and multi-property trip basics.
Corporate travel teams
Finance and travel managers can model program-level savings with our travel ROI calculator at /calculator/roi/—separate from individual trip per diem.
Frequently asked questions
Which calculator should federal employees use?
Use the federal GSA calculator at /calculator/gsa/ for CONUS lodging and M&IE by ZIP or locality, travel-day options, and meal deductions. State hubs list FY caps by destination.
Are the calculators on this site free?
Yes. All profession calculators and the travel ROI tool are free planning aids. They use published federal rate data; verify final amounts with your employer, agency, or tax preparer.
What is the difference between the crew and GSA calculators?
The crew calculator is built for airline trip logs, airport lookup, contract compare, and exports. The GSA calculator is the general federal traveler tool—crew members often use both for different purposes.
Should travel nurses use the nurse calculator or the GSA calculator?
Use the travel nurse calculator for assignment dates, hospital ZIP lookup, and weekly housing vs meals stipend compare against GSA caps. The GSA calculator alone does not model agency stipend splits.
When should I use the travel ROI calculator?
Use /calculator/roi/ when you manage a corporate travel program and want to estimate payback and monthly savings from policy changes—not for individual trip per diem on a single itinerary.
Do police, hotel, and sales calculators use the same GSA data?
Yes. They share the same federal locality lookup for lodging and M&IE, with profession-specific labels and optional daily employer reimbursement compare fields.
People also ask
Should pilots use the federal GSA calculator?
Pilots and flight attendants often use GSA M&IE by layover city for tax worksheets, but contract per diem pay on a paycheck is separate. Use the crew calculator for trip logs and GSA M&IE estimates.
Can teachers use GSA per diem rates?
Yes, for many conference and overnight school travel scenarios. The teacher calculator applies GSA destination rates and optional state or district caps.
Why do truck drivers not use GSA tables?
Qualified over-the-road drivers who meet IRS rules generally use transportation industry M&IE rates ($80 CONUS / $86 OCONUS for the current period), not federal locality per diem.
Is crew contract per diem the same as GSA M&IE?
No. Airline contract per diem is wages; GSA M&IE is a federal benchmark often used for expense tracking and tax planning—not a substitute for your pay scale.
How do travel nurse stipends relate to GSA per diem?
Agencies often benchmark tax-free housing and meal stipends separately against GSA lodging and M&IE for the assignment city. Use the travel nurse calculator to compare each stipend to its own federal cap.
Do locum physicians use the same per diem rules as travel nurses?
Many locum contracts use the same GSA lodging and M&IE benchmarks for stipends. Use the locum calculator for facility ZIP and weekly stipend compare; rules still depend on tax home and assignment facts.
How does field sales per diem work with GSA?
Employers with accountable plans often reimburse lodging and M&IE up to GSA locality rates. The field sales calculator compares nightly lodging and daily M&IE reimbursement to those federal caps.