Travel Physical Therapy (PT) – What You Need to Know in 2024

This article is a guest contribution by Laura Latimer, MOT, owner of Nomadicare! Laura shares her key takeaways from years of working in the travel space, initially as a clinician, and then as an industry expert who matches recruiters with travelers. If you’re interested in travel physical therapy, travel occupational therapy, or travel speech-language pathology as a means to grow your non-clinical skills, stave off burnout, or earn some extra money, Laura has SO much insight to offer!

My experience as a travel therapist

When I first started traveling (I’ve been in the industry for about 12 years now), I had never heard of a bill rate, a tax home, extra time, extensions, or contract clauses.

You know what I had heard of? New York City.

And I found out about this thing called travel healthcare that would help me get there! I was elated by the idea of getting paid to travel as an occupational therapist. I was in full blown “pinch me” mode when I learned that this option even existed!

I was definitely someone who jumped in without asking a lot of questions. I was confident in my clinical skills, I was ready to accept that not everything would be perfect, and I made sure to have the right (positive) mindset about any and all experiences headed my way.

I ended up traveling to places I would have never imagined! Bali, Thailand, Australia, and of course New York are just a few that I was able to cross off my bucket list when working as a travel therapist!

Things started to change

Eventually, my focus changed just a bit. Instead of focusing on my travel goals and ambitions, I started listening to travelers around me.

I knew the pain points they were dealing with, because I was dealing with them too. I knew they didn’t have a resource to find all the unbiased knowledge they wanted and needed, because I didn’t have one either.

And, I was certain that there were zero companies that were vetting recruiters to make sure they were trustworthy and transparent.

So, I did it again.

I dove head-first into another adventure. And I created a solution to those pain points, a resource for unbiased knowledge, a company that vets recruiters BEFORE they talk to travelers. And part of that solution is to spread awareness and knowledge of the travel industry, so those like me can go live their dreams—and maybe cross a couple locations off their bucket list while they’re at it!

So, that’s my story. But let’s step back and talk a bit more about travel therapy (these points apply to PT, OT, and SLP professionals, by the way) so you can determine if it’s right for you…

Pros of travel physical therapy

There are pros and cons to anything in life, but one thing is for sure: you’ll have an exciting life as a travel PT! If you have any doubt about this, just check the Instagram hashtags #travelptlife #travelslplife or #travelotlife. The pictures alone would make anyone want to put in their notice and hit the road ASAP to get to their favorite locations!

My goal is to ensure you are empowered in your knowledge—and that means telling you the ups and the downs of picking travel therapy as a career option!

Travel physical therapist salary ($105,516/year)

One of the best aspects of being a travel physical therapist is the PAY! Travel therapists typically earn more than permanent staff, in large part because of tax-free money options.

The thing is, you have to really trust your recruiter and understand the nuances of pay to ensure you’re getting a good rate. One reason I started Nomadicare is that I wanted to make sure that I matched my colleagues (who were my FRIENDS, too) with recruiters who wouldn’t be shady or “creative” about what they shared regarding pay.

So, as I said, travel physical therapists make bank. According to ZipRecruiter at the time of this article’s most recent update, a travel physical therapist job pays an average of $105,516/year. Depending on where you travel and what types of settings you’re in, you can make more than that.

Living locally and having awesome adventures on your days off

A huge perk of a travel assignment is that you can do as the locals do! You can attend local festivals, enjoy the best family-owned restaurant in town, or simply discover the swimming holes or uncrowded hiking trails only locals know.

Personally, I always try to find the best coffee in town as my very first adventure in a new city! One time, during a travel contract, I stumbled upon a local Christmas event in Cambria, CA. It was called the Christmas Market and it had two million Christmas lights (not an exaggeration!) to walk through.

My travel career made that unique experience possible!

You get comfortable with being uncomfortable

With travel physical therapy jobs, there is no shortage of opportunities to experience self-growth and development. You will constantly be learning about new clinical systems, new ways of life, and what you like and don’t like.

You will be challenged on the regular. It makes you a stronger and more adaptable person. Those are some pretty awesome perks. Those skills also translate really well into non-clinical PT and non-clinical OT and non-clinical SLP jobs, as well discuss in a moment 🙂

No clinic drama

A short-term contract means that there isn’t enough time for you to get stuck in drama at work (a permanent position can definitely increase those odds). Instead, you can be that awesome traveler who doesn’t get bogged down with drama that the permanent staff might endure.

Flexibility of time off (the elusive work-life balance!)

Travel PT jobs give you flexibility. If you want to save up money to travel around Bali for a month, then you can do it! Or if you want to take two weeks off between your contracts just because, then go right ahead. One of the biggest complaints burned out therapists have is lack of flexibility or sense of agency over their time.

Travel PT, OT, and SLP contracts give you the chance to work when you want, where you want, and for whom you want. Priceless!

When you’re a travel PT, there’s no need to worry about getting a month of vacation approved. You don’t have to explain anything to anyone. After you finish a travel therapy job, you don’t owe time to anyone but yourself!

Not the hospital, and not the healthcare staffing agency. You are free to live a schedule of intention and have true control of work-life balance!

Professional growth

When you travel, you see SO many ways different hospital systems and therapists treat patients around the country. It’s an an eye-opening experience, and there is a 110% chance you will grow as a clinician, as well as a professional on the whole.

Each travel therapy job will teach you more and more. Whether you’re working in an outpatient clinic, a hospital, a skilled nursing facility or a variety of health settings, you will most certainly learn and improve your skills—which is a huge benefit for your healthcare career. Even if you decide to leave patient care at some point, you’re learning valuable transferable skills, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

Decreased burnout

Physical therapy burnout is a real thing. But getting increased time off, not having to deal with office politics, and enjoying a change of scenery every few months can help loads with feeling burned out. There are so many unique job opportunities and travel positions available to you. If you’re unhappy in a given contract or location, you’ll always have an end in sight—and you can just go somewhere else!

You build non-clinical skills as a travel therapist

Last, but certainly not least for readers on this website, travel PTs build SO many valuable non-clinical skills.

You learn plenty of soft skills, such as:

• Adaptability/flexibility
• Communication
• Resourcefulness
• Negotiation
• Independence
• Collaboration
• Time management
• Efficiency
• So much more!

You also build so many hard skills, like:

• EMR skills galore
• Documentation and chart reviews
• Care coordination
• And pretty much anything specific you learn for a travel job, such as wound care, DME ordering, etc.

Travel physical therapy cons

If I were to do it all over again, would I be a traveler? YES! But did I end up in a moldy Airbnb? Endure awkward assignments with terrible management? Get tired and lonely being the new girl sometimes? YES!

While I believe the good far outweighs the bad with travel PT, we can’t forget that for every amazing thing that comes with travel, there are some challenges we choose to take on, too.

You will have to “hit the ground running”

A travel therapist is expected to be clinically competent right away, whereas there might be more training and mentorship in a permanent position. This might be a deal-breaker for you, depending on how confident you are in your clinical skills.

You absolutely CAN be a traveler as a new grad PT, OT or SLP professional—but I do recommend some of these ways to get prepared ahead of time!

• Find a mentor you love and trust
• Study in your free time
• Take the initiative to ASK QUESTIONS when you need to!

Whether you have questions about travel therapy itself, assignments, settings, or anything else—just ask someone! That is the quickest way to learn and grow confident within any travel physical therapy job.

No paid time off

We travelers only get paid for the hours we work. When I first learned about this, I was not thrilled.

But it’s what we sign up for as contractors, and it is fair! I eventually realized that, despite not accruing PTO, we typically make more money with our travel therapy jobs.

With a bit of planning, I’d be able to save up a financial nest egg to cover me during time off. I would rather make more money for each day I work, but plan ahead so I could cover the occasional sick day.

Finding short-term housing can be tough

While some companies offer to find temporary housing for you, that’s the fastest way to make less money than you could otherwise.

I highly, highly recommend that you find your own housing! That said, I will raise my hand high and admit that doing so might be the worst part of this lifestyle.

Tip: be cautious of terms like “bonus options” and “free housing.” There is no such thing as free housing. It’s always going to wind up coming out of your pay!

Contracts can get canceled

The travel lifestyle can be unpredictable.

You could be 1,200 miles into your trip and already have a lease that you’ve signed (ahem, another tip: try not to sign leases longer than 30 days at a time) …then the worst happens. The contract gets cancelled.

Unfortunately, we have no control over this—and neither do our recruiters. The facilities and hospitals hold all the power on this one. Be ready to roll with it. (Also, make sure you have a two-week or four-week notice in your contract.) See where those soft skills of negotiation, adaptability, and flexibility come into play?

Health insurance gaps

Depending on your healthcare staffing agency, there could be an option for day-one health insurance. It means that on your first day of work, you are covered.

But, it may also mean as soon as your last day passes, you’re no longer covered. There are some plans that start the first of the month after you begin work. Or some that start within 28 days of your contract after the first month (what the heck!)

Anyway, see what I mean? Not only is it super confusing, but you could easily have gaps in coverage without meaning to. Savvy travelers often work with several companies so they can easily switch between travel employment opportunities. As you might have figured out by now, getting your own insurance is usually a very good move!

Navigating recruiters and companies

Recruiters are salespeople.

Many are friendly and awesome humans who genuinely want to help you get to your dream assignment location. But almost all of them are working for commission checks—and they are incentivized to talk us into jobs or pay us less than they could.

Knowing who to trust is hard! And it could cost you thousands of dollars a month (that could’ve gone towards your student loans) if you are working with the wrong recruiters.

You must have at least 2-3 recruiters you can trust if you want to be successful as a travel PT (or OT or SLP or assistant).

This is why we created Nomadicare! We have an intense interview process that recruiters go through to get approved for travelers! And, on top of that, we have access to thousands of their jobs. When you sign up for Nomadicare (for free), we will match you to two recruiters that have been fully vetted as honest and kind—and they have jobs where you want to go (yes, there are jobs where you don’t want to go as a traveler). Plus, did I mention that using Nomadicare to travel is completely FREE?

By the way, you are not obligated to use the recruiters with whom Nomadicare matches you. But, oh-my-goodness, we are SO good at this—and it will save you so much time!

These are all things to carefully weigh as you decide to take on life as a travel therapist. There are lots of players at hand, so it’s a lot to manage. But high risk…you guessed it! It means high reward. The freedom and discovery of travel is worth it for some, but it’s not the lifestyle for everyone!

5 steps to start a travel physical therapy career

Travel therapy is not a dream. This is not even crazy. This is something a lot of healthcare providers choose to do. And most end up so glad they took the leap into becoming a traveler. I myself am one of those “crazy travelers” who could not be happier that I said yes to this lifestyle and career path! It takes a bit of bravery, a slice of preparation, and a side of clinical experience. But, to be really honest, it’s not hard to get started. Many times, the hardest part is just making the decision to go for it and then taking the first few steps!

1. Make sure you have enough experience to get started! 

As I said above, you can absolutely travel as a new grad PT! There isn’t a “rule” on how much experience to have before traveling. It all depends on how you feel as a clinician!

If you’re like, “Hey. I got this. I feel confident and I’m a quick learner that isn’t afraid to ask questions!”…then yes—go for it!

If you’re feeling more like, “I’d feel better getting some work experience under my belt first,” then absolutely do that! Check in with yourself and see what you’re comfortable with—and remember that you will be expected to be clinically competent right away!

2. Make sure you fully educate yourself on the travel world (including travel PT salary, etc.)

This is where some self-education will come into play! You’ll want to understand taxes, the state of the travel industry, and things like tax homes and what you can expect to make in various settings and locations.

Some travelers are surprised to learn that recruiters are not the best resource for learning all about the travel industry. But luckily, there are so many (free) resources out there for you to learn everything you need to know!

Nomadicare highly recommends Travel Tax for tax education, but we also provide our own tax blogs, videos, and other resources to make you feel confident. We can also help with market education and pay research.

You can also check out our job board (which is updated daily) to see where the jobs are and what the pay is looking like in your desired locations!

3. Understand licensure requirements for travel PT. Know how and where you want to get a license!

You need a separate license to work in each state (but requirements vary). The good news is that PTs actually have a compact licensure option now…woohoo! That means you purchase a PT compact privilege, and participating states will recognize your ability to practice there.

This saves you the hassle of getting licensed in each individual state. Here’s a quick summary on how it works: once you have the PT compact and are already licensed in your home state, you will just pay a fee for each additional state, take the jurisprudence exam (if required), and then start practicing in that other compact state! Does that sound good to you? Hint hint… it is!

4. Make sure you work strategically with the best 2-3 recruiters/companies for you!

Working with 2-3 different recruiters/companies is essential for your success as a travel therapist!

First of all, it’s really important to realize that not every travel company has access to the same jobs. So, if you only work with one company, your options might be super limited.

Secondly of all, you’ll WANT options. Options like different locations, different pay packages, and different experiences as far as benefits, resources, etc. that a company can offer! Think of it this way… if you really wanted a Jeep, would you go to one dealership and buy the first Jeep you saw? And then only buy Jeeps from that dealership forever? Nope. You’d shop around, do your research, and find a Jeep that is best for you (without any drama or guilt).

If you limit yourself to one company and one recruiter, you won’t see everything that could be available to you.

On the flip-side, don’t actively work with more than three companies at a time. It would be exhausting and would make your job search less productive in the long run!

5. This is important…just take the leap! 80% of it is truly your mindset.

Read this a few times if you need to, friend! You WILL make mistakes. It’s part of the unknown and excitement of this travel life.

You don’t have to know everything right away. You don’t have to try and micromanage everything. Let yourself learn and enjoy the ride!

And remember, it’s supposed to be a little bumpy for travelers, what fun adventures don’t include a few bumpy backroads? Let go of any strict expectations and have fun. It’s a really, really exciting career path that so many people love!

And, I know I’m biased, but it would be a very wise decision to use Nomadicare as a free(!!) resource as you embark on this journey! We were build by travelers for travelers. We have your best interests in mind because we want travelers to enjoy this lifesty. We offer a hot job board (that is updated daily) so you can see what’s out there. We can custom-match you to transparent, vetted recruiters who can get you the jobs you want, where you want. Plus, we have an incredible blog section of information for you to soak up (as well as an Empowered Travelers Show Youtube channel (if you’re more of a viewer/listener type)! I can’t wait for you to check us out!

Happy travel adventures, everyone!