Since starting as new grad travel physical therapists in 2015, we’ve learned firsthand the incredible opportunities and unique challenges this career path offers. When we first considered travel physical therapy jobs, the landscape felt overwhelming. Information was scattered, often vague, or tailored towards travel nurses, not specifically for PTs. We were searching for a clear guide to navigate the world of travel physical therapy jobs, but it simply didn’t exist. Through experience, and learning many things the hard way, we decided to create Travel Therapy Mentor to share our knowledge and help aspiring travel PTs avoid the beginner mistakes we made.
What are Travel PT Jobs and Why Choose This Career Path?
One of the most compelling aspects that initially drew us to Travel Pt Jobs was the potential for higher earnings. As new graduates considering permanent positions in our hometown, the starting salaries felt underwhelming, especially when facing significant student loan debt. We heard whispers of travel physical therapists earning considerably more, but solid information about salary expectations and pay structures was scarce. Understanding travel PT job pay can seem complex initially, particularly with tax-free stipends, but once you grasp how take-home pay compares to traditional hourly or salaried roles, it becomes much clearer. Travel PT jobs offer a unique financial advantage.
Discussing travel PT job pay in terms of a fixed annual salary is often misleading. Each contract varies in its compensation package, and travel physical therapists have the flexibility to choose how many weeks they work annually. Furthermore, the guaranteed hours per week can fluctuate from contract to contract. This inherent variability makes a traditional “salary” concept less applicable to travel PT jobs. If you’re seeking clarity on compensation, resources like our guide to travel physical therapy pay and our travel therapy pay 101 article can be incredibly helpful in demystifying the financial aspects of travel PT jobs.
Exploring the Landscape of Travel PT Jobs: Settings and Locations
Facilities across the country rely on travel PTs for a multitude of reasons, creating a consistent demand for travel PT jobs. Common scenarios include covering therapists on leave (maternity, injury), managing sudden patient surges, or filling vacancies when a permanent PT departs unexpectedly. Rural areas, in particular, often face ongoing staffing challenges, making them frequent locations for year-round travel PT jobs as they struggle to attract permanent therapists to these less populated regions. This demand translates into a wide variety of travel PT job opportunities across diverse settings and locations.
Diverse Settings for Travel PT Jobs
Travel PT jobs are available in a wide spectrum of healthcare settings, offering therapists the chance to gain experience in various patient populations and treatment environments. You can find travel PT jobs in:
- Hospitals: Working in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, or specialized units.
- Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs): Providing rehabilitation services to patients requiring short-term or long-term care.
- Home Health: Delivering therapy services directly to patients in their homes.
- Outpatient Clinics: Treating patients with musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions in a clinic setting.
- Schools: Working with children and adolescents with developmental or physical disabilities.
This variety ensures that travel PT jobs can cater to different professional interests and skill sets.
Location, Location, Location: Finding Travel PT Jobs Across the US
Travel PT jobs span the entire United States, offering the incredible opportunity to explore different cities, states, and regions while advancing your career. Whether you dream of working in bustling urban centers or prefer the tranquility of rural landscapes, travel PT jobs can take you there. Popular destinations often include states with high demand and attractive pay rates, such as California, Texas, and Florida. However, opportunities exist in every state, and your location choices can be influenced by factors like:
- Desired Climate and Lifestyle: Do you prefer mountains, beaches, or city life?
- State Licensing Requirements: Some states have quicker and easier licensing processes than others.
- Pay Rates and Cost of Living: Balance higher pay with the cost of living in a particular area.
- Personal Preferences: Do you have family or friends in a specific region? Are you looking to explore a new hobby or interest tied to a location?
Travel PT jobs offer the flexibility to explore diverse locations and settings across the United States, allowing therapists to tailor their career to their lifestyle preferences.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Landing Travel PT Jobs
Finding travel physical therapy jobs is readily achievable through several avenues, with the majority of therapists securing positions through travel staffing companies and recruiters. While independent contracting is an option, it often involves more administrative burden and risk, making it less common. Recruiters and staffing agencies serve as crucial intermediaries, connecting therapists with available travel PT jobs that match their criteria.
Navigating the Travel PT Job Search: Recruiters and Companies
Recruiters act as your personal job search assistants in the travel PT world. They work for staffing companies and specialize in matching therapists with suitable job openings. The typical process involves:
- Connecting with Recruiters: Reach out to multiple travel therapy companies or complete a recruiter recommendation form to get connected with recruiters who specialize in your desired settings and locations.
- Job Presentations: Recruiters will present you with travel PT jobs that align with your preferences regarding location, setting, and pay.
- Application and Submission: You choose the jobs you’re interested in, and your recruiter submits your application to the facility.
- Interview: If the facility manager is interested, they will schedule a phone interview with you.
- Offer and Acceptance: If the interview goes well and the contract terms are agreeable, you accept the travel PT job offer.
It’s essential to ask insightful questions during the interview to assess the facility environment and ensure it’s a good fit for you. This proactive approach helps in avoiding potentially negative work experiences as a travel therapist. For a comprehensive understanding of the process, our Step by Step Guide provides detailed instructions on searching for and preparing for a travel therapy contract.
Choosing the Right Travel PT Company: Key Considerations
The travel staffing company and your recruiter play a pivotal role in your overall travel PT job experience. With numerous agencies specializing in travel physical therapy, selecting the right one is crucial. Asking questions about the travel company and recruiter is vital to ensure they align with your needs and preferences.
Factors to consider when choosing a travel PT company include:
- Pay and Benefits Transparency: A reputable company will be upfront about pay rates, stipends, and benefits packages.
- Benefit Options: Evaluate health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits offered, ensuring they meet your personal needs.
- Recruiter Communication and Support: A good recruiter is responsive, proactive, and understands your career goals.
- Job Availability in Desired Locations and Settings: Some companies specialize in certain regions or settings, so ensure they have opportunities that match your interests.
- Company Reputation and Reviews: Research company reviews and seek feedback from other travel therapists.
Working with multiple travel companies and recruiters can broaden your job search and provide more options, especially if you are targeting very specific locations. Our recruiter recommendation form can connect you with reputable recruiters who are a good fit for your individual circumstances.
Ace Your Interview and Secure Your Travel PT Job
The interview is your opportunity to impress the hiring manager and determine if the travel PT job is the right fit for you. Preparation is key to a successful interview. Focus on:
- Reviewing the Job Description: Understand the specific requirements and responsibilities of the position.
- Researching the Facility: Learn about the facility’s patient population, services, and mission.
- Preparing Questions to Ask: Inquire about caseload expectations, documentation systems, team dynamics, and on-call responsibilities.
- Highlighting Relevant Skills and Experience: Emphasize your clinical skills and experience that align with the job requirements.
- Professional Demeanor: Be punctual, professional, and enthusiastic during the interview.
Our article on interview tips for travel therapy jobs provides further guidance on how to prepare and excel in your interview.
Essential Requirements and Logistics for Travel PT Jobs
Embarking on a career in travel PT jobs involves understanding certain logistical and professional requirements. These aspects, while sometimes appearing complex, become manageable with proper planning and information.
Licensing and Credentialing for Travel PT Jobs
A fundamental aspect of travel PT jobs is state licensure. Yes, you generally need to obtain a physical therapy license in each state where you intend to work. Licensing requirements vary by state and can include background checks, transcript submissions, exam scores, and jurisprudence exams. The process can sometimes be lengthy, so starting the licensing process well in advance of your desired start date is crucial.
Fortunately, the Physical Therapy Compact (PT Compact) simplifies licensing for eligible therapists. The PT Compact allows therapists licensed in participating states to practice in other compact states without obtaining additional licenses. This significantly streamlines the process and expands job opportunities for travel PTs. Understanding the PT compact and your eligibility is essential for efficient licensing.
Travel PT Jobs with Companions: Traveling Solo or with Partners
While many travel PTs embrace solo travel, traveling with a partner (another PT, healthcare worker, spouse, or pet) is definitely feasible. Traveling as a pair requires additional planning, particularly in coordinating job locations and housing. Finding two travel PT jobs in the same vicinity can sometimes be more challenging, and housing logistics may require extra effort. However, the companionship and shared adventures can greatly enhance the travel experience. We have extensive experience navigating travel PT jobs as a pair and offer insights into the pros and cons. Similarly, traveling with pets or a non-healthcare spouse requires specific considerations, but is absolutely achievable with proper preparation.
Housing and Accommodation for Travel PT Jobs
Securing short-term housing is a common concern for travel PTs, and availability can vary depending on the location. However, in most areas of the US, finding suitable housing is manageable. While travel companies can assist with housing arrangements, it’s often financially advantageous to secure your own housing and utilize the housing stipend, which is a significant component of your compensation package. Our guide to travel therapy housing 101 provides comprehensive information on housing options, resources, and things to consider.
Another popular option for travel PTs is traveling with a camper or RV. RV living offers flexibility and eliminates the need to constantly search for short-term rentals. While RV life has its own set of pros and cons, it can be a great housing solution for some travel therapists.
International Travel PT Jobs: Opportunities and Challenges
While international travel PT jobs exist, they are less common and often present more complexities compared to domestic opportunities. Obtaining visas, navigating degree equivalency requirements, and securing licensure in foreign countries can be time-consuming and challenging. Furthermore, international travel PT jobs may not be as abundant as US-based positions, and pay rates can sometimes be lower. Language barriers can also be a consideration.
Instead of pursuing work overseas, many travel PTs leverage their higher income and flexible schedules to enjoy international travel for leisure between contracts in the US. This approach allows you to experience different cultures without the hurdles of international job placements. However, for therapists specifically seeking international work experience, opportunities do exist in countries like Australia and Belgium, although these often involve longer-term commitments rather than short travel contracts.
Contract Length and Extensions in Travel PT Jobs
The standard length for travel PT contracts is 13 weeks, although durations can vary from as short as 3 weeks to as long as 9 months. Facilities are often open to negotiating contract lengths, so if a travel PT job is appealing in other aspects but the contract duration isn’t ideal, it’s worth discussing your preferred length during the interview process.
Contract extensions are common in travel PT jobs. If you enjoy your assignment and the facility has continued needs, extending your contract for an additional 13 weeks (or more) is often an option. Extensions provide stability, reduce moving expenses, and can sometimes come with a pay increase or extension bonus. However, extension availability depends on the facility’s ongoing staffing needs.
The Travel PT Career Path: Short-Term Adventure or Long-Term Lifestyle?
The duration of a travel PT career is entirely personal and varies greatly. Some therapists undertake a single travel contract before transitioning to a permanent position, while others have thrived as travel PTs for over a decade. The average travel PT career spans a couple of years, but many, like ourselves, have built a long-term career out of travel therapy.
We view travel PT jobs as an alternative lifestyle that provides exceptional flexibility and time off to pursue personal interests and travel for leisure. There are diverse types of travel physical therapists, and your career goals may evolve as you gain experience in the field.
Negotiating Your Worth: Maximizing Pay in Travel PT Jobs
Understanding pay negotiation is crucial for maximizing your earning potential in travel PT jobs. Negotiation dynamics are highly context-dependent, varying with each situation. Your ability to negotiate effectively hinges on factors like:
- Demand for the Position: High-demand specialties or locations with staffing shortages provide more leverage.
- Your Qualifications and Experience: Specialized skills and extensive experience enhance your negotiating position.
- Facility Urgency: Facilities with immediate staffing needs may be more willing to negotiate.
- Market Pay Rates: Research typical pay ranges for similar travel PT jobs in the location and setting.
If you are a strong candidate for a position with limited applicants and urgent needs, you have greater negotiating power. Conversely, in desirable locations with ample candidates, aggressive negotiation may lead to losing the contract. The key to successful negotiation as a travel PT is to assess your leverage and understand when to advocate for higher pay and when to be more flexible. Developing your negotiation skills is a valuable asset in your travel PT career.
Starting Your Travel PT Career
We hope this guide has addressed your key questions about travel PT jobs. If you’re eager to delve deeper, our guide to getting started and our Travel Therapy 101 Series offer comprehensive resources. For those seeking structured guidance to launch a successful and financially rewarding travel PT career, our comprehensive travel therapy course provides in-depth video content, helpful guides, and resources. Don’t hesitate to request recruiter recommendations to connect with reputable agencies and recruiters to begin your travel PT job journey. For any further questions or topics we haven’t covered, please contact us – we are here to support you!
Additional Resources:
Jared Casazza
