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How Does Travel Physical Therapy Work?
Learn how travel physical therapy works, from finding jobs with a travel PT recruiter to signing your contract. Discover how travel PT agencies work, where you can travel, and what happens when your contract ends.
9/5/20262 min read
If you’re considering travel physical therapy, you probably have a lot of questions. Who employs you? How do you find jobs? And how much control do you have over where you go?
Travel physical therapists are typically W-2 employees of a staffing agency. You’ll work with a recruiter from that agency to find available contracts, choose where you want to work, and sign a contract.
How Does a Travel PT Contract Work?
Most travel PT contracts are 13 weeks long, although you’ll occasionally see longer contracts, such as 26 weeks.
Healthcare facilities look to hire travel PTs when they have a temporary staffing need. For example, a PT may be out on maternity leave, recovering from surgery, taking an extended medical leave, or the facility may simply need coverage while they search for a permanent employee.
Once your contract ends, you may extend at the same facility, find another travel contract, or take some time off before your next assignment.
Who Do Travel PTs Work For?
Although you physically work at a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facility, you are employed by the travel staffing agency, not the facility itself.
The agency handles your payroll, tax withholding, and employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans. This means you are a W-2 employee, rather than an independent 1099 contractor.
What Does a Travel PT Recruiter Do?
Your recruiter is your main point of contact with the staffing agency. You’ll tell them what you're looking for in a contract, including your preferred location, setting, schedule, time off, and start date. You can obtain personalized recruiter recommendations from us for free here.
Your recruiter will then help you find available jobs that match your preferences and guide you through the application process, interview, credentialing, and contract.
You ultimately decide where you go. Your recruiter can present available opportunities, but you don't have to apply for or accept any jobs you don't want. Your options are simply limited to locations where travel PT jobs are available.
Where Can Travel PTs Work?
Travel PT jobs are available in all 50 states, although the number of openings varies depending on the location, timeframe, and setting. There are an abundance of jobs in states like California and Texas, while states like Hawaii and Utah tend to have fewer opportunities.
You can choose to travel to a completely new part of the country for each contract or stay within a region you prefer. There are also travel opportunities in some U.S. territories, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, although these opportunities are pretty rare.
Standard travel PT contracts will not allow you to work internationally outside of the United States, as working in another country would involve that country's licensing and employment requirements.
What Happens After Your Contract?
When your 13-week contract ends, you generally have three options:
Extend: Stay at the same facility if they still need you. Most facilities will allow you to take some time off between the extension.
Move: Take minimal time off and start another travel contract in a new city/state.
Take a break: Take some time between contracts to travel, visit family, or spend more time at home.
The important thing to remember is that you are not committed to traveling after your contract ends. You can continue taking travel contracts for as long as you want, but you can also take an extended break or accept a permanent position whenever you decide. There is no set amount of time you are required to work as a travel PT.
