How Does Travel Physical Therapy Work for PT Couples?

If you’re a physical therapist considering travel assignments with your partner, you might be wondering: Is it even possible for two PTs to land contracts together? The short answer is yes. You absolutely can travel as a PT couple. It takes a little more strategy and flexibility compared to solo travelers, but it works out fine. I am on my third assignment with my partner and have many more to go!

Finding Team Opportunities

When searching for jobs, you’ll want to specifically look for team opportunities, which are positions where two therapists can be placed together. While these aren’t as common as solo contracts, they definitely exist, and the demand for travelers has stayed strong. In fact, the travel therapy job market has remained hot since about 2021 (post-COVID), and there are no current signs of it slowing down.

Larger facilities, hospitals, and rehab networks are often more open to hiring two PTs at once, since their staffing needs are greater. That makes big cities and larger healthcare systems especially good places to find team placements.

That said, don’t limit yourself. Even if a job posting only lists a need for one PT, your recruiter may be able to reach out and see if the facility would consider taking two. It’s worth asking and you might be surprised how often it works out.

Flexibility is Key

As a PT couple, sometimes you’ll find two openings in the same setting (for example, both in acute care). Other times, you may need to be open to working in different settings at the same company. For example, one of us worked outpatient while the other worked inpatient—still at the same hospital system, which kept commutes and schedules manageable.

And here’s another tip: You don’t necessarily have to stick with the same travel agency. If one agency can’t place you both, you could each work with different recruiters to find positions in the same city. For instance, one of you might work home health or SNF while the other takes an outpatient assignment nearby. Just make sure to factor in housing and commuting when making decisions; choose a location that keeps travel times reasonable for both of you.

Coordinating Logistics Together

Clear communication is key when traveling as a PT couple. Make sure to coordinate with your recruiter on details like:

• Start dates (ours are always the same)

• Days off and schedules (especially if you want time to explore together)

• Floating expectations (discuss in interviews whether either of you may be asked to cover another site)

Having two vehicles is also a smart idea (really a must!). Even if you’re placed at the same facility, there may be days when one of you needs to float to another clinic or location.

One mistake we made on our current assignment was not asking about weekend scheduling. To our surprise, we showed up on day one and found out we were already scheduled for weekends without any say in the matter. It made planning our weekends more difficult than it needed to be. Lesson learned!

Benefits of Traveling as a PT Couple

While it may take more effort to line up contracts together, the perks are huge. You get to:

• Split housing and living expenses, making it easier to save money.

• Share the adventure of exploring new places together.

• Support each other during transitions and new work environments.

We’ve personally worked assignments side by side in acute care, and in other cases, we’ve split settings while still working for the same company. Both approaches have worked well and given us the freedom to travel while building our PT careers together.

Final Thoughts

Travel therapy as a couple is absolutely possible. You just need to be more flexible and have the right recruiters in your corner. If you’re open to working in multiple settings, you communicate your preferences, and you consider opportunities in larger cities, you’ll find plenty of contracts that work for both of you.

Traveling as a couple doesn’t only apply to two PTs. If your partner is a PTA, OT, SLP, or another allied health traveler, the same principles still apply. You can coordinate locations, housing, and schedules in very similar ways. Or if your partner works remotely in another career (tech, marketing, finance, etc.), travel therapy can still work seamlessly. As long as you have reliable housing and internet, a remote partner can keep their job while you explore new PT assignments around the country.

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