How I Paid Off My Student Loans Fast as a Travel Therapist

Intro

When people hear that I paid off my student loans in just a few years while traveling the country as a physical therapist, they often assume I had some kind of shortcut. But the truth is, it was a mix of planning, hustle, and being intentional with both my income and spending.

According to the APTA, the average PT finishes school with around $150,000 in student loan debt. That said, I’ll be upfront. I started with much less debt than the average physical therapy grad. Thanks to a combination of in-state tuition, living with family, working part-time, and using a 529 plan I’d saved from undergrad, I graduated with well under the average amount of debt.

BUT, I know from running calculations that I would have been able to pay off the average PT school debt within a few years if I had been in that situation. I was able to save and invest well over the national average debt for PTs while living a solid lifestyle. I slowly paid back debt over 2–3 years and aggressively invested the difference.

Why I Took on Less Student Loan Debt

A few smart decisions early on helped set me up for a strong financial foundation:

• I went to an in-state undergrad college and PT program, which significantly lowered tuition.

• I lived with family during grad school, saving thousands in rent and living expenses.

• I had scholarship money left over from undergrad that carried into grad school.

• I completed my bachelor’s degree in three years, shaving off a year of tuition.

• I worked part-time during PT school when possible.

• I used a 529 plan that I’d saved from undergrad to help cover expenses.

These moves allowed me to graduate with a far more manageable amount of debt.

How Travel PT Boosted My Income

Once I graduated, I knew I wanted two things: financial freedom and freedom to explore new places. That’s what led me to starting travel physical therapy.

As a travel PT, I consistently earn 1.5x to 2x the pay of a traditional full-time staff physical therapists given my level of experience. On top of that, travel contracts will give you a tax break due to receiving tax-free stipends from duplicating expenses/maintaining a tax home.

Stacking Income With PRN Work

In my first few years of travel therapy, I also worked 1–2 weekends a month at PRN jobs. This gave me a good income boost and I still felt fresh going to work.

My PRN job was very flexible, I was able to schedule shifts around my travel contracts and time off. This made it easier to stay on track with my financial goals without giving up the freedom that drew me to travel PT in the first place.

How I Budgeted on the Road

I wasn’t just earning more but I tracked all my expenses.

Each contract, I set financial goals and built a budget around them. My strategy looked like this:

1. Calculating fixed expenses: Rent including duplicating expenses, monthly student loan payment, groceries on average, insurance, gym, etc.

2. Setting a savings goal for each contract.

3. The money left over became my “free spend” budget for things like eating out, leisure travel, and hobbies.

I tracked my weekly spending, and if I overspent one week, I would simply dial it back the next. This flexible but intentional approach helped me stay consistent without feeling deprived.

I Still Traveled for Fun but Strategically

One of the best perks of travel therapy is the flexibility to travel more! But I didn’t let fun derail my financial goals. I made it a point to travel for leisure affordably and often usually using credit card points.

On average, I took one flight per month, often paying very little out of pocket thanks to travel credit card rewards. (You can check out my Travel Credit Cards section if you’re curious which ones I use and recommend.)

This allowed me to explore amazing destinations while paying down the debt I had and building wealth.

TLDR

Paying off my student loans quickly wasn’t about luck. It was about being strategic with:

• My school choices

• My job type

• My side hustle

• My spending

• And my mindset

I must say that becoming a travel PT was the most important factor. Even if you're starting out with a lot of debt, travel physical therapy offers a powerful opportunity to change your financial trajectory and be debt-free. With higher income potential and flexibility, it's very realistic to make huge progress on your loans and still live an adventurous life.

You have the potential to go from six figures of debt to financial freedom in just a few years if you work hard and stay consistent to your plan!