How to Negotiate a Travel Physical Therapy Contract: Tips to Maximize Your Pay and Benefits

Negotiating a travel physical therapy contract can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. I recommend aiming to earn more than the initial number you’re quoted, even if the odds feel against you. With the right approach and a bit of insider knowledge, you can confidently advocate for yourself and secure contracts that truly reflect your skills and experience.

In this post, I’ll walk you through strategies to negotiate your pay package effectively. You’ll learn when to discuss pay, how to use competing offers to your advantage, what parts of the contract to negotiate, and how to leverage your experience (if applicable) for better deals. Let’s dive in.

1. Give a Pay Range Early to Filter Out Lower Paying Jobs

While many will tell you to wait until an offer is made to talk money, I mostly agree with that advice. However, in this situation, I recommend giving recruiters a pay range upfront before you review specific jobs or contracts. This helps weed out positions that don’t meet your baseline expectations and saves you valuable time.

You don’t have to be exact yet sharing a realistic range based on your experience, region, and setting will let recruiters know where you stand. For example:
“For an outpatient job in the Southeast, I’m targeting around $1900 to $2100 per week after taxes.”

This approach keeps the conversation open but will allow recruiters to focus on jobs that fit your financial goals.

2. Get the Pay Package Before the Interview and Wait for the Official Offer to Negotiate

Before the interview, the recruiter should provide you with a pay package or preliminary offer. This should include taxable hourly pay, stipends such as meals and housing, and reimbursements like mileage to the assignment, CEUs, and license fees. You may also receive an after-tax estimate, but if not, you can use an online tax calculator for the state where you’ll be working. Keep in mind that only your hourly pay is taxed—stipends are typically not so do the math accordingly. After the interview, hold off on negotiating until the recruiter presents the official offer. This approach lets you negotiate from a position of strength after they’ve invested time in you and want you for the job.

3. Use Competing Offers to Your Advantage (But Don’t Double-Submit!)

If you receive offers from multiple recruiters for similar jobs in the same geographic area and setting, use that to your advantage. Let your recruiter know you have a comparable offer with better pay or benefits and see if they can match or beat it.

Be transparent but professional. For example:
“I have an offer in [city/state] that includes higher pay. Would you be able to match that?”

Important: Never apply to the same job through two different agencies. Doing so can damage your professional reputation, lead to being denied the position altogether, and create confusion for the clients and facilities involved.

4. Know What You Can Negotiate

Negotiating isn’t just about weekly pay. You can negotiate a variety of contract elements to make the offer more valuable to you, such as:

• Continuing education (CEU) reimbursements

• Uniform reimbursements

• Licensing reimbursement amount

• Travel reimbursements

• Guaranteed hours

• Schedule (i.e. 4 10s or no weekends)

• Cancellation notice (30 days instead of 2 weeks)

Make sure any stipends or reimbursements comply with GSA limits if you want them to remain tax-free. Anything above those limits could be taxed by the IRS.

Important: Agencies usually have a set budget for each contract. If you negotiate higher reimbursements or benefits, they may adjust other parts of your compensation, such as hourly pay or stipends, to balance the overall package. So, a pay increase in one area often means a deduction elsewhere—it’s important to do the math and look at the total offer rather than focusing on one component alone. True raises come from an overall increase in pay, not just shifting numbers around.

5. Use Your Experience as Leverage

If you bring specialized skills, certifications, or extensive experience, use that as leverage during negotiations. Experienced therapists can often command higher pay or better benefits because they require less onboarding and can provide better quality care from day one.

If you’re a new graduate or don’t have experience in a particular setting, emphasize during the interview your ability to quickly get up to speed and your commitment to learning efficiently. Be sure to reiterate this to the recruiter as well, ensuring the clinic supervisor or manager understands you won’t require more training than a seasoned clinician. This helps build confidence in your value.

Mentioning your niche skills such as neuro rehab, pediatrics, vestibular, dry needling, or bilingual abilities can also give you an edge.

Bonus: Ask for More Money When Extending a Contract

f you’re offered an extension on your current assignment, it’s a great opportunity to revisit your weekly pay or even ask for a one-time extension bonus. Since the employer already values your work and wants to keep you, you have strong leverage to negotiate for more money. Don’t hesitate to ask for a raise—especially if you’ve proven yourself, taken on additional responsibilities, or contributed positively to the team.

Also, keep in mind that the facility may prefer to keep you rather than onboard a new traveler, which can cost them more time and money. That gives you even more negotiating power during an extension.

Final Thoughts

Negotiating your travel PT contract is about balancing professionalism with advocacy. Be clear about your pay expectations early to avoid wasting time, but wait until after interviews to negotiate specifics. Always let recruiters make the first pay offer, use competing offers ethically to your advantage, and remember you can negotiate any parts of the contract—not just your weekly rate.

Travel physical therapy offers incredible freedom and financial opportunity—but only if you know how to navigate the system. By applying these principles, you’ll be well-equipped to negotiate confidently and secure contracts that align with your goals, skills, and lifestyle.

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