Travel PT for Licensed PTs: Is It the Right Choice for You?
(Spoiler: Probably, unless you hate money, freedom, and hiking Bryce Canyon on the weekends)
Let’s paint a picture. You’re a licensed PT. You’re two years into your career. You’ve got student loans eating 1/3 of your paycheck every month and your coworker has spent the last two years telling every patient that their tight hamstrings are causing their back pain. You’re working full-time at a clinic where “Pizza Friday” is the only thing that ever changes—and it’s always cheese. No pepperoni, no pineapple (with ham of course), just cheese.
Now imagine this: It’s Friday, but you’re wrapping up your day in San Diego instead of Suburbia, USA. You’re about to grab fish tacos by the beach, and your paycheck? Yeah, it looks like it’s been eating protein and lifting. That’s travel PT. And yes, it’s real.
But is it right for you?
Let’s Talk About the Money (Because Obviously)
Here’s the thing—travel PTs make bank. Like, “I’m-suddenly-considering-first-class-flights” kind of bank. Compared to permanent positions, travel PT assignments often pay significantly more. And we’re not talking just a little bump. We’re talking tax-free stipends, hourly rates that make you question your life choices at that outpatient ortho job, and recruiters fighting over you like it’s the Bachelor and you’re the last rose. Read more about travel pay here
Higher pay = faster student loan payoff + more savings + room for impulse buys like $12 oat milk lattes and annual national park passes. Financial freedom? Yeah, it hits different when you’re not scraping together quarters to buy chipotle after a 10 hour shift.
Flexibility: Because 9-to-5s Are So 2010
Remember when you thought you’d be stuck at the same clinic for the rest of your life? Cue sad music. Travel PT kicks that fear right in the glute max. You can choose where you want to work, how long you want to stay, whether you want 32, 36 or 40 hour weeks and whether you take a break between contracts. Need a month off to backpack Southeast Asia or a few weeks to brain rot on tik-tok? Totally doable.
This isn’t a trap. It’s the kind of flexibility that lets you say, “Actually, I think I’ll work in Denver this fall,” and then do it. Or switch to Austin. Or Seattle. We absolutely loved our time California; it’s one of the highest paying states and housing was pretty affordable even with us living 10 minutes from the beach.
The Adventure: Not Just a PT—A Local (for a Little While)
One of the coolest parts of travel PT? You get to actually live in the places other people only visit on vacation. Not just scrolling Airbnb listings and saying, “We should go there sometime.” You’re grocery shopping there. Finding your favorite coffee shop. Figuring out which trail has the best sunset view or which taco truck hits hardest after a long eval day.
It’s not about constantly chasing adventure—it’s about building mini lives in new places. Maybe that’s morning hikes in Colorado before work. Maybe it’s walking to the beach after your shift in SoCal. Maybe it’s just discovering that the dive bar down the street has free pool on Wednesday nights.
It’s freedom with a paycheck. And for a lot of PTs, that’s the dream combo.
Travel PT turns your twenties into a highlight reel. You’re building your resume and a life story worth retelling. We are so happy that we made the jump into travel PT.
But What About the “Challenges”?
Okay, let’s be honest for a second. Is travel PT perfect? I mean… what is? (Besides Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups iykyk)
Yes, you switch jobs every 13-ish weeks. Yes, there’s paperwork. But the upside? You pick up new skills fast. You learn how to adjust, communicate, and navigate new systems with the kind of ease that comes from doing it over and over. By your third contract, switching clinics becomes fairly easy. Treatment doesn’t change it’s just the way you go about documenting it that changes.
And housing? There are Facebook groups, dedicated websites, and travel PT forums where everyone can help steer you in the right direction. It’s easy to compare rent prices and if you pay more you generally get more. We try to alternate between cheap housing and more moderately priced housing at every contract. Living in a shack humbles you, living in a million dollar mansion in California also humbles you (lots of dusting).
So – Should You Do It?
If you’re craving freedom, adventure, and a serious paycheck glow-up, travel PT is absolutely worth it. You don’t need to be 100% fearless. You just need to be curious enough to say, “What if I didn’t settle yet?”
Because here’s the truth: There’s no rule saying you have to stay in one place forever. Or that your twenties should consist of nightly Netflix and coworkers complaining about burnout. Or that your PT degree should come with the low-key depression of only treating TKAs and no longer being able to feel joy.
So take the leap. Eat tacos in San Diego. Climb in Denver. Two-step in Austin. You can always go “permanent” later—but why not live a little now?
And if you’re still on the fence? Just remember: You can always come back to cheese-only pizza Fridays. But you might not always have the chance to hike Zion between paychecks forever. Reach out if you have questions, we’re here to help!
Click here to return back to the Licensed Physical Therapist Guide
StartMedTravel 