Honest advice, practical guides, and real experiences from travel PTs, OTs, and SLPs. No fluff, no sponsored content — just what you need to know.
About this site
Travel Therapist Life is published by ProTherapy Staffing for PTs, OTs, SLPs, and assistants doing — or thinking about — travel work. Every article here comes from clinicians who have lived it: the 13-week rhythm, the tax-home math, the housing scramble, the quiet week two in a new city. The stuff worth knowing before a first contract — written the way a colleague would tell you.
From morning clinic to post-work hikes in the Rockies. A full day breakdown of what travel physical therapy really looks like when you're living and working in Denver.
Read Article →Higher pay, tax-free stipends, and aggressive budgeting made it possible.
Read Article →An unbiased comparison of travel therapy versus permanent positions. Covering pay, benefits, career growth, lifestyle, relationships, and who each path is actually best for.
Read Article →What to bring, what to leave behind, and the gear that makes 13-week travel therapy assignments easier. A comprehensive, field-tested packing list.
Read Article →How to do travel therapy as a couple. Finding dual contracts, sharing housing stipends, budgeting together, and keeping your relationship strong while moving every 13 weeks.
Read Article →10 hard-won lessons from a travel therapist's first contract. Tax homes, agency selection, contract questions, housing mistakes, licensure timelines, and the emotional reality nobody warns you about.
Read Article →An honest comparison of every major travel therapy setting. Which pays the most, which offers the best clinical growth, and how to choose strategically.
Read Article →A complete guide to traveling with your pet on therapy assignments. Pet-friendly housing, vet care logistics, road trip tips, budgeting for pet costs, and making it work long-term.
Read Article →An unfiltered assessment of the financial gains, clinical growth, lifestyle rewards, and the personal costs.
Read Article →The emotional side of travel therapy that social media doesn't show. Practical strategies for handling loneliness, building connections in new cities, and maintaining relationships.
Read Article →The real story on travel therapy health insurance. Agency plans, marketplace alternatives, avoiding coverage gaps between contracts, and what to do if your plan is terrible.
Read Article →Gaps between assignments are structural, not a failure. What creates them, why insurance breaks first, the housing overlap problem, and a plan working backwards from your end date.
Read Article →The U.S. Department of Labor says: “Currently, there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave.” Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Sick Leave, read October 4, 2026.
HealthCare.gov says: “You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days OR expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days .” Source: HealthCare.gov: Special Enrollment Period, read October 4, 2026.
HealthCare.gov says: “If you choose to end COBRA coverage early, you’ll have to wait until next Open Enrollment to get Marketplace coverage” Source: HealthCare.gov: COBRA coverage, read October 4, 2026.
Every listing shows its weekly pay.
No spam. No obligation.