Why this site exists
Almost every "travel therapy pay guide" online is either produced by an agency (in which case it's marketing disguised as information) or scraped-together SEO content from people who've never touched a travel contract. The result: information that's technically true but strategically useless. "Acute care pays more than SNF." Sure, on average. That's not going to help you negotiate next Tuesday's offer.
This site exists because travel PTs deserve information written by people who understand how contract rates are actually set, who've negotiated contracts from both sides of the table, and who have no reason to hide the unflattering truths about the industry.
What we cover
Real pay economics
The supply-and-demand dynamics that actually determine your contract rate, not just the averages by setting or state.
Negotiation leverage
How to read a contract posting for leverage, what questions to ask recruiters, and how to counter-offer effectively.
Pay package mechanics
What's actually in your pay package — taxable wages, stipends, reimbursements — and what changes your take-home.
Industry honesty
Where agencies add value, where they extract it, and how to tell the difference. What recruiters won't volunteer unless you ask.
Who this site is for
Physical therapists and PTAs who are traveling, considering traveling, or in a contract and thinking about the next one. The content assumes you know what a stipend is, what a W-2 is, and the basics of how travel contracts work. If you want a "Travel Therapy 101" introduction, there are other sites for that. This one goes one layer deeper.
Our position on agencies
Agencies aren't the enemy. Travel therapy as a career couldn't exist without the staffing infrastructure they provide. But agency incentives and traveler incentives aren't identical — agencies make more money when pay packages are weighted in ways that benefit them, when they can fill a role with any candidate rather than the best candidate, and when travelers don't know what "standard rate" actually means in their specific situation.
Our bias is toward the traveler. When that bias conflicts with what an agency wants you to believe, we side with the traveler every time.
About sponsored content
This site features sponsored partner content — currently from ProTherapy Staffing, a PT-owned travel therapy agency. Sponsored content is clearly labeled with "Sponsored Partner" tags and visually distinct branding (light blue and black) so you can tell what's editorial and what's paid placement.
The editorial content — the guides, the pay analysis, the negotiation advice — is not influenced by sponsored placements. If we write that agencies sometimes hide taxable wage structures to inflate apparent tax-free portions, that's true whether our sponsored partner does it or not. We don't soften critique because of sponsorship.
Get in touch
Have feedback, corrections, or a specific question? Use the contact form and we'll route it appropriately. If you're a working travel PT with insights or data you'd like to contribute, we're always interested — especially pay data from recent contracts, negotiation wins, or setting-specific context we're missing.