There are 3 elements that drive decision-making as to where to accept a job as a traveling therapist: setting, location, and pay. Knowing how you value each of these three factors will help you (and your recruiter) determine which job is right for you.
Location
Some therapists may only want to travel to certain regions or states. Plus, you can only travel to the states you hold a license in. If you are going to be more specific on location, then usually, you may need to be more flexible with setting.
Setting
Some therapists are set on practicing in a certain setting or two, in which they must be more flexible with location. Now, I typically only work in home health and outpatient settings.
Pay
Some therapists are just out to make as much money as they can, in which case they would have to be willing to go to those opportunities, despite which setting or location. However, I do not advise this. No matter where you go, the pay will be good, six- figures good. But if you have a bad experience, no amount of money can make up for that. Know what I mean? Instead, I recommend you value a good experience over the pay-
Best Experience
Some new therapists say, “I don’t care where I go or which setting, I just want the right experience,” which is the best answer, in my opinion. As a new grad, ups should value the job experience over all others, and find a job that is going to be a good experience for you as a new grad. More on finding a good job for you as a new grad here.
Traveling as a Team
If you plan to travel with another therapist, then in this case, your first priority is- where ate there two jobs together, then, is it going to be a good experience/ fit for us. Typically, as a team, you have to be even more flexible with setting and location than if you were traveling alone as a travel PT.
Closing Tips:
- The more open you are to location and setting the more opportunities you will have. I always value setting and location over pay.
- Prioritize these three factors as it relates to what is important to you: location, setting, and pay. Knowing what is important to you as it relates to these 3 elements helps you to decide where to go.
- Write down the locations/ regions/ states that you want to travel to for work.
- Write down which type of setting(s) you want to work in as a physical therapist. I recommend you consider home care if you haven’t before. More on why you should consider working in the home care setting here.
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