Travel Therapy FAQ

For Therapists · Getting Started

Are New Graduates Able to Do Travel Therapy?

Yes. Gold Coast Healthcare Staffing is one of the few agencies that places new graduates in travel therapy positions. We also partner with select facilities that accept Physical Therapist License Applicants (PTLAs), allowing new graduates to begin traveling before full licensure is complete.

Every new graduate receives dedicated mentorship from a clinician who specializes in their assigned clinical setting. Your mentor prepares you for the documentation, productivity expectations, and patient populations you will encounter, so you walk in ready, not anxious.

Learn more about our mentorship program

Can You Work as a Travel Therapist With a Temporary License?

Yes. Several states issue temporary licenses that allow therapists to practice while their full license application is being processed. The availability and duration of temporary licenses vary by state and discipline.

Gold Coast can guide you through the temporary licensing process for your destination state and help identify facilities that accept temporary-licensed clinicians.

What Is the Process for Licensing in Multiple States?

Each state has its own licensing board and requirements for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. If you plan to work in multiple states, you apply for licensure in each state separately, unless you qualify for the Physical Therapy Compact.

The licensing process typically involves:

1. Submitting an application to the state board
2. Providing educational transcripts
3. Passing or transferring exam scores
4. Completing a background check
5. Paying state licensing fees

Processing times vary from a few weeks to several months. Gold Coast can help guide you through the licensing process for your target states.

Choosing an Agency

How Do I Choose the Right Travel Therapy Agency as a New Graduate?

When evaluating travel therapy agencies as a new graduate, prioritize these factors:

• Mentorship — Does the agency provide clinical mentorship from someone who has worked your setting? Most do not. Gold Coast provides free, setting-specific mentorship with every placement.
• Pay transparency — Does the agency provide a clear rate breakdown before you accept? Avoid agencies that are vague about compensation.
• Clinician-owned vs corporate — Agencies founded by clinicians understand travel therapy from the inside. Gold Coast was founded by licensed physical therapists who have traveled themselves.
• Support model — Will you have access to a real person throughout your assignment, or just a call center?
• Reviews and reputation — Ask current and former travelers about their experience.

Is There Mentorship Available With Travel Therapy?

At Gold Coast, mentorship is included with every single placement, free of charge. We provide 1:1, setting-specific mentorship from licensed clinicians. Our mentors cover skilled nursing, home health, outpatient, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, long-term acute care, and pediatrics.

Most staffing agencies do not offer mentorship of any kind. Gold Coast was founded specifically because its founder experienced what happens when a therapist is placed in an unfamiliar setting without support.

Pay, Perks & Housing

How Much Do Travel Therapists Make Compared to Permanent Positions?

Travel therapists typically earn 20% to 40% more than their permanently employed counterparts. Compensation includes a taxable hourly base rate plus tax-free weekly stipends for housing, meals, and incidentals.

Gold Coast provides transparent rate breakdowns before you accept any assignment. Call (707) 908-9484 for a personalized breakdown.

What Are the Pros of Being a Travel Therapist?

Travel therapy offers several significant advantages over permanent employment:

• Higher pay — travel therapists typically earn 20% to 40% more than permanently employed clinicians in the same setting
• Tax-free stipends — housing, meals, and incidentals stipends are tax-free when you maintain a valid tax home
• Diverse clinical experience — exposure to different patient populations, treatment approaches, and clinical environments accelerates your professional growth
• Geographic flexibility — work in any state, explore new regions, and choose locations that match your lifestyle
• Free mentorship — at Gold Coast, every assignment includes setting-specific mentorship at no cost

Do Travel Therapists Receive Employment Benefits?

Yes. Benefits are available from day one and are included with every Gold Coast placement:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Free 1:1 mentorship from a setting-specific clinician
• Liability insurance coverage (GL/PL policy)
• Housing support (agency-arranged or stipend)
• Travel reimbursement
• Dedicated support throughout your assignment

How Do You Find Housing for Short-Term Assignments?

Travel therapists typically choose one of two housing options:

• Agency-arranged housing — Gold Coast secures furnished housing near your assignment. You move in with no upfront deposits or lease obligations.
• Housing stipend — You receive a tax-free stipend and arrange your own housing through platforms like Furnished Finder, Airbnb, or local short-term rental listings.

Both options have advantages. Agency-arranged housing is simpler. Self-arranged housing gives you more control and may allow you to pocket the difference between your stipend and actual cost. Gold Coast offers both, and your representative will discuss which fits your situation when you accept an assignment.

Contracts & Taxes

How Long Are Travel Therapy Contracts?

Standard travel therapy contracts are 13 weeks. This is the industry standard and applies to most travel positions across all disciplines and settings. Some assignments may be shorter (8 weeks) or longer (26 weeks), depending on the facility's needs. Extensions beyond the initial contract are common if both you and the facility want to continue.

How Long Can You Stay in One Area?

Contracts are typically 13 weeks with possible extensions. However, the IRS generally considers assignments exceeding 12 months in a single location to be “indefinite” rather than “temporary,” which can affect your eligibility for tax-free stipends. If you plan to extend in one area, consult with a tax professional to understand the implications for your tax home status.

What Are the Tax Home Rules for Receiving Stipends?

To receive tax-free stipends for housing, meals, and incidentals, the IRS requires you to maintain a “tax home” — a permanent residence where you incur regular expenses while you are away on assignment. Key requirements:

• Maintain a permanent residence that you own or lease
• Pay ongoing expenses at your tax home (mortgage/rent, utilities, insurance)
• Return to your tax home between assignments or at regular intervals
• Keep assignments temporary, generally under 12 months in one location

Tax home rules are one of the most misunderstood and financially significant aspects of travel therapy. Gold Coast strongly recommends working with a tax professional who specializes in travel healthcare.

Lifestyle Questions

Can You Travel in Your Home State?

Yes, you can accept travel therapy assignments in your home state. However, assignments close to your tax home may not qualify for tax-free stipends, because the IRS stipend benefit is based on the concept of duplicating living expenses while away from home. Consult a tax professional for guidance on your specific situation.

Is It Possible to Travel With Pets?

Yes. Many travel therapists travel with their pets, and pet-friendly housing options are available in most markets. Whether you choose agency-arranged housing or find your own, pet-friendly options exist in virtually every location. Let your recruiter know about your pet when you accept an assignment so housing arrangements account for their needs.

What Are the Cons of Being a Travel Therapist?

Travel therapy is not without challenges:

• Frequent relocation — moving every 13 weeks requires flexibility and planning
• Adapting to new teams — building rapport with new colleagues and learning new systems with each assignment
• Distance from home — being away from family, friends, and your established community
• Benefits variability — benefits may differ between agencies and assignments
• Tax complexity — maintaining a tax home and tracking stipends requires careful financial management

Gold Coast's mentorship program mitigates many of these challenges. Having a mentor who has navigated these same transitions gives you a resource most travel therapists do not have.

Can Travel Therapy Help Pay Off Student Debt?

Yes. The combination of higher pay and tax-free stipends makes travel therapy one of the most effective strategies for paying off student loans. Many travel therapists dedicate their stipend savings to loan repayment and significantly reduce their debt within the first few years of traveling.

Settings & Disciplines

What Settings Are Available as a Travel Therapist?

Gold Coast places travel therapists in seven clinical settings:

• Outpatient rehabilitation — general orthopedics, sports orthopedics, pelvic health, hand therapy, aquatic therapy, vestibular therapy, and lymphatics
• Inpatient rehabilitation — neurological, orthopedic, and amputation recovery
• Acute care — adult and pediatric hospital-based therapy
• Long-term acute care — extended hospital stays requiring intensive rehabilitation
• Skilled nursing facilities — post-acute, sub-acute, and long-term care
• Home health — geriatric and pediatric populations
• Pediatrics — school-based, outpatient, and home health

What Are the Risks of Travel Therapy as a New Graduate?

The primary risk is being placed in an unfamiliar clinical setting without adequate preparation or support. Different documentation systems, patient populations, and productivity expectations can overwhelm a new clinician who has not been properly oriented.

This is exactly the problem Gold Coast was founded to solve. Our mentorship program pairs every new graduate with a clinician who specializes in their assigned setting, eliminating the “sink or swim” experience that drives many new travelers out of the profession.

What Is the Difference Between Travel Therapy and a Local Contract?

Travel therapy involves temporary assignments at facilities away from your permanent residence, typically in a different city or state. Travel therapists receive tax-free stipends for housing and meals in addition to their taxable base pay, and contracts are usually 13 weeks.

Local contracts are temporary assignments at facilities near your home. Because you are not duplicating living expenses, local contracts do not include tax-free stipends. Pay is typically lower than travel contracts but does not require relocation. Both options are available through Gold Coast.

For Healthcare Facilities

How Fast Can Gold Coast Fill Open Therapy Positions?

Most positions are filled in under 3 weeks. For urgent needs, we can often present candidates within days. Our track record includes placing 3 physical therapists within 3 days of signing a staffing agreement and providing 8 clinicians to rural facilities in under 2 months.

Request staffing

What Are Gold Coast's Staffing Fees?

Our permanent placement fee is 10% of the hired clinician's annual salary, compared to the industry-standard 25% to 30%. There are no retainer fees and no upfront costs. You pay only when a clinician is successfully placed.

Learn about permanent placement

What Guarantees Does Gold Coast Offer?

Full refund if the placement does not work out within 3 months. Prorated reimbursement from month 3 through month 6. Replacement search at no additional fee.

Zero retainer fees and zero upfront costs. We begin searching for candidates immediately, and you pay only when a position is filled.

What Disciplines and Settings Does Gold Coast Staff?

Gold Coast staffs physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, speech-language pathologists, and respiratory therapists across all 50 states.

We cover outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation, acute care (adult and pediatric), long-term acute care, skilled nursing facilities, home health (geriatric and pediatric), and pediatrics (school-based, outpatient, and home health). Every clinician receives setting-specific mentorship, EMR training for their assigned facility, and day-one preparation — which is why our on-time start rate has been 98% since founding.