Travel Therapy
Travel Therapy Jobs Across All 50 States
Travel therapy lets licensed therapists work temporary assignments at healthcare facilities that need staffing support, and it pays $1,100 to $2,600 per week in 2026 depending on discipline, with physical therapists at the top of the range. PT, OT, and SLP travelers with Gold Coast make a guaranteed minimum of $100,000-$130,000+ per year net, after taxes. Instead of committing to one employer long-term, travel therapists move between assignments, experiencing different clinical settings, geographic areas, and patient populations.
A typical travel therapy assignment includes:
- 8 to 26 week contract duration (13 weeks is most common)
- Tax-free housing stipend or company-arranged housing
- Travel reimbursement to and from the assignment location
- Full benefits, health, dental, vision, 401(k)
- Licensure support for the assignment state
- Option to extend if the facility and therapist agree
Travel therapy is available for all therapy disciplines: PT, PTA, OT, COTA, SLP, and RT.
About Travel Therapy
What Is Travel Therapy?
Travel therapy allows licensed therapists to take temporary assignments at healthcare facilities outside their home area. Contracts typically last 13 weeks, though extensions are common. Travel therapists receive higher pay than permanent staff, often 20% to 40% more, along with tax-free housing stipends, travel reimbursement, and full benefits.
For new graduates, travel therapy offers accelerated clinical growth through exposure to diverse patient populations and clinical environments. For experienced clinicians, it offers flexibility, adventure, and the ability to earn significantly more while exploring new parts of the country.
Why Gold Coast?
Gold Coast specializes in travel therapy placements and pairs every assignment with a setting-specific mentor, so whether this is your first travel contract or your twentieth, you have clinical support from someone who knows your exact setting.
- Above-market pay with transparent rate breakdowns
- Tax-free housing stipends or agency-arranged housing
- Free 1:1 mentorship, not a recruiter, a licensed clinician
- Positions in all 50 states, every clinical setting
- New graduate placements available (including PTLAs)
Disciplines We Place
Six Therapy Disciplines, One Agency
Gold Coast places six therapy disciplines in travel positions nationwide:
- Physical therapists, the highest-volume travel therapy discipline, with positions in every clinical setting from outpatient orthopedics to acute care hospitals
- Physical therapist assistants, travel positions in skilled nursing, outpatient, and home health settings
- Occupational therapists, strong demand in skilled nursing facilities, home health, acute care, and pediatrics
- Occupational therapy assistants, growing travel demand, particularly in skilled nursing and home health
- Speech-language pathologists, positions in skilled nursing, acute care, schools, and home health
- Respiratory therapists, hospital-based travel positions in acute care and long-term acute care settings
Each discipline has access to the same mentorship, housing support, and benefits.
Compensation
How Much Do Travel Therapists Make?
Travel therapy pay varies by discipline, setting, and location. Compensation includes base hourly rate plus tax-free stipends for housing, meals, and incidentals. Total weekly take-home is typically 20-40% higher than equivalent permanent positions.
Guaranteed minimum net pay with Gold Coast: PT, OT, and SLP travelers make a minimum of NET $100,000-$130,000+ per year, guaranteed. That is take-home pay, after taxes. PTA and OTA travelers net a minimum of $70,000 per year.
Typical travel therapy pay ranges (2026).
Travel therapy compensation includes:
- Above-market weekly pay, typically 30 to 50 percent more than permanent positions
- Tax-free housing stipend or agency-arranged furnished housing
- Tax-free meals and incidentals stipend
- Travel reimbursement to and from your assignment
- Transparent rate breakdowns provided before you accept any assignment
Pay varies by discipline, clinical setting, geographic location, and assignment urgency. Rural and hard-to-staff locations typically offer higher rates. Contact us or call (707) 908-9484 for a personalized rate breakdown.
Benefits Package
What Benefits Do Travel Therapists Receive?
Gold Coast travel therapists receive a comprehensive benefits package:
- Above-market pay with transparent weekly rate breakdowns
- Tax-free housing stipend or agency-arranged furnished housing
- Travel reimbursement for getting to your assignment
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Free, 1:1 mentorship from a setting-specific clinical expert
- EMR training before your start date
- Dedicated support throughout your assignment
- Liability coverage on Gold Coast's GL/PL policy
Clinical Support
How Does Mentorship Work for Travelers?
Gold Coast's mentorship program is the #1 reason therapists choose Gold Coast over other agencies:
- You tell Gold Coast your preferred clinical setting
- Gold Coast matches you with a licensed mentor who specializes in that setting
- Your mentor contacts you before your assignment starts, covering documentation systems, productivity standards, and clinical protocols
- During your assignment, your mentor is available for questions, clinical guidance, and career advice
- Mentorship continues through every assignment, not just the first one
Free 1:1 mentorship from setting-specific clinicians, included with every contract.
New Graduate Travel Therapy
Can New Graduates Do Travel Therapy?
Yes. Gold Coast actively supports new graduates in travel therapy, across all disciplines. New graduate support includes:
- 1:1 mentorship matched to your clinical setting before and during your assignment
- PTLA (Physical Therapist License Applicant) placements in eligible states, start working while your license processes
- Setting-specific orientation from a mentor who has worked in that exact environment
- Weekly check-ins during your first assignment
Travel therapy is one of the best ways for new graduates to build diverse clinical experience, increase earning potential, and find the setting that fits their long-term career goals. If you are starting to explore, our guide on how to become a travel physical therapist walks through licensure, timelines, and landing a first assignment, and our look at travel physical therapy in skilled nursing for new graduates makes the case for a strong first setting.
Common Questions
Travel With Pets? Tax Home Rules?
Yes. Many travel therapists travel with their pets. Gold Coast helps by sourcing pet-friendly housing options, identifying assignments in pet-friendly areas, and providing guidance on pet deposits and rental policies.
Tax home rules matter just as much. Whether your stipends stay tax-free depends on maintaining a tax home, and our guide to travel vs. local contracts and tax home rules explains how it works in plain language. And before you sign with any agency, ours included, it is worth reviewing these questions to ask a travel therapy agency.
Ready to Start Traveling?
Browse our open positions, apply online, and we will match you with a mentor in your preferred clinical setting. Whether you are a new graduate or an experienced clinician, Gold Coast has travel therapy opportunities across all 50 states.