We’re kicking off 2026 with a deep dive into the travel therapy job market, combining data from our recent conversations with top travel therapy staffing agencies plus our own insights and recommendations. If you’re looking to hit the road as a travel therapist this year, here’s what you need to know.
Status of the Travel Therapy Job Market
Good news first: the job market is running at full steam. After the usual holiday lull, January 2026 has brought a significant surge in new travel therapy job orders across all therapy disciplines. This means more opportunities for you to explore. The job market has remained very solid over the last several years with high demand for travel therapists all over the US. If you’re thinking of getting started as a travel therapist or continuing your travel therapy journey, now is a great time!
However, on the flip side: competition is high for desirable jobs. January is a popular time for therapists to make the change from perm jobs to travel therapy, and for new grads to start their careers by taking travel therapy jobs. While the volume of jobs is there, securing the right contract requires speed and strategy, especially when you’re looking at the more desirable locations!
Current Volume of Travel Therapy Jobs
The number of available jobs for travel therapists is continually fluctuating as the needs of facilities across the US change daily. But based on polling about a dozen travel therapy companies, below are the current ranges of available travel therapy jobs for each discipline. Keep in mind that smaller staffing agencies tend to have less job openings, while larger companies have more, thus the wide range.
- Travel PT: 200-1300 jobs
- Travel OT: 100-300 jobs
- Travel SLP: 100-700 jobs
- Travel PTA: 80-250 jobs
- Travel COTA: 50-175 jobs
Pay Rates: Stability Over Spikes
If you’re chasing those sky-high “crisis rates”, you aren’t going to see as many options as we did post-pandemic around 2022. The consensus among travel therapy staffing agencies is that pay rates have largely stabilized and leveled out. We’re not seeing massive spikes, but the job market remains strong enough to offer competitive pay that generally keeps pace with inflation. You may see some jobs paying in the $2500-3000 net weekly pay range, but the majority of travel therapy jobs are going to be hanging more around $1900-2200 weekly net for PTs, OTs and SLPs, with typical pay more in the $1200-1500 range for assistants.
When searching for the highest paying jobs, a key insight is to pay attention to how your assignment is contracted, whether it’s a “direct” or “VMS” job. We’re seeing a significant impact from Vendor Management Systems (VMS) due to the fees imposed cutting into pay rates. Assignments through these large job portals often result in $100-$200 less per week in take-home pay compared to “direct-contract” roles. Always ask your recruiter about the contract type and see if you can secure a direct contract with a higher net pay.
Where to Find the Action: Hot States & Settings
Let’s talk geography and specialty!
- Top States: California, Washington, and Massachusetts consistently lead the pack for volume of travel jobs. Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, and Missouri are showing consistent growth in travel job opportunities as well.
- PT Settings: Outpatient continues to have the most job openings for PT. For PTs looking to maximize earnings, Home Health often offers the highest weekly take-home pay, though it comes with its own demands. Rural Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are also consistently in high demand. And there’s plenty of hospital based PT jobs as well!
- SLP Settings: For our Speech-Language Pathologists, the School-based market is where it’s at! February and March mark the beginning of the “early bird” contract season for the 2026-2027 school year, so keep an eye out for opportunities for next school year if you’re a peds SLP. For medical SLPs, SNF has the highest demand followed by hospital and home health.
- OT Settings: Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) continue to dominate the needs for travel occupational therapists nationwide, followed by schools and hospitals. While the availability of OT jobs is lower overall compared to PT & SLP, you can still find great opportunities if you are somewhat open on settings and locations.
Travel Therapy Opportunities for New Grads
Good news for the Classes of 2025/2026! While the job market is competitive, new grads can absolutely find travel therapy jobs.
- New Grad PTs have the easiest path starting off their careers as travelers, due to high volume of open jobs and overall highest demand for PTs nationwide.
- New Grad OTs are also finding success as travelers, though it can be slightly more competitive.
- SLP-CFs face the biggest challenge, as placement hinges on securing sites willing to provide clinical supervision. Schools are your best bet if you’d like to do travel therapy during your CF year. Once you get your CCC’s, there are many more opportunities in all settings for Travel SLPs!
Our advice for new grads: Prioritize clinical support and mentorship over the highest dollar figure for your first contract. A supportive facility that helps you build confidence and experience is invaluable. Be flexible on location and setting; getting that first contract under your belt unlocks many more opportunities down the road. We want for you to have the best experience possible in your first placement as a new grad travel therapist. Then, once you get that first experience and feel more confident as a travel therapist, you can start chasing higher paying contracts and those bucket list locations. Keep in mind that some facilities may offer slightly lower rates for new grads, knowing that you may need more ramp up time. This is not always the case but for certain clients it is!
Raising the Bar: Professionalism as a Travel Therapist in 2026
Mutual respect and clear communication are paramount to the therapist-recruiter relationship in the travel therapy industry. Recruiters are real people who invest significant time and effort into finding you opportunities, often sacrificing personal time and working after hours to accommodate therapists’ schedules. “Ghosting” on interviews or submissions creates unnecessary stress and confusion.
Here’s what we recommend: If you’re no longer interested in a position or a company, a simple “thank you for your time, but I’ve found another opportunity” goes a long way. We also recommend that you never “double submit” for the same job through two agencies. This maintains your professional integrity and fosters stronger, more honest partnerships within the industry. Your recruiter is fighting for you, handling pay negotiations and advocating for you with facilities. Let’s make communication a two-way street and maintain professionalism with the travel therapy recruiters that we work with.
For more information and advice on how to handle working with multiple travel therapy recruiters in a professional way, check out this article: Why and How to Work with Multiple Travel Therapy Companies and Recruiters
Your Next Steps
The 2026 travel therapy job market is strong, but dynamic! Being on top of your game will help you to succeed as a travel therapist this year. Here’s what we recommend:
- Do your due diligence before getting started. Research the ins and outs of travel therapy so you know what you’re getting into. Our Travel Therapy 101 Series, plus other articles, videos and podcasts are a great place to start!
- Start talking to recruiters 2-3 months ahead of when you anticipate beginning your first travel therapy job. Fill out our Recruiter Recommendation Form to get personalized recommendations from us for your situation!
- Get your state licenses ahead of time, and have all your information ready to go for the recruiters so you can get your onboarding and credentialing done in a timely manner and avoid delays with your start date.
To hear our full update on the travel therapy job market for 2026, check out our Job Market Update Video here: January 2026 Travel Therapy Job Market Update on YouTube
We’re here to help you navigate it all. What are your biggest questions about the current travel therapy job market? Let us know in the comments below, or send us a message here.
Additional Resources:
- How to Become a Travel Therapist
- Travel Physical Therapy (Travel PT)- The Ultimate Guide
- Debunking Travel Therapy Myths
Written by Whitney Casazza, PT, DPT – Whitney has been a traveling physical therapist since 2015. She has become an expert in the field of travel healthcare through her experience, research, and networking over a decade. She and her husband and fellow Travel PT, Jared, are the Travel Therapy Mentors.
