Travel Therapy as a New Grad in 2023

Is travel therapy as a new grad a good idea in 2023?

In the summer we get lots of questions about whether it’s a good time to travel as a new grad. This is because most students graduate in May and take their board exams in either April or July, then plan to start their careers sometime between May-September.

PTs, OTs, and SLPs considering starting their careers as travel therapists has gotten a lot more popular since we began traveling as new grad physical therapists in 2015. There are a variety of reasons for this, including more exposure to the concept from social media. But, in my opinion, the biggest reason is increasing tuition costs, and subsequently higher student loan debt. With salaries for permanent therapy jobs remaining very stagnant, many therapists are very disillusioned with the debt to income ratio they face upon graduation.

Since almost everyone understands that you can earn significantly more money as a travel therapist, taking travel therapy assignments is enticing for those wanting to pay down their loans quickly or just invest money for their future. Some new grad therapists who are willing to hustle as travelers are able to make multiple six figures in their first year out of school.

The travel therapy job market can swing wildly from year to year, which can make a big impact on the feasibility of traveling as a new grad therapist. So, each summer is a good time to revisit this topic.

Is Traveling as a New Grad a Good Idea?

Before we get into the travel therapy job market and the outlook for travel therapy as a new grad in 2023, let’s address the elephant in the room. Is this actually a good idea for new grads?

Nearly every student considering travel therapy as a new grad is told by professors and/or clinical instructors that it’s a bad idea. This was certainly what we heard when we were physical therapy students. The interesting thing about this is that the majority of those opinions come from therapists who never actually traveled themselves. They’re usually just relaying horror stories that they’ve heard over the years about bad travel contracts. While there are certainly bad contracts out there, it’s easier than ever to avoid those contracts with all of the information available now.

With thorough interviews and asking the right questions, we’ve been able to largely avoid bad contracts in our years of traveling. After traveling as new grads ourselves and mentoring thousands of other new grad travelers, we’ve learned that the truth is that the vast majority of new grad travelers have a great experience, with there being many more pros than cons.


I recently wrote an article for the MedBridge blog discussing the three major reasons that new grads should consider travel therapy, which I encourage you to check out if you’re on the fence about pursuing this path.


With all of that being said, pursuing travel therapy right out of school certainly isn’t for every new grad. You need to be confident in your evaluation and treatment skills, and adaptable to new and changing situations. If you are uncertain or don’t feel comfortable in your final clinical internships, then there’s no harm in working for a year or two in a permanent position prior to embarking on your travel therapy journey.

If you’re on the fence about it, then this article should help you determine if travel as a new grad is right for you.

Pursuing Travel Therapy as a New Grad in 2023

The travel therapy job market has been pretty strong for the past two years, for both new grads and experienced therapists. Many therapists left the field completely in 2020 due to a sudden drop in caseloads, with many being laid off or fired from their jobs, and they then decided to retire or pursue other career options. Once patient census returned to normal levels, this left the healthcare industry with staffing shortages. The shortage of healthcare workers, combined with increasing demand in all settings as the population ages, has meant a huge increase in need for therapists.

We saw record numbers of travel therapy jobs at the end of 2021 and into 2022, which gave travel therapists lots of room to negotiate due to the supply/demand imbalance. It became common to see much higher pay packages during this timeframe than in prior years. At the end of 2022 into the first half of 2023, things began to stabilize, with slightly fewer jobs and slightly lower pay, but still elevated compared to the norm. All in all, the travel therapy job market remains strong with lots of open jobs for travel therapists and high pay packages.

To hear the full scoop on the current travel therapy job market, watch our most recent Travel Therapy Job Market Update from July 2023.

Because the travel therapy job market is currently very strong, this summer is a great time to start traveling as a new grad! Facilities are eager to fill open positions, and many will be willing to train and/or mentor new grads as they get started in their careers.

Differences Across Disciplines for Traveling as a New Grad

It’s important to note that the demand for travel positions is not the same across all disciplines. Currently, the demand is the highest for physical therapists, followed by speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapist assistants, and last being occupational therapy assistants.

With this in mind, it means that the disciplines which have lower demand will have higher competition among candidates for travel therapy jobs. This makes it particularly challenging for new grad therapists to out-compete experienced clinicians for travel jobs in these lower-demand specialties.

PTAs & COTAs

This is particularly the case for PTAs and COTAs who have the lowest availability of travel jobs. This makes it a lot more challenging for new grad PTAs and COTAs to find consistent work as travelers, resulting in unwanted and unpaid time off. It also means they may potentially be put into bad clinical environments, because they are desperate to accept any job that will take them.

Because of this, we encourage new graduate PTAs and COTAs to gain experience at a permanent job for at least 6-12 months, if not longer, before pursuing travel therapy. This will allow them to gain valuable experience and boost their resumes, making them more competitive for travel therapy positions. It will also allow them to build up some savings in case of gaps between travel jobs or unexpected cancellations because a travel job becomes filled with a perm candidate.

For a more in depth look at the travel therapy job market for PTAs and COTAs, I would encourage you to read this article from 2020 which discusses the obstacles that PTAs and COTAs have faced in the last few years with staffing. The job market has improved some since 2020 for these disciplines, but this gives a good overview of where the job market has been in the past leading up to now.

PTs, SLPs, and OTs

We do not have these concerns as much for newer graduate PTs, SLPs, and OTs, because the demand for these disciplines is higher, and there will be more opportunities to choose from. This means that the candidates are more likely to have consistent work, and they will also have the opportunity to choose among a lot of job options to find a clinical environment that is a good fit for them as new grads.

I will add that since the demand for OTs is slightly lower than that of PT and SLP, new grad OTs may have to be a bit more flexible on settings and locations when looking at travel therapy jobs. There are currently fewer open positions for travel OTs compared with PT and SLP, so the competition is slightly higher for new grad OTs.

Last, it’s important to note that when we discuss opportunities for “new grad SLPs,” we mean after they have received their CCC’s. Once an SLP has received their full credentials and is an SLP-CCC, the opportunities are numerous, and the new SLP-CCC will have many jobs to choose from. However, when SLPs are in their clinical fellowship year, travel therapy jobs are more limited. There are only certain travel therapy job opportunities that will allow the supervision hours necessary to complete the requirements of the CFY. I would recommend reading this article to further help you decide if traveling during your clinical fellowship year is a good choice or not.

Summary

If you’re considering travel therapy as a new grad in 2023, and you’ve determined that it’s a good option for you based on your own personality as well as the job market prospects for your discipline, then go for it! If you don’t like it, then there will always be permanent jobs to go back to. But, you may end up loving it and traveling for much longer than you anticipated, like we have.

Pursuing travel therapy provides a unique opportunity to explore the country and have new adventures, while setting yourself up for financial success in the future.

Before you jump in, be sure to check out the six ways to ensure success as a new grad travel therapist. Then, when you’re ready to dig deeper into your research, you can check out our free Travel Therapy 101 Series to learn all the essentials to beginning your travel therapy journey!


If you’re ready to get started traveling within the next few months, be sure to fill out our Recruiter Recommendation form so we can help get you connected with the best travel therapy recruiters and companies to help you along your way!


Best of luck to you, and feel free contact us with any questions!

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Jared Casazza

Written by Jared Casazza, PT, DPT – Jared has been a traveling physical therapist since 2015. He has become an expert in the field of travel healthcare through his experience, research, and networking over nearly a decade.

Earning Six Figures in Six Months as a New Grad Physical Therapist

photo of Jeff in Europe with words "Earning Six Figures in Six Months as a New Grad Physical Therapist by Jeff Camara Travel Therapy Mentor"

Guest Post by Traveling Physical Therapist Jeff Camara, PT, DPT


EARNING SIX FIGURES IN SIX MONTHS

We can all agree that the cost of obtaining a graduate degree vs. the income for physical therapists isn’t exactly an equal ratio. I knew this going in to my career choice as a physical therapist. However, I still decided to choose a career that would fulfill my life, despite the enormous amount of debt I would have to take on to get there.

I decided early on while still in graduate school that Travel Physical Therapy (Travel PT) would be the best career path for me, as it would not only help me financially, but give me the freedom to explore the country and work in various settings. I can’t say that my other physical therapy friends made the same decision. Following school, many of them have had to move back home in order to save their paychecks as New Grad PT’s and get on their feet.

Many physical therapists would say that you can’t make a six-figure salary or ever pay off your debt in this career. Well, I am here to tell you how I not only earned those six-figures, but I did it in just six months as a New Grad PT.

HOW IT STARTED

My girlfriend, and fellow physical therapist, and I were fortunate enough to land six-month Travel PT contracts at an outpatient ortho clinic in northern Virginia as new grads in 2019 (shout out to Whitney and Jared at Travel Therapy Mentor for help with finding those contracts as well! If you’re thinking about getting into travel therapy, be sure to reach out to them for help & recruiter recommendations so they can help you get started!).

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During my first six months as a new grad PT at this travel position, I learned a ton and loved the clinic– not to mention my awesome co-workers instantly became great friends and we enjoyed exploring a new area of the country. I was able to earn a high paycheck every week by starting my career as a Travel PT, making over $7,000 per month after taxes. This added up to roughly $43,000 after taxes in my first six months of work as a new grad! Comparatively, some new grad PT’s hardly make that much in twelve months after taxes at some lower paying salaried positions.

With one month left in our first ever Travel PT contracts, the pandemic had hit. As the country panicked, I started to see other travelers’ contracts come to an end, and the permanent PT’s at our clinics were losing their caseload and being furloughed. I knew I had to shine in the clinic, or I was going to be next. Fortunately for me, I already had a great rapport with my patients and was able to continue to provide them with valuable treatments whether it was in the clinic or through telehealth. I took initiative and managed my own schedule, which made it possible for me to maintain around 90-95% of my caseload. My hard work led not only to not losing my travel contract, but to having my contract extended.

Despite this contract extension, I still had my doubts, as jobs are rarely secured as a traveler, so I began the job hunt to gain that security. I was fortunate to have one of my co-workers reach out and ask if I would be interested in working home health PRN. Without any home health experience, this company was willing to bring me on board and train me. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. This was perfect for gaining some experience in the home health world in addition to diversifying my paycheck in case my travel contract got cancelled.

STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

At this moment, I was still working 40 hours per week in the outpatient clinic at my travel contract, while starting to build a caseload with the home health company PRN. My outpatient schedule was perfect for this, providing me with 3 short days working 7am-2pm, leaving me plenty of time to hustle and earn money on the side with home health PRN hours.

Jeff2The flexibility with home health is great. I would be sent referrals daily, and it was up to me to either accept or deny each patient, based on my own schedule with my primary job, and based on how much extra I wanted to work. I started with 2-3 patients after work, 3 days per week, which quickly adds up. It wasn’t easy at first being more the “outpatient ortho type of guy,” but I started to pick it up quickly. I had to step out of my comfort zone and learn a lot about the OASIS documentation (aka the death of home health), but I got into a rhythm and started to push how many patients I could see in a week. I started out with 5-8 patients, then 8-10, and before you know it, I was able to see 15-20 home health patients per week, in addition to my outpatient job, while still having weekends off.

FINDING A BALANCE

When working 7am-7pm, or some days even later, you realize quickly you need the weekends for yourself. We all hear about the “burnout” in healthcare professions, and I remained mindful of that, making sure I was still finding joy in what I was doing. Many of my coworkers didn’t understand, always asking “how do you work so much?” In all honesty, I found it quite easy, because I was actually enjoying a large part of it. There is something satisfying when working hard and seeing results, you know?! Well, what if those results were not only seeing your patients getting better, but seeing growth in your bank account.

THE RESULTS

In the midst of this pandemic, despite uncertainty with the job market, and despite being a relatively new graduate, I have been fortunate to not only maintain a full time physical therapy position, but to pick up extra work too. In addition to working in outpatient ortho full time as a travel PT, plus home health PRN, I was also able to start my own LLC for a cash-based home health business.

Working an average of 60 hours per week for the last 6 months between these 3 jobs, I have been able to achieve my financial goals and more. From May to November 2020, I have been able to earn over triple the amount of my coworkers who work permanent positions in the outpatient clinic.

Jeff3My take home, after tax pay has been approximately $80,000 in the last 6 months. I REPEAT, AFTER TAXES! This is the equivalent to making a gross salary of around $120,000 in just 6 months, from one travel PT contract, part time home health, plus the start of my own LLC in the last two months.

Today the average physical therapist makes approximately $50-55k per year after taxes (not including retirement contributions). I was able to make that amount in 4 months, during a pandemic! One can see the potential for growth at this rate. I hope through my story I can help to show other therapists the possibilities that are out there, especially for those who want to pay off debt quickly and are willing to hustle hard early in their career to do it.

IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYONE WOULD DO IT

At the end of the day, you must ask yourself what is important to you. You might be reading this thinking it’s totally unrealistic for you. I sacrificed a lot to reach this goal. It hasn’t been easy doing late dinners throughout the week, less sleep, no daily gym session, more time driving, an increase in notes brought home, and less time spent with my significant other. This would certainly be more difficult for someone in a different life circumstance than me, for example someone who is married with children, or just needs more personal leisure time or time to de-stress.

For someone who is not familiar with working this much, it would be very hard and draining to do day in and day out. I think I am someone who hardly stresses during work and doesn’t get overwhelmed easily, so working multiple jobs comes easy to me. I have actually worked several jobs since I was in undergrad, so it’s something I’m used to. However, this is certainly not a pace that I could keep up, nor would I want to, forever. This is more so a way for me to get ahead financially early in my career to have more options in the future. Being able to pay down debt and invest early puts me well on my way toward financial independence!


If you’re also interested in pursuing financial independence early in your career, travel therapy can be a great step to help you get there! Check out this Travel Therapy 101 Series to learn more & find out if it’s right for you, and contact us to get connected with our recommended recruiters to help you get started!


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Below is an excerpt from a Harvard Business Review article that I found interesting:

The American Dream on Steroids: “The first thing that becomes clear is that successful professionals are working harder than ever. The 40-hour workweek, it seems, is a thing of the past. Even the 60-hour workweek, once the path to the top, is now practically considered part-time, as a recent Fortune magazine article put it. Our data reveal that 62% of high-earning individuals work more than 50 hours a week, 35% work more than 60 hours a week, and 10% work more than 80 hours a week. Add in a typical one-hour commute, and a 60-hour workweek translates into leaving the house at 7 am and getting home at 9 pm five days a week.”


MY RECOMMENDATIONS

When I tell people about my current lifestyle, they typically respond with, “there is no way I could ever do that.” This is most likely true, and I wouldn’t recommend this for many people. For those who struggle already with their 40 hour work week, I would recommend against this type of workload.

However, for those therapists that may be thinking about getting a second job in order to hustle and make more money to meet your financial goals, I would highly recommend to look for a PRN home health job, versus a second outpatient or acute care job. Home health provides great flexibility and higher pay, and it gives you the freedom to take on as many patients as you desire within the time that you want.

I am not saying this is only way to make money, nor am I saying that money is the only important aspect in life. For me, the thought of being financially free someday keeps me grinding. My goal is to work hard and hustle during the beginning of my career to help meet my financial goals and increase my savings, so that I can work less in the future and shift my focus to other pursuits, such as having a family.

Now, after hustling for the last 6 months, I have decided to take some time off from work to spend the holidays with my family and friends. This sacrifice, I believe, has been well worth it to be able to take several weeks or a month off at the holidays. After this break, I am looking forward to going into 2021 and getting back at it again!


ABOUT JEFF

jeff9Jeff Camara is a travel physical therapist originally from Massachusetts. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at American International College in May of 2019. Jeff was a multi-sport intramural champion in college and enjoys friendly competition in all sports and games. He has lived in 9 different states so far and loves traveling to new areas, hiking, and riding his motorcycle. The best way to contact Jeff is through Facebook or email at jcamara6@yahoo.com.


We would like to thank Jeff for sharing his story in this inspiring article! If you’re also considering pursuing travel therapy to help set yourself up for a strong financial future, please feel free to contact us or fill out our recruiter recommendations form and we can help you get started on this path!

~Whitney & Jared, Travel Therapy Mentor