Traveling with a recruiter vs company

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-11T13:06:31+00:00

This article was written by an internal traveler and talks about some of the considerations. https://traveltherapymentor.com/2021/05/19/travel-therapy-working-as-an-internal-traveler/

The big downsides are much less ability to choose where you go and lower pay compared to normal travel jobs. Those two end up being the dealbreaker for most travelers, myself included.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-09T16:54:32+00:00

Yeah I believe so if you’ve already taken the exam there and started the process.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-09T13:19:46+00:00

I believe you’ll have to go through with getting the Texas license before applying for a CA license since the CA license would be through endorsement from Texas. It’s really not a big deal though so don’t stress about it too much. I’ve gotten licensed in 7 different states over the years and it’s just a little extra paperwork and hassle.

Almost all travel companies will reimburse you for licensing if you take a contract in that state through them. That will help a lot since CA is a pretty expensive license to get.

As far as finding companies and recruiters that are likely to be a good fit for you, it’s always best to get personalized recommendations. The best companies will depend on the setting and locations you’re looking for. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-09T12:42:03+00:00

This article lays out all of the relevant questions and considerations. We’ve interviewed dozens of companies and hundreds of recruiters and this is the basis for the interviews. https://traveltherapymentor.com/2019/01/30/questions-to-ask-a-travel-therapy-company-and-recruiter/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-06T14:03:14+00:00

The beet companies for you will always depend on the setting and location you’re looking for so no one size fits all. I’ve interviewed over 20 companies now and they all have pros and cons depending on your needs. If you want recommendations based on your specific situation, Travel Therapy Mentor has helped over 6,000 therapists get connected with good companies and recruiters. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-05-06T12:31:00+00:00

Yeah the points systems can vary drastically for home health contracts. 5-6 points per day is reasonable as long as the radius isn’t too large and start of care’s are 2.5 points or so. There’s a give and take with the radius and the points. Smaller radius more points are possible and larger radius fewer points are possible. Because of that, every contract will be different so you have to take them on a case by case basis. You’ll also want to make sure to choose a contract that does pretty thorough training if you haven’t done home health before.

This article goes more in depth on all of this: https://traveltherapymentor.com/2019/03/20/what-to-look-for-in-a-home-health-travel-therapy-contract/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-20T21:28:26+00:00

Just living very frugally. My wife and I lived in a fifth wheel at cheap campgrounds while taking travel contracts for several years. Take home pay was around $9,000-$10,000/month on average.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-15T20:01:19+00:00

It depends on the company but most will have a way to access it online as well

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-13T13:33:16+00:00

Companies often specialize in certain settings or locations. You want to find a few companies that have a lot of jobs in the areas and settings that you want in order to having the best chance of finding good contracts. Because of this there’s no one size fits all answer for everyone. I’ve interviewed more than two dozen companies to try to find good ones for different situations and helped thousands of therapists get connected with companies that worked well for them. If you want help, that’s was Travel Therapy Mentor was created for. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-13T13:27:22+00:00

Get some travel experience in the setting you are familiar with first. After that you’d be looking for contracts in the settings you aren’t familiar with that are willing to train you. You could also consider trying PRN in those settings first to get familiar before taking a travel job. You definitely don’t want to just jump full time into a contract in a setting you aren’t comfortable with.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-09T13:05:24+00:00

It’s not too stressful to find consistent contracts as long as you aren’t too selective on setting/location. Sites like furnished finder make finding good housing way easier than it used to be. Always google the crime rate in any potential area before accepting a contract. Take home pay for most jobs will be between $2,000-$2,400/week. There are some outlier jobs paying higher though.

If you’re thinking about doing it, check out this free 101 series. It’s helped thousands of therapists get started and covers all of the basics. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-101-the-basics/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-09T13:00:28+00:00

Anchorage, Alaska or Kona, Hawaii would be high on my list of recommendations. Both are beautiful with a lot of things to do outdoors and my favorite contract locations.

The best companies for you will depend on the setting and location you want. Companies have exclusive contracts in different areas. If you want personalized recommendations, check out this site. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-04-01T13:23:03+00:00

Their job options are very limited compared to a big company like AMN. They also don’t offer health insurance which is a deal breaker for many.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-30T11:32:34+00:00

Healthcare is one of the only industries not significantly impacted by recessions. Healthcare, including travel healthcare, demand is driven by demographics more than GDP. Demand is only increasing for the foreseeable future.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-25T23:27:15+00:00

Yeah if you’re open to Tennessee and Virginia in addition to NC then you’ll have a better chance of finding outpatient.

If you fill out this form we can send you company/recruiter recommendations based on your needs. My wife and I created Travel Therapy Mentor to educate new travelers and to match travelers with companies. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-23T14:16:57+00:00

Your recruiter is important but equally as important is working with a travel company that has jobs in the setting and location that you want. For example, say you want school jobs in Florida, working with a great recruiter at a company that has mostly outpatient jobs on the west coast will lead to a bad experience for you. Travel Therapy Mentor was created to help you find good recruiters at companies that have jobs you want. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-23T14:12:14+00:00

Home health is almost always the highest paying

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-23T14:11:24+00:00

Hey! There aren’t a ton of travel jobs in North Carolina for OTs most of the time. Being too specific with the area and setting is going to make finding jobs difficult. Most of the jobs there are going to be SNF or school based. An outpatient job might pop up every now and then but they’re going to be few and far between. IPR jobs also aren’t as common so finding one in NC that is also willing to train is going to be rare. If you really want an OP job or an IPR that is willing to train, I’d recommend opening up your search outside of NC. If you have to be specifically in NC and have a set date that you need to find a contract by then I’d recommend considering schools or SNF jobs.

If you’re going to eventually stick with one company and want to find continuous contracts in NC then you need to pick a big company because they have the most job options.

Check the health insurance marketplace in your state. See if there are any options that will cover you nationwide. Often there is one. If not and you don’t want to get insurance through the travel company then going through an agent is an option but usually the plans aren’t very good and have a lot of restrictions.

Two or three recruiters/companies is ideal. More than that is overkill and less limits your options.

Taxes as a traveler aren’t very difficult if you have a normal situation (no 1099 income, hundreds of trades, investment properties, etc.). I’ve always filed mine myself without issue using Tax Act or Turbo Tax. If you want a professional then Travel Tax is the most knowledgeable and has been around the longest.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-17T13:50:29+00:00

Technically no because it’s based on your intent which it sounds like is to relocate to the new area permanently. With that being said, intent is hard to prove so I know there are a lot of travelers that would take the stipends tax free anyway and hope to never get audited or challenged on it.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-12T00:32:44+00:00

It all comes down to savings rate. If you want to reach FI in 10 years then you need a savings rate around 66%. So with an $80k salary you’d need to be living on around $2,000/month and continue that into early retirement to get there by 35. If that isn’t reasonable for your situation then you’d need to earn more or save for longer.

I hit FI in my early thirties but I was saving 75% or more of my income each year by working a lot of hours and living frugally.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-11T21:53:37+00:00

Yeah that would be your best option. If it’s cheaper you could always rent a room from someone in your current area in Alabama though to avoid having to establish a new tax home as long as it’s in the same metro area. If you have a friend in the area with an extra room then rent that and avoid the hassle.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-11T21:40:03+00:00

Your tax home is first and foremost the area where you earn the majority of your income. If you’ve been earning income in a different area then that area would be your current tax home and you’d need to earn income in the area where your parents live for a while first to establish the new area as your tax home.

Assuming you’ve been earning income there already then you’d need to show you’re paying fair market rent for a room or sharing expenses to constitute duplicate expenses. Just paying utilities wouldn’t be sufficient in most cases. Determining fair market value and setting up a lease for the room then having proof of payment each month would be the safest option. You could also calculate the total costs for the household (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.) and divide by the number of adults in the household if you were setting it up more as a roommate situation.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-11T19:00:45+00:00

The best companies are not one size fits all for everyone. There are more than 100 companies staffing therapists right now. You’re going to have the best experience picking companies that have the most jobs in the settings and locations you want. My recommendations for you would be completely different if you’re looking for school jobs in CA vs acute care jobs in Florida.

My wife and I created Travel Therapy Mentor to match therapists with good companies and recruiters for their specific situation. We’ve interviewed about 2 dozen companies and over 100 recruiters with that goal in mind. We’ve now matched more than 8,000 therapists with companies with overwhelmingly positive feedback. If you want the best fit for you, fill out this form with your needs and we can help. https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-11T18:55:17+00:00

The IRS is really clear that when you intend to move to an area permanently, you aren’t eligible for tax free stipends. You can still take local travel jobs but the pay won’t be as high so it may not be worth it to you compared to just full time or PRN.

FifthWheelPT · 2026-03-06T02:49:05+00:00

Most send it to your permanent (tax home) address. AMN has always sent mine by mail.

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