Travel therapy is one of the most accessible ways for a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist to earn more, see the country, and grow clinically faster than a staff role allows. But the path in can feel murky — how much experience do you need, how does the licensing work, and how do you actually land the first assignment? The good news is that it follows a clear sequence. Do these steps in order and you can go from "curious" to "packing for your first contract" in a couple of months.
Step 1 — Know where you stand on experience
Many facilities like to see a year of clinical experience in the setting you'll cover, and more experience does widen the assignments you'll qualify for. But don't let that scare you off — plenty of facilities welcome a strong new grad, especially in high-demand settings, and new therapists start travel careers every year.
At Luvo, we accept and encourage new grads — and mentorship is available for new grad therapists, so your first contract comes with real support rather than a sink-or-swim start.
Step 2 — Sort out your licensing early
Licensing is the single biggest thing that determines how fast you can start — and it's the step new travelers underestimate most. PT, OT, and SLP each have their own interstate compact, but they're at very different stages: the PT Compact is mature, with most states actively issuing compact privileges, while the OT and ASLP (SLP/audiology) compacts are still rolling out — many states have joined on paper, but only a handful are actually issuing privileges so far. Where both your home state and your destination are live in your compact, you can practice without filing a separate full application in that state — the difference between booking an assignment next month and waiting a full quarter for a license to clear.
Anywhere the compact doesn't cover you yet, you'll apply for a license directly — which can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months depending on the board. The move is to start as soon as you pass your boards, not once you have an offer in hand: know your compact status, and pre-apply to several states you'd genuinely go to.
Step 3 — Learn how travel pay actually works
Travel pay looks bigger than staff pay because it's built differently: a taxable hourly base rate plus non-taxable stipends for housing and meals that reimburse the cost of living away from your tax home. The headline weekly number bundles both, so two offers that look identical can leave you with very different take-home once you account for the taxable/non-taxable split and the local cost of housing.
Before you talk to a single recruiter, get comfortable comparing offers on the same basis — the full weekly amount at the same number of hours, and what housing actually costs in each city. That keeps you from being wowed by a big weekly number that's mostly stipend in an expensive city.
Run any offer through the pay calculator
Plug in the hourly rate, stipends, and weekly hours to see the taxable/stipend split and total contract value before you commit.
Open the pay calculatorStep 4 — Pick your setting and your first destination
Travel therapy spans outpatient ortho, SNF and inpatient rehab, home health, acute care, schools, and pediatrics. Your first assignment is easiest if it matches the setting you already know — you'll have enough new variables (new city, new EMR, new team) without also learning a new practice area cold.
For location, most experienced travelers advise making your first contract low-difficulty on purpose: same time zone, drivable if possible, and a setting you're fluent in. Save the cross-country, brand-new-setting adventure for your second or third contract, once the logistics feel routine.
Step 5 — Choose an agency (and what to look for)
Your agency shapes your entire experience — the jobs you see, how your pay is packaged, and who picks up the phone if something goes wrong. Look for pay transparency, recruiters who answer specific contract questions directly, and support for licensing and credentialing. A good agency treats your first contract as the start of a relationship, not a one-time placement.
It's part of why we built Luvo the way we did: every listing shows a transparent pay estimate up front, so you can compare real assignments before you ever get on a call, and licensing and certification support is built into how we work with travelers.
Step 6 — Line up and lock in your first assignment
When you're licensed and ready, apply to several assignments that fit your criteria rather than pinning everything on one. Multiple options give you real choices and a backup if a facility fills a role or an offer stalls. Read every contract for guaranteed hours, cancellation policy, and float terms before you sign.
Once you accept, credentialing and compliance move fast — health documents, licenses, certifications, and facility modules all need to clear before day one. At Luvo, our compliance team handles that in house and makes sure you're fully cleared with the facility before your start date — your job is just to respond quickly when we request a document. Keep digital and physical copies of everything, and give yourself a few days in the new city before your start date to settle in.
See travel therapy jobs with full pay transparency
Every position on Luvo shows a transparent pay estimate up front — filter by specialty, state, shift, and facility type to find the right fit.
Browse open positionsStarting in travel therapy isn't about a leap of faith — it's a checklist. Get your licensing sorted early, learn to read a pay package, pick a familiar setting for the first contract, choose an agency that's straight with you, and apply broadly. Work the steps in order and the hardest part turns out to be the smallest: deciding to go.
