Most people, when they pursue a degree in physical therapy, think they will wind up working in a hospital or clinic. They think travel will only happen during periodic vacations—but what if it didn’t have to be that way? There are physical therapists who travel often because it is their job to do so.
Yes, really!
Here are just a few of the travel-intensive jobs you can get after you receive your physical therapy degree and certifications.
Sports and Tours
A lot of professional and collegiate sports teams hire physical therapists full time. Some of these physical therapists stay in the team’s home city to help rehabilitate players whose injuries keep them from traveling. Others travel with the team to help injured athletes keep up with their rehabilitation and to provide immediate assistance to players who sustain injuries while away.
Sports teams aren’t the only companies who tour. Touring musicians and other performers (and performance companies—especially dance and other high-activity groups) will often have a physical therapist “on the bus” to help with prolonged injuries and to help work through minor injuries sustained during a performance.
The “Travel Physical Therapist”
It’s true: there is such a job as being a travel physical therapist. The “travel physical therapist” is a physical therapist who travels around the country (and sometimes the world) taking on short term jobs (usually 13 weeks or less). Sometimes the travel PT will work with just a single individual in a rural area where physical therapists are in short supply. Other times, the travel PT will be sent out to help fill a staffing gap at a clinic or hospital until the clinic or hospital can hire someone permanently.
There are a few important benefits to choosing to pursue the travel physical therapist job over something steadier and more local:
Travel!
Obviously this is a huge bonus. Traveling physical therapists get to travel all over the place on someone else’s dime. They are usually offered free housing (or a healthy stipend to cover out of pocket housing costs).
Opportunities with Friends/Family
A lot of physical therapists take their friends or family members with them when they travel for work. Because the PT’s job is not 24/7, he or she has lots of time to exploring the area they’re visiting, and most companies do not mind housing guests, so long as those guests can stay comfortably in the housing provided for the PT (they will not typically pay for extra accommodations).
Money
A travel physical therapist earns more on average than a physical therapist who takes a full time job with a clinic or hospital. According to Onward Healthcare, travel physical therapists earn as much as 20% more than someone with a stationary full time job.
Variety
If you’ve got wanderlust in your heart or have always wanted to find a profession that allows you to explore the world, this could potentially be the career path for you. As we’ve already stated, most jobs average thirteen weeks. This gives you the chance to live in as many four or five different places each year. It’s a great way to hold on to a full time job while not having to worry about getting stuck in a rut.
Getting a Travel Physical Therapist Job
Most travel physical therapists contract through a single company or agency. Take some time to research the different agencies that are based in your area, and you’ll want to make sure you contract with someone who has a good reputation. After you’ve been hired, you simply select the work you want and, if approved, start traveling!
So many people think that getting a physical therapy degree means committing themselves to a single employer in a single location. The truth is that there is a lot more variety in this field than you may think.
