2026 Salary Data
Average Weekly Pay by Discipline
Includes taxable hourly + tax-free stipends. Based on 13-week contracts in 2026.
DisciplineLowAverageHighTop 10%
Physical Therapist$1,900$2,400$2,900$3,200+
Occupational Therapist$1,800$2,300$2,800$3,100+
Speech Pathologist$1,900$2,500$3,100$3,400+
PT Assistant$1,300$1,700$2,100$2,400+
Certified OTA$1,200$1,600$2,000$2,300+
Travel vs. Permanent
Why Travelers Earn More
The same PT with the same experience, same hours — drastically different take-home.
Travel Therapist
$2,400
per week average
Includes tax-free stipends worth $15k–$25k/year. Higher hourly rates due to temporary nature and demand.
Permanent Therapist
$1,500
per week average
Fully taxable salary. Benefits included but often offset by lower total compensation.
By Location
Top Paying States for Travel Therapy
Average weekly pay by state. High cost-of-living states pay more but check net after expenses.
California
All disciplines
$2,800
New York
All disciplines
$2,700
Massachusetts
All disciplines
$2,650
Washington
All disciplines
$2,600
New Jersey
All disciplines
$2,550
Texas
All disciplines
$2,400
What Travelers Say About Pay
Real Salary Experiences
★★★★★
"I went from making $72k/year permanent to clearing over $110k my first year traveling with ProTherapy. The stipend structure alone made a massive difference in my take-home."
⭐ Top Rated: ProTherapy Staffing
★★★★☆
"Triage consistently has high-paying SNF assignments. I averaged about $2,200/week over 4 contracts with them. Good pay, good recruiter communication."
Triage Staffing
★★★★★
"Compared the same California job across agencies and ProTherapy's offer was the highest by far. When your agency doesn't blow money on Super Bowl ads, that money goes to your paycheck."
⭐ Top Rated: ProTherapy Staffing
See What You Could Be Earning
Get matched with top-paying assignments — free and confidential.
✓ We'll reach out within 24 hours.