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How to compare travel therapy agencies, criterion by criterion

Compare travel therapy agencies on the terms that decide your contract: how openly each breaks down its pay, who holds your contract, how it handles license and CEU costs, housing and cancellation, how long your recruiter has been there, and who owns it. Put the same plain questions to every agency, ask for the answers in writing, and hold each answer to the standard of a good answer set out below.

By ProTherapy Staffing, published October 28, 2026.

How open is an agency about its pay package?

Why it matters. A weekly total tells you little on its own. The split between taxable wages and stipends changes what an offer is worth, and the IRS treats an allowance at or below the federal rate differently from one above it (IRS guide to travel expenses).

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. It arrives in writing, names every line, and explains the split without being pressed.

Who actually holds my travel therapy contract?

Why it matters. Your employment contract is with an agency, and the agency has its own agreement with the facility. Some reach a job through another company, a further layer between you and whoever decides your hours. Your employer is the company that pays you and files a wage statement for you with the IRS (IRS wage statement rules).

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. A company name you can look up, and a plain yes or no on whether another company sits between the agency and the facility.

How does an agency handle license and CEU costs?

Why it matters. A contract in a new state can mean a new license or a compact privilege, and the PT Compact lists passing any required jurisprudence exam and applying for privileges among the steps to get one (Physical Therapy Licensure Compact). Continuing education rules are set state by state; the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy keeps a reference table of each jurisdiction’s requirements (FSBPT Licensure Reference Guide). Whether an agency pays for any of this, and how, is up to the agency.

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. It names the costs covered and not covered, says when the money reaches you, and puts any payback condition in the contract.

What housing options should I ask an agency about?

Why it matters. Some agencies pay a housing stipend, some arrange housing, and some offer both. A stipend leaves you the choice of place and the lease; arranged housing saves you the search and leaves the choice to someone else. GSA sets the per diem rates federal agencies use to reimburse their employees for lodging on official travel, so you can check a quoted stipend against the rate for the area (GSA per diem rates).

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. Both options side by side in writing, with who carries the lease if the assignment ends early. Neither option is better in general.

If you want an agency’s answers to this checklist in writing, ask a ProTherapy recruiter: Find my next contract.

What cancellation terms should I compare?

Why it matters. Every contract carries a cancellation clause, and it decides who carries the cost when an assignment ends early. The Department of Labor says the Fair Labor Standards Act “does not require payment for time not worked,” and that benefits of this kind are “matters of agreement between an employer and an employee” (U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave). What the contract says is what you get.

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. The clause itself, sent to you, covering both directions. The clauses worth reading closely are set out on contract cancellation.

Why does my recruiter's tenure matter?

Why it matters. Your recruiter holds the spoken version of every promise, and a recruiter who leaves takes it with them. Tenure is not a measure of skill, and a recruiter new to an agency can be thorough, but it tells you who else is likely to know your file.

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. A straight answer on tenure, a named colleague who knows your file, and a named person to escalate to.

Does agency ownership change anything for me?

Why it matters. Ownership tells you who sets the agency’s policies, and it may tell you who will understand a clinical problem when you raise one. It does not by itself tell you what a contract pays or how travelers are treated; therapist-owned vs corporate covers what can and cannot differ.

What to ask.

What a good answer looks like. It names the owners plainly and does not claim that ownership alone moves your pay. To run these questions in a sensible order, see comparing companies without a spreadsheet; for the red flags to watch for while you ask, see how to vet a travel therapy agency.

Frequently asked questions

What should I compare between travel therapy agencies?

Compare the written terms: the pay package line by line, the company that will employ you, how license and continuing education costs are handled, the housing options, the cancellation terms in both directions, your recruiter's tenure and backup, and who owns the agency.

What does a good answer from an agency look like?

It is specific and in writing. It names every line of the package, the company that employs you, the costs covered and not covered, and the cancellation clause in both directions, without you having to press for it.

Should I ask every agency the same questions?

Yes. Answers can only be compared when the questions are the same, so put the same list to each agency, ask for the answers in writing and set the written answers side by side.

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