Which Settings Suit New Grad Travel Therapists?

For new grad PTs, OTs and SLPs planning a first contract: which settings suit a new traveler and which to wait on. Pick the setting that fits your discipline and comfort, then look at contracts in it.

Settings for New Grads, Compared

1. Skilled Nursing (SNF)

Often Takes New Grads

Often has openings that take new grads. Ask for the caseload and the productivity expectation before you sign.

2. Outpatient Clinic

Moderate Access

Some clinics welcome new grads, especially in underserved areas. A fit for PTs who enjoy orthopedic populations. Look for clinics with other therapists on staff, and avoid solo positions for your first contract. Ask what the daily caseload is.

3. Home Health

Moderate Access

High autonomy — you treat patients in their homes. Some companies train new therapists. Scheduling is flexible but you need strong clinical judgment working alone. Suits self-starters. Ask how many visits a day are expected.

4. Schools (SLP/OT)

Seasonal

Good for new grad SLPs and OTs. Contracts often run the school year, longer than a typical contract. Structured caseloads, school hours, summers off. Large caseloads for SLPs with significant IEP paperwork.

5. Acute Care

Experience Preferred

High acuity, fast-paced, weekend rotations. If acute care is your goal, consider time in a permanent position first, or look for small community hospitals that are more flexible.

6. Inpatient Rehab / Specialty

Experience Required

IRFs, pediatric specialty, hand therapy — usually require prior experience. Goals for a later contract, not your first. For a first contract in a setting that takes new grads, tell a recruiter what you're after: Find my next contract.

Setting Choice Affects Agency Choice

An agency with many openings may steer you toward whatever needs filling. A recruiter who is an actual therapist will understand which facilities are genuinely new-grad-friendly versus which ones just say they are to fill the position.

When evaluating an agency for your first assignment, ask: "How many new grads have you placed at this specific facility?" and "What feedback did they give?" A recruiter who can't answer these questions is guessing.

Key Insight: Before a first contract, ask any agency how well it knows the facility and whether it will overwhelm a new grad — that answer matters more than the number of positions on offer. ProTherapy Staffing is built and owned by travel therapists.

Which Setting Is Right for You?

Talk to a ProTherapy recruiter about your first contract.