New Grad Travel Therapy Salary 2026
There is no single new-grad travel therapy salary, because travel pay is set contract by contract and moves with the contract's discipline, setting and location. Each package splits into a taxable hourly wage and stipends that the IRS leaves untaxed only while you work away from a tax home you keep, so compare offers line by line rather than by a weekly total.
New Grad Travel Pay vs. Permanent
Travel pay depends on your discipline, setting and location, and it moves with the market, so we do not print a fixed salary range here. For current published travel pay by discipline (PT, PTA, OT, COTA and SLP), see the ProTherapy Staffing pay index, which publishes medians from its own contract book with the date they were measured. To see what you'd be offered as a new grad in your discipline and states, ask a recruiter: Find my next contract.
What Affects New Grad Travel Pay
Location: Rural and less popular locations pay premium rates. Popular destinations (beach cities, mountain towns) pay less. A new grad willing to go where others won't can earn top dollar.
Setting: SNF positions are the most common for new grads and pay well. Outpatient varies. See best settings for new grads.
Agency choice: This is the biggest lever you control. The same assignment through different agencies can pay noticeably differently because of different agency margins and how they structure your package.
Maximizing Your New Grad Pay
Get your own health insurance. If you're under 26, stay on your parent's plan. Otherwise, a Marketplace plan often costs less than agency insurance premiums — and frees you to choose agencies purely on who pays the most. See our insurance guide.
Work with 2-3 agencies simultaneously. Compare packages for the same region. You'll be surprised how much they vary.
Be flexible on location. High-paying rural assignments for one contract fund a dream-location contract next.
Negotiate. Even as a new grad, ask if the rate can be improved. The worst answer is no.
Ready to See Real Pay Packages?
Talk to a ProTherapy recruiter about your first contract.