travel PTA average salary?

Does anybody know the average salary of a travel PTA? Also can anyone recommend any reliable travel companies?

Yes, I work for Foundation Medical staffing <Edited by Host>. They are great my recruiter is Tammy Conner, I have been with them since dec. (I am off for the summer as I had a baby) but will work with them in the fall. I also worked with one other company and they were pretty good also. Salary is approx. 3500 to around 4000 plus free housing, medical insurance etc. or a housing stipend. Salary depends on the area and type of setting. I will tell you I love the travel work.

Christine Banks

[Edited by Host] Contact info deleted. Please use profiles if you feel you must publish contact info since you can control their visibility.

Christine Banks in Seattle, Washington said: Yes, I work for Foundation Medical staffing 1-866-349-4688. They are great my recruiter is Tammy Conner, I have been with them since dec. (I am off for the summer as I had a baby) but will work with them in the fall. I also worked with one other company and they were pretty good also. Salary is approx. 3500 to around 4000 plus free housing, medical insurance etc. or a housing stipend. Salary depends on the area and type of setting. I will tell you I love the travel work.

Christine Banks

Thanks for the info! Do you usually take the housing they provide or the stipend?

I usally take the housing, my husband and now baby also travel with me. For us anyway it's easier to let them find the housing and that means no deposit down on our part too for a apartment. It's always really nice housing and also of course furnished. Last place had a pool and gym.

sara123 in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Does anybody know the average salary of a travel PTA? Also can anyone recommend any reliable travel companies?

Hi Sara,

I am a recruiter with Platinum Select. Please call me at <Edited by Host> we have a lot of great opportunities in the area. Currently PTA's are making $35.00 per hour. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a great day!!!

Maud M
Platinum Select

[Edited by Host] Contact info deleted. Please use profiles if you feel you must publish contact info since you can control their visibility.

sara123 in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Thanks for the info! Do you usually take the housing they provide or the stipend?

have you ever been without work other than by choice? if so, how long?
the salary you quoted was that including the housing stipen or was that monthly take home?
are the medical benefits reasonable?
is there alot of paperwork in order to recieve the stipens?
how often are you paid?
has a job ever ended prior to the contract term? if so, what happened to you?

About your question, no I have not been without work other then by choice, got married last year and took time off and then had a baby this summer and am off by choice til I think late Sept or so. But my travel jobs were great about working with me even when I was pregnant (I was able to work until 36 weeks and was not required to do any lifting or other work that could of injuried me). The salary is take home, housing was extra on top. Yes medical was free and paid most of my pregnancy and delivery (think there is 1000.00 deductible and some co-pays but it was not bad at all). I did not do any paperwork for the stipend with my company but a friend at another company had a one page sheet to fill out with a small amount of information. You get paid weekly. Yes one job got a permanent person in but they gave me 30 days notice and got me another job lined up before the other job was even finished. Its really easy to find a job at least it has been for me. Hope this helps!!

it does and thanks alot. i have never done the travel jb, it just seemed too uncertain and the apy ranges were too wide so i didn't know if it was bogus or not.anyway thanks alot for the info. it ws helpful and i do have a phone call into your recruiter to see if there is anything she can help me with in the DFW area. some of my old classmates and ex-workers have gone to the travel thing and love it but most of them have older or no kids at all, so i am willing to talk to a recruiter again but the numbers need to sound like the ones i've been hearing from my associates and you the most i heard was 1700 for rent & utilities and 210 weekly food allowance and 20.00hr. free ins. no, but supposedly was reasonable, another offer was similar to the above with the rate being 27.00. does this sound about right? i realize location plays a big role in the amount as well, but these last 2 people i spoke with are in the same area as I am and had 28-31.00 per hr. another has all utilities, rent , internet and mobile phone, ins. and mileage/toll with 28.00 hr.
wasn't trying to be too personal just trying to get the non bias onfo from a pta and not a recruiter who is selling themselves.

No problem about writing me, hope my recruiter can help you, she is also looking for a job for me at this time too. Your rates look about right I think at my last job I was making high 20's low 30's when I added up per diem and hourly wage together. What I got was paid housing, medical, utilities, (they gave me food money etc) but it was included with the hourly wage and per diem I got. you don't get internet or phone very often but I did get paid internet and cable at one job that was nice. I am just happy when I get a good hourly wage, per diem and paid housing. Internet/cable is not too bad to pay youself when everything else is pretty much included. Oh I forgot I got mileage on top of that. It does depend on the area a lot, been working in wa so it is a less expensive state, but when we go to CA in a few months they said housing allowance is around 2000.00 so it does depend on state/area. You can bargin a little sometimes and at times they will give you a little more. Feel free to e-mail with questions and I hpe you find a job.

Does anyone know the average startiing salary for a pta in St.Louis?

How does traveling work? How long do you usually travel for?

I've never accepted a traveling position primarily because the area & salry I was looking for weren't comprable to what I needed at the time. However, I have heard great things from some of my co workers who do travel but again they have a larger radius than what I am able to travel & their salary was met, with the stipens, etc. Be careful though & stand & fight for what you want/need. Assignments are usually 13 weeks and can sometimes be extended.
Good luck with everything.

Thanks T that does help. Do you know if you travel within your area or is it usually out of state?

sara123 in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Does anybody know the average salary of a travel PTA? Also can anyone recommend any reliable travel companies?

Hi sara, I was wondering if you knew the starting salary of a pta in st.louis that doesnt travel?

Hi everyone, I just want to let you know out of the gate, that at this point, I am "considering" a career as a PTA, and have tons of questions. I was hoping that no one would mind if I lurked on this forum to learn a little. I have done all the "practical" research in terms of salary, job outlook, etc. I would like a more in depth look at how much you work, specialties, advancement, working conditions, those kinds of things. I hope some of you will share your experiences with me, and thanks.

Ok, I know that the question has probably been answered, but I'll ask it again: what exactly is the starting salary for a PTA??? I've done some research about it and I haven't been able to find a clear answer. Also, is the job prospect and "salary growth" good in this field? I am currently a teacher and am looking to utilize my passion to help people elsewhere (high school foreign language...not fun) Any help would be great!!!!

I have a question very similar to Madison's in Yuma. Any info on the different types of work settings you can work at as a PTA? I am also interested to know exactly how physically demanding a shift is. Any insights would be greatly appreciated by this chica!

I do know some travel companies offer around $35. hr Ct. with some housing etc. I want to know what companies, travel or permanent offer good health insurance policies for the primary and their same sex partner? I do know I am glad I chose PTA career. It is a good fit for me especially in times like these. I think the PT field has a good outlook for the future.
thanks

I have posted on my website a comparison look at most of the travel companies and their benefits. By no means is it complete, but there is actually a ton of data, presented in an easy-to-reference format. The info is on the "Database" page of www.medtravelerclub.com/

Hey all , I have a few very important questions to people who are in the PTA occupation, traveling AND at hospitals/clinics.

1. I was wondering how many years experiance did you complete as a PTA before you went into your traveling PTA company like; Platinum Select, or Foundation Medical staffing?

2. Will a traveling company hire me if I come straight out of PTA school, or do I need years of experience before hand? ( I want to make sure I'm ready to take on a traveling job, because I can't just turn my shoulder and ask my PT for tips/help ).

3. Are there certain companies that pay more than others and do they require experience for the high(er) pay?

4. Do hospitals/clincs in some states pay more than traveling companies do?

5. I am looking for the highest salary that I can find, what state should I move to to get the highest? And should I choose a hospital/clinic or a traveling company to work for?

I am VERY VERY interested in finding this info, because in about 3 years I will be a certified PTA and will be looking to move, or find a traveling company that pays the most if they will accept me.

Thankyou all for your time. I appreciate it alot

First, I am a PT, so I may be a little off when it comes to specifics of the feelings of a PTA, but:

1)If you are confident in yourself, you can be a new grad and travel

2)They will hire you, I promise. But, unfortunately, you ripe for the picking, as they likely will try to rope you in for far less money than you actually can get. They will say something like "well, they really didn't want a new grad, so you'll have to compromise..." Not completely true. Sure, you will and should be paid less than someone with more exprience, that makes sense. But they will lowball you.

3), 4), 5) Join up on MedTravelerClub.com, asit is the first site that has the therapists rating companies and facilities, as well as, listing pay rates, etc.

Thanks for the quick reply Jason. I appreciate it alot.

I kind of figured that they would lowball me if I was a new graduate trying to get into a high paying position. If you had to guess, how much less would they start me out (as a new grad) compared to a person with 1-2 years experience?

Are there any companies that are known to be fair about giving new grads good salaries? ( Meaning, will all companies low-ball me just because I'll be a new grad?) Should I just go with a company that has good benefits and as good of pay as I can get, and then go for a company that pays well?

Thanks again for your time.

Well, if you are young and healthy and not thrilled with the thought of investing in the market at this time, then I think you could almost eliminate the benefits issue altogether and go with a company that offers totally free insurance and whatever 401 plan they have would be fine. Then you could only be comparing pay rates. There is a link on my websites link page that has the federal max per diem rates for different places, so find yours and memorize that number...

www.medtravelerclub.com/apps/links/

I have found there is a HUGE difference b/t companies and what they will give you in per diem/tax free money. Obviously, the more the merrier, but up to the federal limit. Some really just skimp on this, and for no apparent reason.

As far as the hourly, you can look at my websites database page, which has exact salaries and per diems for certain jobs and states to get an idea. Salary websites like Salary.com do a real poor job, so dont go by that stuff, as it is for full time PT's. I can tell you that as a traveler, I make way more than that in hourly. Then the per diem. Then the free housing or stipend and CEU money, etc. etc.

to jason,
thanks for info on per diem rate. I have a mac and do not have mac's word office version. So I downloaded from the site per diem rates but could not look at. Is the GSA for federal employees? And are the hourly per diem rates for PTAs or PTs?

Thank you

Jay, while it is certainly unfortunate Bill Gates and Steve Jobs cant get along, you can look area specific rates by clicking on the individual states in the online map on the GSA page. It lists them by county and such. The per diem is the max allowed for any traveling profession and they break it up into housing and then "living" for you as well. I haven't heard of many people maxing out these rates before, but the numbers give you a target!

Thanks again for your reply Jason. I'll continue searching the website you gave me. It looks like it explains the details very nicely. Thanks again for your time.

Jenni in Jonesboro, Arkansas said: Ok, I know that the question has probably been answered, but I'll ask it again: what exactly is the starting salary for a PTA??? I've done some research about it and I haven't been able to find a clear answer. Also, is the job prospect and "salary growth" good in this field? I am currently a teacher and am looking to utilize my passion to help people elsewhere (high school foreign language...not fun) Any help would be great!!!!

I am currently finshing the PTA program in the midwest and the instructor stated the average pay is $25/hr but if you are in a bigger city it should be around $35+/hr. Each state is different so you must do your research to find out

Jason in Houston, Texas said: Well, if you are young and healthy and not thrilled with the thought of investing in the market at this time, then I think you could almost eliminate the benefits issue altogether and go with a company that offers totally free insurance and whatever 401 plan they have would be fine. Then you could only be comparing pay rates. There is a link on my websites link page that has the federal max per diem rates for different places, so find yours and memorize that number...

www.medtravelerclub.com/apps/links/

I have found there is a HUGE difference b/t companies and what they will give you in per diem/tax free money. Obviously, the more the merrier, but up to the federal limit. Some really just skimp on this, and for no apparent reason.

As far as the hourly, you can look at my websites database page, which has exact salaries and per diems for certain jobs and states to get an idea. Salary websites like Salary.com do a real poor job, so dont go by that stuff, as it is for full time PT's. I can tell you that as a traveler, I make way more than that in hourly. Then the per diem. Then the free housing or stipend and CEU money, etc. etc.

Jason,
How do I view the rated to compare them I am not getting connected to a link in order to view it. Here's my story I', in Tx. by way of OH.inially here ona travel assignment but the recruiter was trying to low ball me, but after I assured him I'd done some research & have been in touch directly with companies & declined to deal with him or the comapny his supervisor folowed up with me & reassured me that I could get the rate with benefits. I did but it turned into a permanent position & no longer a traveler. The company was not honest upfront & have not kept their end of the agreement. I've been in touch with the recruitment company, theypretty much said it was out of their hands but later attempted to make some calls on my behalf. In the meantime, I am diligently searching

Sorry, you'll have to join up (dont worry its free and only requires you fill out a little profile, nothing else) after that the whole of the website is available to you. The link to join is:

www.medtravelerclub.com/apps/auth/signup

After signing up, it asks for an email confirmation click and then you log in. All the rankings are on the "database" page

So I'm trying to decide on a career to switch to. PTA and RRT are my top 2 with OTA in 3rd. Im in my mid 30's. I want to love my job but I also want to make a good salary. I've been reading this blog and see that travel PTAs do very well, but not much info on NON travel PTAs. Anybody have any ideas what type of salary Id be looking at? Help!!! LOL :o)

www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree=pta/Salary

Let me restate my comment. This is not the rate for travelers of the field, this is the regular rate locally just starting out. So travel should be higher with its perks. Check out the two website you were referred to.

iwrist said: I am currently finshing the PTA program in the midwest and the instructor stated the average pay is $25/hr but if you are in a bigger city it should be around $35+/hr. Each state is different so you must do your research to find out

Jason in Austin, Texas said: First, I am a PT, so I may be a little off when it comes to specifics of the feelings of a PTA, but:

1)If you are confident in yourself, you can be a new grad and travel

2)They will hire you, I promise. But, unfortunately, you ripe for the picking, as they likely will try to rope you in for far less money than you actually can get. They will say something like "well, they really didn't want a new grad, so you'll have to compromise..." Not completely true. Sure, you will and should be paid less than someone with more exprience, that makes sense. But they will lowball you.

3), 4), 5) Join up on MedTravelerClub.com, asit is the first site that has the therapists rating companies and facilities, as well as, listing pay rates, etc.

I thank you for your response. I used to live in DFW area in Texas and plan to go back. Because here in the midwest there is NO unity or helpfullness in the medical field like there was in Texas. People here don't share information neither help each other in finding jobs nor giving sound advise etc. Thanks again

iwrist in East Chicago, Indiana said: I thank you for your response. I used to live in DFW area in Texas and plan to go back. Because here in the midwest there is NO unity or helpfullness in the medical field like there was in Texas. People here don't share information neither help each other in finding jobs nor giving sound advise etc. Thanks again

No worries at all, my pleasure. I have been on both coasts and I feel the same. Specifically, Austin, I can't get enough of even if the pay is a bit lower than elsewhere in the state. If you are planning to come back, especially as a travelers, I hope you might give my site a shot at helping you. Its relatively new (less than 3 months), but already it has helped out a couple of people in their search for a good company. As more people join and rank not only the companies, but the facilities that take travelers, then the knowledge we will have in making our choices will be so much greater. If you know any other travelers, please feel free to invite them!

Its all free for therapists, so there's nothing to lose and knowledge to gain... geez, I sound like an infomercial...

:-)

Thanks! Still having a hard time getting into the web site I've done the sign up but when I go to sign up it says it doesn't match.
Thanks again. Yes I am still looking in the DFW area just not sure if I'll do the traveling yet. the ranges are too wide & not sure whose honest or not & want a reliable & honest recruiter, with a work place with ethics, honesty, respect.

I shall do that. You website will be like the Consumer's Report or should I say the Therapists' Report

Kerry in Phoenix, Arizona said: So I'm trying to decide on a career to switch to. PTA and RRT are my top 2 with OTA in 3rd. Im in my mid 30's. I want to love my job but I also want to make a good salary. I've been reading this blog and see that travel PTAs do very well, but not much info on NON travel PTAs. Anybody have any ideas what type of salary Id be looking at? Help!!! LOL :o)

My mother in law is a retired RRT (instructor, etc) & I can tell you that it is a limited career as far as settings go. COTA - not nearly as many opportunities as PTA. PTA is very versatile. You can work inpatient, outpatient, SNF, home health, rehab, etc...As far as the salary it really depends on where you live, rural/urban area, type of setting, experience level, how bad they need help. For example, when I lived & worked in Dallas, I worked at a large non-profit, teaching hospital in acute care. It didn't pay much but gave me a great learning experience. When I went to long term acute care it paid more. Then I moved out from the city and made more in a hospital based outpatient clinic. Now I work in home health & make A LOT more than I did there. Somebody in Phoenix would likely be a good source for local info. Like I said before, it's a hard question to answer due to the variables I listed above.

That is not true. The COTA and the PTA go into similiar settings. The COTA may have a few more setting such as psych and recreational/vocational and home adaptations/ modifications but with the latter both OT and PT can do those;usually together.

T in Fort Worth, Texas said: Thanks! Still having a hard time getting into the web site I've done the sign up but when I go to sign up it says it doesn't match.
Thanks again. Yes I am still looking in the DFW area just not sure if I'll do the traveling yet. the ranges are too wide & not sure whose honest or not & want a reliable & honest recruiter, with a work place with ethics, honesty, respect.

Bluelineman's answer is a great one; agreed on all points. I made a bucket-load of money doing a HH traveling gig. But, those are hard to find.

T in Forth Worth, I am sorry you are having difficulties signing in. I'd love to help you out. What was your "screen name" you entered when you signed up? Or, if you didn't make it that far, then you can email me your email at medtravelers@gmail.com and I will send you a direct invitation/link. Or, I don't know if you just need to reset your password.

But, T, being in Texas and having recently gone through it, I can tell you there are/were TONS of traveling job offers in the Dallas metroplex and surrounding areas. Of course, every company was trying to push me there, despite me saying unequivocally I wanted Austin. C'est la vie.

iwrist in Robbins, Illinois said: That is not true. The COTA and the PTA go into similiar settings. The COTA may have a few more setting such as psych and recreational/vocational and home adaptations/ modifications but with the latter both OT and PT can do those;usually together.

What I meant was that there are more PTA's out there than COTA's, also more PTA slots to fill.

Thanks for all the great feedback!
Bluelineman-So you feel RRT is a limited field? Did your mother in law enjoy it or find it too stressful?
Again, still hoping to speak to someone in Phoenix to get more definite salary info thanks :)

Most RRT jobs are in inpatient facilities. I guess some can get into sales positions. With PTA, you can go inpatient, outpatient, home health, sales, etc...

I can't speak for her but I think she went into teaching because she was tired of the patient care aspect of it. Also, she loved teaching.

I guess one positive, is that you can work any shift you want since they have to be available 24 hrs a day. Although, most of them I've known work 12 hr shifts. That's not a really good shift when you have a family.

That varies from state to state. For example, in the South, the need for ST is not as great as it is in the Midwest. A ST can name thier price in the Midwest because there is a shortage here for whatever reason. It all is based on need...supply and demand of the area which you live.

Very true. You can even break it down on a local level. Where I live, the rural areas are more lucrative as the big cities seem to be saturated with therapists.

Yes I agree. If you are willing to "go where no man has gone before" in rural areas; they will pay you to come "out yonder."

so I was able to goto the link fromthe email I received. What I gathered was still a wide range especially when I went to comparison. I realize different settings pay differently but what about comparing apples to apples? SNF PTA rates. I still got the wide range of 30.00-35.00 and they now act like 35.00 is more pushing it & more for the PRN or travelers.

I hear you loud and clear T. Basically, that is in the works, but with the site being only 2 months old, there just hasn't been enough ratings and such to be able to give anything nearly accurate. In due time, I hope to be able to have a searchable page that you can click to see pay for PTA's, then just PTA's in Texas, then PTA's in SNF's in Texas, etc. etc.

Hopefully, the benefits comparison and links provide some quick referencing for your search and that maybe on your second 13-weeker, we might have that information available.

I am confused. Why do PTA's need to travel? What kind of companies need their employees to travel and who are the patients. I am just starting to look into this field and have not heard of this. Thanks!

Brandi J in Ceres, California said: I am confused. Why do PTA's need to travel? What kind of companies need their employees to travel and who are the patients. I am just starting to look into this field and have not heard of this. Thanks!

They don't need to travel, but this is one option for employment. Employers use travelers usually because they have a hard time finding people or need more people than they can find locally. The companies (hospitals, clinics) do not make their own employees travel. They hire people from travel companies. They are typically short assignments (13 weeks). From the employees side, they can travel the country on somebody else's dime while still working.

this is an interesting option. I am trying to figure out what a PTLA is. Can someone tell me? Thanks! Is it still an assistant or is it a PT.