Traveling as a PT Pair: What You Should Know Before You Hit the Road

One of the biggest perks of travel therapy is the freedom to pick up and move somewhere new every few months. But what if you don't want to do it alone?

That's where traveling as a PT pair comes in.

A PT pair is essentially two therapists who want to travel together and coordinate their contracts so they can live and work in the same general area. This could mean working at the same clinic, working for the same company, or simply finding two separate contracts that are relatively close to each other.

My girlfriend and I have been traveling as a PT pair for the past year, and while it has definitely come with some challenges, it has also been one of the best parts of our travel therapy experience.

If you're considering doing the same, here's what I've learned.

What Exactly Is a PT Pair?

A PT pair is pretty much what it sounds like: two physical therapists who want to travel together.

When you tell your recruiter that you're interested in traveling as a pair, they'll look for opportunities that allow both of you to work in the same area.

Ideally, you might find two positions at the same facility. This is probably the easiest scenario because you can work at the same clinic, live together, and have similar schedules.

However, that's not always how it works.

More commonly, your recruiter may find two separate contracts that are located relatively close to each other. You might work at different clinics but live in the same area and commute to your respective jobs.

This gives you more flexibility, but it also comes with an important downside:

Your job options become more limited.

Instead of finding one great contract, you need to find two.

And that can make the job search a little more stressful.

The Biggest Challenge: Finding Two Jobs at the Same Time

When you're traveling by yourself, you only have to worry about whether your contract is a good fit.

You can look at the pay, location, housing, setting, schedule, and whatever else is important to you.

When you're traveling as a pair, you have to find two contracts that work.

Maybe you find an amazing outpatient orthopedic position in a mountain town, but your significant other can't find anything nearby.

Or maybe your partner finds a great contract, but yours is an hour away.

You quickly realize that you're not just searching for a job.

You're searching for two jobs that make sense together.

This can shrink your options considerably.

A Real Example From Our Travel Therapy Experience

We've experienced this firsthand.

At one point, my girlfriend and I had an opportunity to travel as a PT pair to a small mountain town that was only about 20 minutes from a ski resort.

As someone who enjoys snowboarding, this was pretty much the perfect setup.

Our recruiter sent us the opportunity while we were both working. I took a quick look at it, but I wasn't able to get back to her right away.

By the time we got home, we sat down and went through everything.

The contracts looked good.

The location looked great.

We even found affordable housing in the area.

At that point, we were ready to apply.

The only problem?

It was Friday.

Our recruiter didn't get back to us until Monday. At that point, she needed updated resumes and the days off we would need to request from our current jobs.

So we got everything together and submitted our applications on Tuesday.

Then Wednesday came around.

We found out that one of the two positions had already been filled.

Just like that, the opportunity was gone.

We had missed out on being 20 minutes from a ski resort.

Brutal.

Why Being Prepared Matters

Looking back, this was probably one of the biggest lessons we've learned from traveling as a PT pair.

When you're traveling as a pair, you need to be ready to move quickly.

Travel therapy contracts can move fast. A position might be available one day and gone the next.

When you're trying to coordinate two therapists, there are naturally more moving pieces.

You need two resumes.

You need two sets of availability.

You may need to request time off from two different employers.

You need to make sure the contracts line up.

And, ideally, you want to find housing that works for both of you.

All of these little things can add time to the process.

And sometimes, that extra time can cost you the contract.

Have Your Information Ready to Go

If you know that you're going to be traveling as a PT pair, I would recommend having a few things prepared before you start seriously looking.

1. Keep Your Resumes Updated

Don't wait until you find your dream contract to update your resume.

Have both resumes ready to send.

That way, if your recruiter sends you an opportunity you're interested in, you can immediately say:

"Yes, we're interested. Here's everything you need."

2. Know Your Requested Days Off

If you're currently working, know which days you'll need off for interviews, travel, moving, or whatever else you need to coordinate.

This becomes especially important when you're both working full-time.

3. Know Your Deal Breakers

Before you start looking, talk with your travel partner about what matters most.

How far are you willing to commute?

Do you need to work in the same setting?

How much are you willing to spend on housing?

Are you willing to take slightly lower pay to live somewhere you really want to be?

Would you rather prioritize location, pay, or time off?

Having these conversations beforehand makes the job search much easier.

The Housing Advantage

One of the biggest advantages of traveling as a PT pair is housing.

Housing is already one of the biggest expenses that travel therapists have to consider. When two people are splitting the cost of a place, you can potentially save a significant amount of money.

Instead of each person paying for their own apartment, you can split one place.

This can make some of those more expensive destinations much more affordable.

And if you're able to find a two-bedroom place and split the cost, you can still have your own space while potentially spending less than you would living alone.

Of course, your housing options will depend heavily on where your contracts are located, so it's important to look at housing costs before committing to a contract.

Is Traveling as a PT Pair Worth It?

In my experience, absolutely.

There are definitely some downsides.

The job search can take longer.

Your options are more limited.

You may have to compromise on location or pay.

And sometimes you'll have to pass on an otherwise great contract because you can't

find something nearby for your travel partner.

But there are also some major advantages.

You get to experience new places together.

You can split housing expenses.

You have someone familiar with you when you're starting a new job in a completely new environment.

And, at least for my girlfriend and me, it has made the travel therapy experience even more enjoyable.

We may have missed out on that dream contract 20 minutes from the ski resort, but a couple of weeks later we found our next contracts.

Unfortunately, we're about an hour and a half from the closest ski resort this time around.

So we're still getting some snowboarding in.

We're just doing a little more driving.

I'll take it.

Final Thoughts

If you're thinking about traveling as a PT pair, don't let the challenges of finding two contracts scare you away.

It's completely doable.

You just need to understand that you're adding another layer to the job search.

My biggest recommendation is to get organized before the job search begins.

Have your resumes updated.

Know your requested days off.

Know your budget.

Know what locations you're interested in.

And most importantly, be ready to act when the right opportunity comes along.

Because when you find that perfect contract in a mountain town 20 minutes from a ski resort, you don't want to spend four days getting your paperwork together like we did.

Trust me.

You might end up 90 minutes away.