ProTherapy Staffing
In 2026, travel therapy packages run roughly $1,800 to $3,500+ per week across PT, OT, and SLP depending on setting, location, and demand. But two assignments with identical gross pay can differ by hundreds of dollars a week in actual take-home, because three other variables do the real work: state income tax, cost of living at the assignment, and your tax home state.
This guide ranks states the way a therapist's bank account experiences them — and shows you the math so you can run it for any contract using our Pay Calculator and Salary Map. For current median pay by state and discipline, see our Travel Therapy Pay Index.
First, the Rule That Changes Everything: The Two-State Tax Reality
Travel therapists generally file taxes in two places: as a non-resident in the state where they work, and as a resident in their tax home state. Your home state gives you a credit for taxes paid to the work state — which means, in practice, you pay the higher of the two rates.
- Tax home in Florida (0%) + assignment in Washington (0%) = $0 state income tax. The dream scenario.
- Tax home in Virginia (~5.75%) + assignment in Washington (0%) = you still owe Virginia its full rate.
So if your tax home is in a taxed state, a 0%-tax assignment state doesn't save you anything — you need high gross pay to win. If your tax home is in a no-tax state, 0%-tax assignment states are pure profit. Confirm your tax home is set up correctly first with our Tax Home Checker and tax guide — nothing else in this article matters if your stipends aren't legitimately tax-free.
The 2026 Standouts
1. Washington — high rates, no income tax
West Coast bill rates with 0% state income tax is the strongest combination in the country right now. The catch is Seattle-area housing, which can eat your stipend. The play: target smaller cities and rural Washington assignments where rates stay strong but rent doesn't.
2. New Hampshire — the quiet leader
New England rates have been leading the nation in early 2026, and New Hampshire pairs them with 0% tax on earned wages — unlike neighboring Vermont and Massachusetts. Underrated and under-saturated.
3. Texas — the value leader
No state income tax, low cost of living, and heavy demand for travel therapy in Texas — especially home health across the southern half of the state. Gross packages look mid-pack; take-home frequently beats coastal assignments.
4. California — highest gross, biggest asterisk
California still posts the biggest weekly numbers, driven by strict labor laws and massive demand. But a ~9%+ marginal state tax and brutal housing costs shrink the advantage. The pay-to-cost ratio improves dramatically in the Central Valley and far Northern California versus the coast.
5. Tennessee, Nevada, and Florida — the no-tax workhorses
Solid rates, 0% income tax, and reasonable living costs. Florida's pay runs lower than its demand suggests (it's a popular destination, so facilities don't have to pay premiums), but as a tax home state it's hard to beat.
Wildcard: anywhere with a crisis rate
The single highest packages in 2026 aren't in any one state — they're in rural and underserved markets where population growth has outpaced clinical supply. A "nowhere" assignment at a crisis rate with cheap housing routinely out-nets a glamour-city contract by $500+ per week.
A Worked Example
| Coastal CA Metro | Rural WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross weekly | $2,900 | $2,600 |
| State income tax | High (CA non-resident) | $0 |
| Monthly housing | $2,800+ | $1,300 |
| Net position | Looks bigger, nets smaller | Looks smaller, nets bigger |
This is the pattern to internalize: gross pay is a headline; net pay is a calculation. Run any two contracts side by side in the Pay Calculator before you decide. And make sure you understand how the package itself is built — taxable hourly rate vs. non-taxable stipends — in our pay packages explained guide.
Setting Matters as Much as State
Within any state, setting moves pay more than geography does. In 2026, home health leads on weekly gross due to complexity and demand, with SNF and underserved acute care close behind; outpatient pays a premium for specialty certifications but trails overall. Full breakdown in our settings comparison.
Licensing: Don't Let It Eat Your Timing Advantage
High-paying contracts move fast, and the therapist who's already licensed wins them. PTs and PTAs should leverage the PT Compact; OTs now have eight issuing OT Compact states; SLPs have the early-stage ASLP-IC. For non-compact states, start the license the day you pick a target market.
The Strategy in One Paragraph
Establish a legitimate tax home in a low- or no-tax state if your life allows it. Then practice geo-arbitrage: chase high bill rates in under-supplied markets, keep housing costs low (rural and small-city assignments), and let the no-tax states multiply the advantage. Avoid saturated destination metros where pay is soft and rent is hard. And always — always — compare contracts on net, not gross.
Want to know what we're actually seeing on rates this month? Our job feed updates hourly across all 50 states. Browse current assignments or call (484) 324-8320 and we'll tell you where the money really is right now.