I would like to know if anyone could give some advice as to which situation would provide the best bottomline pay.   I would like to do travel PT and some of the companys offer a per diem pay package and other offer a straight hourly pay.  I own a home.  A tax prep site for this would also be helpful.

Joan,

 Great question! I would strongly suggest that you seek the advice of a tax professional on this matter. There are indeed many options available for traveling therapists. However, I must caution you that you should be very wary of companies that offer huge per diems and big housing allowances. While it is very enticing and lucrative for the therapist, it exposes the traveler to potential IRS penalties.

 I spoke with an IRS agent specifically about this topic. They have clearly defined guidelines regarding amounts you can receive. For instance, a company may offer you a $2,000/mo housing allowance. But, the area in which you are doing an assignment has "reasonable and customary" housing costs for much less. If you are audited, you are going to pay penalty and interest - at a minimum.

 Just make sure that you get a professional's advice before accepting any pie in the sky reimbursement plan!

Bon Voyage!

Hey guys!  I have been a traveler for over 4 years now and can't envision stopping anytime soon.  It is a bit of a hassle though, when looking for specific assignments in specific cities.  This normally forces you to contact multiple companies and that in itself is a major headache.  Plus, when I drove clear across the country, I did that based on the "word" of my recruiter and the wealth of knowledge my 10 minute phone interview gave me.  I thought to myself, there has to be a better way.  So, I created a community of traveling rehab professionals at:

http://www.medtravelerclub.com/

It provides rankings and ratings of all the companies out there, the facilities they place us at, tax information, forums that allow us to network and answer questions that only other travelers could possibly answer correctly, as well as, benefits comparisons, links to everything a traveler would need on assignment.

Its all free and it takes no time to join up and get the advice of other travelers.  Hopefully, YOU will be able to contribute to our next assignment by rating your companies and assignments as well.  The more therapists that do, the more it identifies the great companies and facilities and the ones to avoid like the plague.

 

Hope to see you around!

Jason