When working as a Traveling Physical Therapist, it can be a big decision to choose which part of the country you want to travel to. Making a new home, even if it’s a temporary one, is an undertaking, and it can help smooth the transition if you’re happy with your choice.
One way to ease anxieties about the move is to consider working in cities that have high demand for therapists. Not only is this quality good for your sense of job security, it can also mean you’ll have an easier time meeting fellow therapists who can become new friends.
To help you in your search, here are four cities where Physical Therapists are needed and where they can enjoy a high quality of life.
Sunny skies, palm trees, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood – what’s not to love about the City of Angels? In addition to being an awesome place to live, LA was ranked as one of the top 10 cities for physical therapists, due to its high number of job listings, according to SpareFoot Blog. The city has a median annual rent of $32,568 and the fourth-highest average annual salary, at $95,000.
If the traffic in LA might get you down, then consider working as a travel therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to a ranking by the American Physical Therapy Association, Utah is the No. 1 state for practicing physical therapy. The APTA ranked states based on eight factors: Well-being and future livability; literacy and health literacy; employment and employment projections; business and practice friendliness; technology and innovation; PT, PTA and student engagement with APTA; compensation and cost of living; and health and financial disparities. This is a good group of qualifiers, because every travel PT knows that even if the pay is good, an unfriendly practice or stressful work environment can make the job just not worth it. Utah had above-average rankings in each of these categories compared to other states, especially for “well-being and future livability,” which is an important consideration for a successful travel arrangement.
Want ample days of sunshine, but on the East Coast? Then think about looking into travel arrangements in Jacksonville, Florida, which was named one of the five best cities for physical therapists by Value Penguin. The sunny city has a high amount of PT jobs per capita, high salaries and a low cost of living. Just imagine filling your weekends with trips to the beach!
Crave living in a quirky city with great food, great music and lots of fun? Austin could be just what you’re looking for. After College analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data as well as housing and wage figures and found that Austin, Texas is a top city for travel therapists. Many young professionals have moved there, helping make Austin a vibrant, exciting city to call home.
These are four cities that could be great new locations for travel therapists looking for their next assignment. Check them out to see if any of them will become your new home!