Your recruiter is the single most important relationship in your travel therapy career. A great one can make the difference between a dream contract and a nightmare. A bad one can cost you thousands of dollars — or worse, leave you stranded mid-assignment.
After surveying over 400 travel therapists, here are the five most common red flags that should make you pause and ask more questions.
If your recruiter won't show you the bill rate breakdown, that's a problem. Every legitimate agency should be able to explain exactly how your pay package is structured: taxable hourly, housing stipend, meals and incidentals, and travel reimbursement. If they can't — or won't — they're probably taking a larger cut than industry standard.
"Can you walk me through the full bill rate breakdown? I want to understand exactly how my package is calculated." If they dodge this question, it tells you everything you need to know.
Every agency negotiates. The bill rate from the facility has a range, and where your pay lands within that range is determined by the agency's margin. Agencies that claim pay is "fixed" or "non-negotiable" are simply choosing not to compete. Good agencies will work with you to find a package that works for both sides.
If your recruiter takes more than a day to respond during the placement process, imagine how responsive they'll be when you have a problem mid-contract. Recruiter availability is the #1 complaint in travel therapy reviews — and it's the #1 reason therapists switch agencies. Your recruiter should be reachable within a few hours during business days, period.
Any recruiter who pressures you to work exclusively with their agency is putting their commission ahead of your career. The smartest travelers work with 2-3 agencies simultaneously. This gives you more options, better leverage on pay, and protection if one agency's pipeline dries up.
Before you sign anything, you should know: guaranteed hours, overtime policy, call-off policy, cancellation clause and notice period, housing arrangement specifics, and benefits start dates. If any of these are unclear or your recruiter says "we'll figure it out later" — don't sign.
A good recruiter works for you, not just with you. They should be transparent, responsive, and willing to explain every detail of your contract. If you're getting red flags, trust your instincts — there are hundreds of agencies out there, and you deserve one that treats you right.
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