Travel PTA salary and travel COTA salary deserve their own honest conversation.
Assistants can absolutely travel. Travel therapy is not only for PTs, OTs, and SLPs. But PTA and COTA travelers need to compare contracts a little more carefully because assistant pay can have tighter margins, fewer openings, and more variation by state and setting.
That does not mean travel is not worth it. It means the math matters. Nomadicare is very pro assistant travel when the numbers, housing, recruiter support, and assignment fit are right.
Start with the Nomadicare Salary Guide, then compare travel against your permanent role in the ROI Calculator. If you are looking at an actual package, run it through the Fair Pay Calculator.
What permanent PTA and COTA pay says about the baseline
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that physical therapist assistants had a median annual wage of $65,510 in May 2024. BLS also reports that occupational therapy assistants had a median annual wage of $68,340 in May 2024.
Those permanent-career numbers matter because assistant travelers should not compare a travel offer only against other travel offers. Compare it against what you can earn at home, the benefits you would give up or replace, and the cost of housing near the assignment.
What Nomadicare is seeing for assistant travel jobs
When checked on May 17, 2026, Nomadicare’s live jobs page showed thousands of travel therapy jobs, including roughly 500-750 PTA jobs and roughly 200-350 COTA jobs. The live salary guide is tracking hundreds of state-and-specialty salary records across all five travel therapy specialties. In the salary cards visible for this research, visible PTA salary cards commonly landed around the mid $1,000s per week, with some state cards higher; for COTA, visible COTA salary cards commonly landed around the low-to-mid $1,000s per week, with stronger markets above that.
Those numbers are market snapshots, not guarantees. They are still useful because they show the assistant market is real, searchable, and worth comparing carefully.
Why assistant travel math can feel different
PTA and COTA travelers often have less room for sloppy comparisons. If a contract pays less than a PT or OT contract, then housing costs, benefits, taxes, and reimbursements can make a bigger difference.
Before you accept, check:
- The weekly gross pay
- The taxable hourly rate
- The housing and meals stipends
- Whether you qualify for tax-free stipends
- Short-term housing costs near the assignment
- Guaranteed hours and cancellation language
- Whether the setting is a safe fit for your experience
If stipends are part of the package, take the Tax Home Quiz. If you are comparing travel to permanent work, use the ROI Calculator.
Can PTAs and COTAs make enough to travel?
Yes, many can. The strongest assistant travel setups usually have a good combination of realistic housing, clean contract terms, flexible location choices, and a recruiter who knows assistant markets instead of treating them like a side category.
Assistant travelers may need to be more flexible on state, setting, or timing. That flexibility can pay off. Skilled nursing, outpatient, home health, and hospital-based needs can shift quickly, and a good recruiter can help you understand where your specialty is moving.
How Nomadicare helps assistant travelers
Nomadicare only serves travel therapists, and that includes PTAs and COTAs. You can search live PTA jobs or search live COTA jobs, then turn on Job Alerts so you do not miss better-fitting openings.
If you want help finding recruiters who understand assistant travel, start with Vetted Recruiter Matching. The right recruiter should be able to explain pay, setting expectations, supervision, housing, and contract risk clearly.
FAQ
Do PTAs and COTAs make less than PTs and OTs in travel therapy?
Usually, yes. But assistant travel can still be financially strong when housing is realistic and the package beats your permanent alternative.
Are assistant travel jobs harder to find?
They can be more variable by state and setting. That is why job alerts and recruiter matching are especially helpful for PTAs and COTAs.
Should assistants travel?
If the numbers work and the assignment is a safe fit, yes. Travel can be a great career and lifestyle move for PTAs and COTAs who compare carefully.
