Travel therapy glossary

These are the words you meet in travel therapy offers, contracts and tax rules, each defined in three sentences or fewer. Where a term has a legal meaning, the definition follows the official source and says where it was read.

# A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W

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50-mile rule

Publication 463 sets no mileage figure for traveling away from home: the test is whether your duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home substantially longer than an ordinary day's work and you need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work. As fetched, the publication contains no “50 miles” or “50-mile” test for this, so a distance minimum in an offer is agency policy, not IRS law. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses (no mileage threshold; tools/data/fifty-mile-rule.json), read October 10, 2026. See also: Traveling away from home, Tax home.

A

Accountable plan

The IRS name for an employer's reimbursement or allowance arrangement whose payments stay out of your wages. Publication 463 says it must include all of its rules: your expenses must have a business connection, you must adequately account to your employer for them within a reasonable period of time, and you must return any excess within a reasonable period of time. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Stipend, Per diem, Taxable base rate, Nonaccountable plan.

Acute care

Hospital care for patients with a new illness, injury or surgery, usually during an inpatient stay. Therapists in acute care evaluate and treat patients on hospital units and help plan their discharge. See also: Outpatient, SNF (skilled nursing facility), Home health. Guide: Comparing Travel Therapy Work Settings: SNF, Outpatient, Acute, Home Health & More.

Agency (travel therapy staffing agency)

A staffing company that contracts with facilities to fill openings and hires therapists to work them. On a travel contract the agency, not the facility, is your employer of record: it runs payroll, withholds taxes and offers any benefits. Before you sign with one, vet the agency on the questions that decide your contract, and compare agencies on the same terms. See also: Recruiter, Bill rate. Guide: How Travel Therapy Staffing Agencies Work: What Therapists Should Know.

Agency-provided housing

Lodging the agency finds and pays for, such as a furnished apartment or an extended-stay room, in place of a housing stipend. It saves you the search and the lease, but you give up the stipend and the choice of place, so compare what the stipend would leave you after rent before you choose. See also: Housing stipend, Security deposit, Fair Market Rent (HUD). Guide: Travel Therapy Housing: Stipend vs. Agency Housing, and How to Find the Best Option.

APTA (American Physical Therapy Association)

The national professional association for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students. Membership is voluntary and is not a license: state licensing boards license PTs and PTAs, and the PT Compact lets a licensee practice in other member states. See also: PT Compact, NPTE, State licensing board.

ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which calls itself “the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association” for audiologists, speech-language pathologists and their assistants. It awards the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), and it says ASHA certification “is not contingent upon membership in any professional organization.” The CCC is a national credential, not a license, so you still need a license, or a compact privilege where one is available, in each state you work in. Source: ASHA, About ASHA Certification, read October 25, 2026. See also: Praxis (SLP exam), ASLP Compact (ASLP-IC), State licensing board.

ASLP Compact (ASLP-IC)

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, which its commission describes as “an interstate compact, or formal agreement among states, that facilitates interstate practice.” Under it, audiologists and speech-language pathologists licensed in good standing in a member state can practice in other member states through a “compact privilege,” which the commission calls “equivalent to a license.” Source: Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC), read October 22, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, CompactConnect, OT Compact. Guide: SLP Compact (ASLP-IC): States Issuing Privileges.

B

Background check

A criminal history search an agency or facility runs before you start, often alongside license verification and a drug screen. What it covers and how far back it looks depend on the facility and the state. See also: Compliance packet, Drug screen, Credentialing.

Bill rate

The hourly amount the facility pays the agency for your work. Your taxable wage, stipends, benefits, the agency's other costs and its margin are all paid from it. See also: Blended rate, Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Gross weekly pay.

Blended rate

A single hourly figure that combines a contract's taxable wage and its stipends, spread over the guaranteed hours. It makes offers easier to compare, but your paystub does not show it: the taxable and stipend parts are paid and taxed differently. See also: Taxable base rate, Stipend, Bill rate.

C

Cancellation clause

The contract terms that say who can end an assignment early, how much notice is required, and what is owed when it ends. Read it in both directions: the facility's right to cancel you and any penalty if you leave early. See also: Guaranteed hours, Completion bonus. Guide: When a Travel Contract Gets Cancelled: Your Options.

Caseload

The patients assigned to you to evaluate and treat. Its size and its mix of diagnoses shape your day as much as the pay does, so ask the facility about the caseload, the schedule and the documentation system before you accept. See also: Productivity (standard), SNF (skilled nursing facility), Acute care.

CCU (continuing competence unit)

The unit some physical therapy boards use to count the continuing education a PT or PTA completes to renew a license. FSBPT's licensure reference guide lists what each jurisdiction requires, some in units and some in hours. Source: FSBPT Licensure Reference Guide: Number of CEUs/CCUs Required, read October 24, 2026. See also: CEU (continuing education unit), PT Compact.

CEU (continuing education unit)

A unit of continuing education credit. Each state board sets how much continuing education you need to renew a license and which courses count, so a traveler with several licenses tracks each board's rules and renewal dates. See also: Compact privilege, Educational assistance program.

COBRA

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which the Department of Labor says gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time. It applies after events such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked and transition between jobs. Qualified individuals “may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102% of the cost to the plan.” Source: U.S. Department of Labor: COBRA Continuation Coverage, read October 22, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Special enrollment period. Guide: Why You Should Consider Getting Your Own Health Insurance.

Code L (Form W-2, box 12)

The code your employer uses in box 12 of Form W-2 for substantiated employee business expense reimbursements. Publication 463 says that if your allowance is more than the federal rate, “your employer must include the allowance amount up to the federal rate under code L in box 12 of your Form W-2,” and the excess allowance is included in box 1. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Form W-2 (box 1), Per diem, Accountable plan.

Compact privilege

The PT Compact Commission defines it as “the authorization to practice in a compact member state other than your home state” and calls it “the legal equivalent to a state-issued license.” The holder is responsible for following the scope of practice where the patient is located. Source: PT Compact Commission: What is a Compact Privilege?, read October 22, 2026. See also: PT Compact, Home state (compact), Jurisprudence exam, Licensure by endorsement. Guide: PT Compact License and Privileges: Which States Issue Them, What They Cost, How to Apply.

CompactConnect

In its own words, “an open-source data system for occupational licensure compacts.” It serves the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Counseling, and Occupational Therapy compact commissions, which jointly own it. Source: CompactConnect, read October 22, 2026. See also: OT Compact, ASLP Compact (ASLP-IC), Compact privilege.

Completion bonus

A bonus an agency pays when you finish a contract, as the offer defines finishing. Check what voids it, such as a cancellation by either side, and whether it is paid as taxable wages. See also: Extension bonus, Cancellation clause.

Compliance packet

The documents a facility needs before your first day: license verification, health records such as immunizations, titers and TB results, certifications, a background check, a drug screen and signed agency forms. The agency collects them and keeps them current, and anything missing can delay your start date. See also: Credentialing, Titer, Skills checklist, Background check.

Concerted activity

Employees acting together, or one employee acting on behalf of co-workers, about pay or working conditions, which federal labor law protects. The NLRB's examples include “talking with one or more co-workers about your wages and benefits or other working conditions,” and it says your employer cannot discharge, discipline or threaten you for this activity. You can lose that protection by saying something knowingly and maliciously false. Source: National Labor Relations Board, Concerted Activity, read October 24, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency).

Credentialing

The process of proving to an agency and a facility that you are qualified and cleared to work: licenses, certifications, health records, references and checks. It runs before every contract, and its paperwork is the compliance packet. See also: Compliance packet, Background check, Skills checklist.

D

Deductible (health insurance)

HealthCare.gov defines it as “The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay.” After you meet it you usually pay only a copayment or coinsurance, and many plans pay for certain services, such as a checkup, before you have met it. HealthCare.gov adds that plans with lower monthly premiums generally have higher deductibles. Source: HealthCare.gov glossary, Deductible, read October 25, 2026. See also: Premium (health insurance), Group health plan (job-based coverage), Out-of-network.

Drug screen

A drug test required before a contract starts. The facility sets what is tested and how close to your start date it must be done. See also: Background check, Compliance packet.

Duplicated expenses

One of the three factors IRS Publication 463 uses to decide whether your main home is your tax home: “You have living expenses at your main home that you duplicate because your business requires you to be away from that home.” In practice that means keeping up the costs of your main home while you also pay for lodging where you work. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Tax home, Itinerant, Stipend.

E

Educational assistance program

A separate written plan through which an employer pays for its employees' education, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies. IRS Publication 15-B for 2026 says an employer “can exclude up to $5,250 of educational assistance you provide to an employee under an educational assistance program from the employee's wages each year.” Above that amount, or with no program, the value is wages unless it qualifies as a working condition benefit. Source: IRS Publication 15-B (2026), Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits, read October 24, 2026. See also: Working condition benefit, CEU (continuing education unit).

Elective deferral

Pay you choose to put into a retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b) instead of receiving it as salary. The IRS limit on employee elective deferrals to traditional and safe harbor 401(k) plans is $24,500 in 2026, and you generally add up your deferrals to all plans you take part in, so two agencies' plans in one year share that limit. Source: IRS, Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits, read October 24, 2026. See also: Vesting, Roth IRA / Roth 401(k), Rollover (direct rollover). Guide: Travel PT Benefits: What a Package Includes and the Rules Behind It.

Estimated tax

Tax paid to the IRS during the year on income that withholding does not cover. The IRS says that if the income tax withheld from your salary is not enough you may have to make estimated tax payments, and that if you receive salaries and wages you can avoid having to pay estimated tax by asking your employer to withhold more tax from your earnings. Source: IRS: Estimated taxes, read October 6, 2026. See also: Form W-2 (box 1).

Extension

Staying on at the same facility after a contract ends, under a new contract or an amendment. Pay and terms can change at extension, so read the new offer as you would any other, and remember that a long stay in one area can affect your tax home under the one-year rule. See also: Extension bonus, One-year rule, Indefinite assignment. Guide: Extending a Travel Contract: When to Say Yes or Walk.

Extension bonus

A bonus offered for agreeing to extend a contract at the same facility. Ask whether it is paid as taxable wages and what would void it. See also: Extension, Completion bonus.

F

Fair Market Rent (HUD)

The rent level HUD estimates each federal fiscal year for every metropolitan area and nonmetropolitan county, used to set payments in housing programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers. HUD's page for the FY 2027 rents defines them as “estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units”. Source: HUD USER, Fair Market Rents, read October 24, 2026. See also: Housing stipend, GSA per diem rate.

Float

Being assigned to work at more than one site or unit of a facility or health system during a contract. If an offer mentions floating, ask which sites, how far apart they are and whether travel between them is paid. See also: Guaranteed hours.

FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)

The federal law that, in the Department of Labor's words, “establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.” It is the source of the federal overtime rule, and many states also have their own wage laws. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Fair Labor Standards Act, read October 24, 2026. See also: Overtime, Regular rate of pay.

Form W-2 (box 1)

The wage statement your employer gives you for each year; box 1 shows your taxable wages. Publication 463 says, “If your allowance is less than or equal to the federal rate, the allowance won't be included in box 1 of your Form W-2,” and that an excess allowance will be included in box 1. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Code L (Form W-2, box 12), Stipend, Per diem.

G

Gross weekly pay

The total a contract pays per week before taxes and deductions: taxable wages plus any stipends. Because qualifying stipends are not taxed, two offers with the same gross weekly pay can leave different amounts in your account. See also: Blended rate, Taxable base rate, Stipend. Guide: Travel Therapy Pay Packages Explained: How to Read, Compare, and Maximize Your Offer.

Group health plan (job-based coverage)

HealthCare.gov defines it as, “In general, a health plan offered by an employer or employee organization that provides health coverage to employees and their families.” On a travel contract your employer is the agency, so its plan is your job-based coverage, and leaving the agency can end it. Losing job-based coverage can open a special enrollment period, and COBRA may let you keep the plan for a time at your own cost. Source: HealthCare.gov glossary, Group health plan, read October 25, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Waiting period (job-based coverage), COBRA, Special enrollment period. Guide: Why You Should Consider Getting Your Own Health Insurance.

GSA per diem rate

The rates the General Services Administration sets “that federal agencies use to reimburse their employees for lodging and meals and incidental expenses incurred while on official travel within the continental United States.” GSA says “A standard rate applies to most of CONUS” and “Individual rates apply to about 300 non-standard areas.” Source: GSA: Per diem rates, read October 22, 2026. See also: Per diem, M&IE (meals and incidental expenses), Housing stipend.

Guaranteed hours

The hours per week a contract promises to pay even if the facility schedules you for fewer. Read the clause for its exceptions, such as hours you miss by choice or a facility closure, and whether stipends are also reduced. See also: Missed-shift penalty, Cancellation clause, Float. Guide: Travel Therapy Contract Red Flags: Clauses to Check Before You Sign.

H

Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA Marketplace)

In HealthCare.gov’s words, “A service that helps people shop for and enroll in health insurance,” also called the “Marketplace” or “exchange.” The federal government runs it at HealthCare.gov for most states, and some states run their own. When you apply you give income and household information, which decides whether you qualify for premium tax credits and other savings. Source: HealthCare.gov glossary, Health Insurance Marketplace, read October 25, 2026. See also: Premium (health insurance), Short-term health insurance (short-term, limited-duration insurance), Special enrollment period, COBRA. Guide: Why You Should Consider Getting Your Own Health Insurance.

Home health

Therapy delivered in patients' homes, usually through a home health agency. Home health travelers drive between visits, so mileage reimbursement and per-visit or hourly pay terms matter. See also: Outpatient, SNF (skilled nursing facility). Guide: Comparing Travel Therapy Work Settings: SNF, Outpatient, Acute, Home Health & More.

Home state (compact)

Under PT Compact Commission Rules, a licensee's home state means “the person's true, fixed, and permanent home and is the place where the person intends to remain indefinitely.” The Commission uses your driver's license information as primary confirmation of home state residence. Source: PT Compact Commission: How is a licensee's home state defined?, read October 22, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, PT Compact.

Housing stipend

The part of a travel package meant for lodging while you work away from your tax home. Its federal reference point is the GSA lodging per diem rate, and GSA says “The lodging per diem rates are a maximum amount; the traveler only receives actual lodging costs up to that maximum rate.” Source: GSA: Per diem rates FAQs, read October 1, 2026. See also: Stipend, GSA per diem rate, M&IE (meals and incidental expenses), Fair Market Rent (HUD). Guide: Travel Therapy Housing: Stipend vs. Agency Housing, and How to Find the Best Option.

I

Indefinite assignment

IRS Publication 463 says an assignment or job in a single location “is considered indefinite if it is realistically expected to last for more than 1 year, whether or not it actually lasts for more than 1 year.” If your assignment is indefinite, you must include in your income any amounts you receive from your employer for living expenses. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: One-year rule, Tax home, Extension. Guide: Travel PT Contracts: How Long They Last and How Long You Can Stay.

Inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF)

A hospital, or a unit within one, where patients recovering from a stroke, a brain or spinal cord injury, an amputation or a major orthopedic surgery get intensive therapy every day from a team of therapists, nurses and physicians. Patients there are expected to take part in more therapy each day than in a SNF, so IRF contracts often ask for inpatient experience. See also: Acute care, SNF (skilled nursing facility), Caseload.

Itinerant

IRS Publication 463 says that if you don't have a regular or main place of business or post of duty and there is no place where you regularly live, “you are considered an itinerant (a transient) and your tax home is wherever you work.” Because your tax home moves with you, you are never traveling away from it, and the publication says you can't deduct travel expenses. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Tax home, Duplicated expenses.

J

Jurisprudence exam

A test of a state's practice laws and rules. The PT Compact Commission says each member state “may require individuals seeking a compact privilege to pass a jurisprudence requirement, typically an exam, before applying for compact privileges,” and that these requirements vary from state to state. Source: PT Compact Commission: What jurisprudence requirements must be met?, read October 22, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, PT Compact. Guide: PT Compact License and Privileges: Which States Issue Them, What They Cost, How to Apply.

L

License reimbursement

An agency’s repayment of what you spend to get or renew a license, a compact privilege or a required certification for an assignment. Whether an agency offers it, which costs it covers and whether you must pay it back if a contract ends early differ by agency, so get the terms in writing with the offer. See also: Compact privilege, Licensure by endorsement, Working condition benefit, Pay package.

Licensure by endorsement

The route to a full state license for someone already licensed in another state, applied for through the new state's licensing board. The PT Compact Commission says that if you are not eligible for a compact privilege, “you can still practice in another state by applying for licensure by endorsement/reciprocity through that state's licensing board.” Source: PT Compact Commission: Who is eligible to purchase a compact privilege?, read October 1, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, Temporary license. Guide: How to Get a PT License in a Non-Compact State.

M

M&IE (meals and incidental expenses)

The meals and incidental expenses part of a per diem rate. Publication 463 defines incidental expenses as “fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, hotel staff, and staff on ships,” and uses “standard meal allowance” for the federal rate for M&IE. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Per diem, GSA per diem rate, Stipend.

Missed-shift penalty

A deduction from your pay, sometimes taken from stipends, when you work fewer than the contract's expected hours for reasons the contract puts on you, such as a call-out. Read how it is calculated and whether it applies to shifts the facility cancels. See also: Guaranteed hours, Cancellation clause.

N

NBCOT certification

The national credential (OTR® or COTA®) that the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy grants; it is separate from the state license you practice under. NBCOT says meeting its renewal requirements, including 36 units, keeps the certification active for another three years. Source: NBCOT: Renew your certification, read October 24, 2026. See also: OT Compact, CEU (continuing education unit).

No Surprises Act

A federal law, in effect since January 1, 2022, that in most cases protects people with private insurance from unexpected out-of-network bills for emergency room visits, for non-emergency care related to visits at in-network hospitals, hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers, and for air ambulance services. CMS says ground ambulance services generally aren't covered by its billing protections, and neither are short-term limited duration plans. Source: CMS, Know your rights: No Surprises Act, read October 24, 2026. See also: Out-of-network.

Non-compete clause

A contract term that limits where or for whom you can work after a job ends. The FTC's non-compete rule is not in effect and is not enforceable, so whether a clause binds you depends on your state's law and the contract itself. Source: FTC: Noncompete Rule, read October 24, 2026. See also: Cancellation clause, Concerted activity. Guide: Travel Therapy Contract Red Flags: Clauses to Check Before You Sign.

Nonaccountable plan

An employer's reimbursement or allowance arrangement that fails one or more of the accountable plan rules, so its payments count as pay. IRS Publication 463 says your employer will combine those payments with your wages and report the total in box 1 of your Form W-2, and that an arrangement that repays business expenses by reducing the amount reported as your wages is treated as a nonaccountable plan. Source: IRS Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 24, 2026. See also: Accountable plan, Form W-2 (box 1), Taxable base rate.

NPTE

The National Physical Therapy Examination, which the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy says “for PTs and PTAs is an essential part of the licensing process.” FSBPT adds that each licensing authority has its own eligibility criteria for licensure and for taking the NPTE. Source: FSBPT: National Physical Therapy Examination, read October 10, 2026. See also: Temporary license, Licensure by endorsement, Supervision levels (PT/PTA).

O

One-year rule

IRS Publication 463 says, “Generally, a temporary assignment in a single location is one that is realistically expected to last (and does in fact last) for 1 year or less.” An assignment expected to last more than 1 year is indefinite, and one that starts as temporary can become indefinite if that expectation changes. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Indefinite assignment, Tax home, Extension.

OT Compact

The interstate compact for occupational therapy licensure. Its commission says that under it, “Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) who are licensed in good standing in a Compact member state will be eligible to practice in other Compact member states via a ‘compact privilege.’” Source: Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Commission, read October 3, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, CompactConnect, PT Compact. Guide: OT Compact: Which States Are Issuing Privileges and How to Apply.

Out-of-network

Care from a doctor, hospital or other provider that has no contract with your health plan. HealthCare.gov says an HMO “generally won't cover out-of-network care except in an emergency,” while with a PPO you can use providers outside the network “without a referral for an additional cost.” Check which kind of plan you have before you need care on assignment. Source: HealthCare.gov, Health insurance plan and network types: HMOs, PPOs, and more, read October 24, 2026. See also: No Surprises Act, Special enrollment period.

Outpatient

Clinic-based therapy for patients who live at home and come in for scheduled visits, such as orthopedic and sports clinics. Outpatient contracts often set a visit or productivity expectation, so ask about caseload and schedule. See also: Acute care, Home health, SNF (skilled nursing facility). Guide: Comparing Travel Therapy Work Settings: SNF, Outpatient, Acute, Home Health & More.

Overtime

The Department of Labor says: “Unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay.” On a travel contract, ask which rate the agency uses to figure it. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Overtime Pay, read October 10, 2026. See also: Taxable base rate, Guaranteed hours, Regular rate of pay, FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act).

P

Paid sick leave

Pay for time off when you are ill. The Department of Labor says, “Currently, there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave,” so whether you have it on a contract depends on your agreement and the law where you work. Federal family and medical leave is unpaid and only reaches employees who meet its tests for time with the employer, which a short contract may not. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Sick Leave, read October 24, 2026. See also: Guaranteed hours, Missed-shift penalty.

Pay package

Everything a travel contract pays, broken into its parts: the taxable hourly wage, any housing and meals stipends, travel reimbursement, overtime terms, bonuses and benefits. Two packages with the same weekly total can differ in what is taxed, what is promised in writing and what is deducted, so compare offers line by line. See also: Gross weekly pay, Taxable base rate, Stipend, Take-home pay, Blended rate. Guide: Travel Therapy Pay Packages Explained: How to Read, Compare, and Maximize Your Offer.

Per diem

IRS Publication 463 says, “A per diem allowance is a fixed amount of daily reimbursement your employer gives you for your lodging and M&IE.” In travel therapy the word is also used for the stipends themselves. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Stipend, M&IE (meals and incidental expenses), GSA per diem rate, PRN.

Praxis (SLP exam)

The Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, a national exam owned and administered by ETS that ASHA requires for its Certificate of Clinical Competence. ASHA says each state determines its own passing score for licensure, and while most states adopt ASHA's score, some set theirs higher or lower. Source: ASHA, About the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exam, read October 24, 2026. See also: ASLP Compact (ASLP-IC), Temporary license, NPTE.

Premium (health insurance)

HealthCare.gov defines it as “The amount you pay for your health insurance every month.” You usually pay other costs on top of it, including a deductible, copayments and coinsurance, and the plan with the lowest monthly premium may not be the right match if you need much care. When an agency plan’s premium comes out of your paycheck, get the amount in writing so you can compare it with a plan you buy yourself. Source: HealthCare.gov glossary, Premium, read October 25, 2026. See also: Deductible (health insurance), Group health plan (job-based coverage), Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA Marketplace).

PRN

As-needed work without a fixed schedule or set hours, paid per shift. It is sometimes called per diem work, which is different from a per diem travel allowance. See also: Per diem.

Productivity (standard)

The share of your paid time a facility expects you to spend in direct, billable patient care, often called a productivity standard, target or expectation. Expectations differ by setting and facility and are often higher in SNFs, so ask how productivity is measured and what happens if you fall short before you sign. See also: Caseload, SNF (skilled nursing facility), Outpatient.

Professional liability insurance

Insurance that covers claims arising from your clinical work, also called malpractice insurance. Ask whether the agency's policy covers you on every contract and whether it is claims-made or occurrence-based. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency).

PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)

A federal program that, as Federal Student Aid describes it in 2026, forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments while you work full-time for an eligible employer. Eligibility depends on who you work for, not the job you do: government and qualifying not-for-profit employers count, while for-profit organizations, “including for-profit contracted organizations,” do not. Source: Federal Student Aid, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), read October 24, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency).

PT Compact

The Physical Therapy Compact lets eligible PTs and PTAs practice in member states through compact privileges instead of separate licenses. In the Commission's words, you can “work in any of the participating compact states without needing to apply for a new license each time,” because “compact privileges are linked to your existing home state PT license.” Source: Physical Therapy Compact Commission, read October 22, 2026. See also: Compact privilege, Home state (compact), Jurisprudence exam. Guide: PT Compact License and Privileges: Which States Issue Them, What They Cost, How to Apply.

PTO (paid time off)

Paid days off that an employer lets you take for vacation, illness or holidays. The Department of Labor says the FLSA “does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays,” and that these benefits “are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee.” Ask whether an offer includes PTO and how it accrues, since without it a week off between contracts is a week without pay. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave, read October 25, 2026. See also: Paid sick leave, FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), Pay package. Guide: Travel PT Benefits: What a Package Includes and the Rules Behind It.

R

Recruiter

The agency employee who finds openings for you, presents your profile to facilities and negotiates the offer. A recruiter works for the agency, so ask for the pay breakdown, guaranteed hours and cancellation terms in writing. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Bill rate. Guide: Good Recruiter vs. Bad Recruiter: How to Tell in One Phone Call.

Regular rate of pay

The hourly figure overtime is computed from under the FLSA: total pay for the workweek, less the payments the law excludes, divided by the hours actually worked. The Department of Labor says reimbursement of the actual or reasonably approximate amount of expenses you incur for the employer may be excluded, and that the regular rate “is based upon actual facts and cannot be circumvented by an agreement.” Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #56A: Overview of the Regular Rate of Pay Under the FLSA, read October 24, 2026. See also: Overtime, FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), Stipend.

Rollover (direct rollover)

Moving money from one retirement plan or IRA into another so it stays tax-deferred. In a direct rollover, the IRS says, you ask your plan administrator “to make the payment directly to another retirement plan or to an IRA,” and no taxes are withheld from the transfer. A plan distribution paid to you instead has tax withheld even if you intend to roll it over later. Source: IRS, Rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions, read October 24, 2026. See also: Vesting, Elective deferral, Roth IRA / Roth 401(k).

Roth IRA / Roth 401(k)

Retirement accounts funded with after-tax dollars, so a qualified withdrawal of contributions and earnings is not taxed. A Roth IRA is one you open yourself and has income limits; a designated Roth 401(k) account sits inside an employer's plan with no income limit to participate. The IRS says the 401(k) deferral limit is “by individual, rather than by plan,” so Roth and pre-tax deferrals share one limit. Source: IRS, Roth comparison chart, read October 24, 2026. See also: Elective deferral, Rollover (direct rollover).

S

School-based therapy

Therapy in schools, mostly for students served under special education plans. School contracts usually follow the academic calendar, so check how school breaks and holidays affect pay and hours. See also: Outpatient. Guide: Comparing Travel Therapy Work Settings: SNF, Outpatient, Acute, Home Health & More.

Score transfer (NPTE)

Sending your NPTE score from FSBPT to another jurisdiction's licensing board. You request it from your FSBPT dashboard any time after your score is released, and FSBPT charges $90 per request. Source: FSBPT NPTE Candidate Handbook, After Test Day, read October 24, 2026. See also: NPTE, Licensure by endorsement.

Security deposit

Money a landlord holds when you rent, to cover unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear when you leave. State law sets how and when it must be returned, and the rules differ, so photograph the unit at move-in and move-out and give the landlord a forwarding address. See also: Housing stipend.

Short-term health insurance (short-term, limited-duration insurance)

Coverage sold for a limited term that, in the federal Departments’ words, “is generally exempt from the individual market requirements of the PHS Act and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).” It can therefore leave out protections a Marketplace plan carries, such as coverage of pre-existing conditions. Federal and state rules on how long it may last have changed more than once, so check the policy’s term and your state’s rules before you rely on it. Source: U.S. Departments of Labor, HHS and the Treasury, Statement regarding short-term, limited-duration insurance (August 7, 2025), read October 25, 2026. See also: Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA Marketplace), No Surprises Act, COBRA. Guide: Why You Should Consider Getting Your Own Health Insurance.

Skills checklist

A self-rating form listing clinical skills and patient populations for your discipline and setting. Agencies send it to facilities with your profile, so rate yourself honestly. See also: Compliance packet, Credentialing.

SNF (skilled nursing facility)

A facility that provides short-term rehabilitation and long-term care, often after a hospital stay. SNF contracts often carry productivity targets, so ask how productivity is measured. See also: Acute care, Home health, Outpatient. Guide: Comparing Travel Therapy Work Settings: SNF, Outpatient, Acute, Home Health & More.

Special enrollment period

In HealthCare.gov's words, “A time outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance,” which opens after certain life events, including losing health coverage and moving. The window is short and depends on the type, and job-based plans must provide one too, so apply as soon as agency coverage ends with a contract. Source: HealthCare.gov Glossary, Special Enrollment Period (SEP), read October 24, 2026. See also: COBRA, Out-of-network. Guide: Why You Should Consider Getting Your Own Health Insurance.

Standard mileage rate

The per-mile rate the IRS publishes for figuring the cost of using a car for business, charity, medical or military moving purposes. For business use in 2026 it is 72.5 cents a mile from January 1 through June 30 and 76 cents a mile from July 1 through December 31. A mileage reimbursement quoted per mile can be compared with this rate. Source: IRS, Standard mileage rates, read October 24, 2026. See also: Accountable plan, Home health.

State licensing board

The state agency that licenses a discipline, sets the rules for practice in that state and decides applications, renewals and discipline. Each board sets its own fees, processing times and continuing education rules, so check the board’s own site before you plan a start date. See also: Licensure by endorsement, Temporary license, Jurisprudence exam, CEU (continuing education unit). Guide: Travel Therapy Licensure: PT Compact, OT Compact and ASLP-IC vs a Full State License.

Stipend

The part of a travel package paid for lodging, meals and incidentals while you work away from your tax home, alongside the taxable hourly wage. Publication 463 says that if your allowance is less than or equal to the federal rate, “the allowance won't be included in box 1 of your Form W-2.” Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Housing stipend, M&IE (meals and incidental expenses), Per diem, Tax home, Accountable plan. Guide: Travel Therapy Pay Packages Explained: How to Read, Compare, and Maximize Your Offer.

Supervision levels (PT/PTA)

How closely a physical therapist must supervise a PTA, set by each state's rules and in some states by setting. FSBPT's licensure reference guide sorts them into general supervision, where the PT is “on call and readily available physically or through direct telecommunication,” and onsite supervision, where the PT is “physically present and immediately available.” Check the rule for the state and setting of a PTA contract before you accept it. Source: FSBPT Jurisdiction Licensure Reference Guide: Supervision Levels by Setting, read October 24, 2026. See also: PT Compact, Temporary license.

T

Take-home pay

What reaches your bank account after taxes, insurance premiums and other deductions come out of your pay. Qualifying stipends are not taxed, so in a travel package take-home pay depends on how the package is split as much as on its total. See also: Gross weekly pay, Pay package, Withholding, Stipend. Guide: How to Maximize Your Take-Home Pay as a Travel Therapist.

Tax home

IRS Publication 463 says, “Generally, your tax home is your regular place of business or post of duty, regardless of where you maintain your family home.” It weighs three factors: whether you work in the area of your main home and lodge there, whether you duplicate living expenses at it, and whether you have kept ties to it. If you satisfy only one factor, you are an itinerant and can't deduct travel expenses. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Duplicated expenses, Itinerant, One-year rule, Stipend. Guide: Travel Therapy Taxes Explained: Stipends, Tax Home, and What Actually Matters.

Taxable base rate

The hourly wage on a travel contract that is paid and taxed as ordinary wages, separate from the stipends. The IRS has ruled that “an arrangement that recharacterizes taxable wages as nontaxable reimbursements or allowances does not satisfy the business connection requirement of the accountable plan rules,” using a staffing contractor that employs nurses as its example. Source: IRS, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2012-37: Rev. Rul. 2012-25 (wage recharacterization), read October 10, 2026. See also: Stipend, Blended rate, Accountable plan. Guide: Low Taxable Rate, Big Stipends: What the Rules Say.

Temporary license

A short-term authorization some state boards grant while a full license is pending, under each board's own name, rules and supervision terms. The Texas board, for one, says a Temporary License “is valid until issuance of the permanent license, or until the last day of the third month after the month the license is issued.” Source: Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners: PT Temporary License, read October 6, 2026. See also: NPTE, Licensure by endorsement.

Titer

A blood test that measures antibodies to show immunity to diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella or hepatitis B. Facilities may ask for titers in place of, or alongside, vaccine records. See also: Compliance packet, Credentialing.

Travel reimbursement

Money an agency pays toward the cost of getting to and from an assignment, separate from the housing and meals stipends. Each agency sets its own terms: when it is paid, whether it covers the trip home and whether you repay it if the contract ends early. Whether it is taxed depends on whether it is paid under an accountable plan, so ask how it will appear on your pay stub. See also: Accountable plan, Pay package, Standard mileage rate, Cancellation clause.

Traveling away from home

IRS Publication 463 says you are traveling away from home if your duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home substantially longer than an ordinary day's work, and you need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away. It is the condition that lets travel allowances stay out of your wages. Source: IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, read October 22, 2026. See also: Tax home, 50-mile rule, Stipend.

U

Unemployment insurance

In the Department of Labor's words, “a joint state-federal program that provides cash benefits to eligible workers” who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Each state runs its own program and decides eligibility under its own law, and you generally file your claim in the state where you worked. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance, read October 24, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Cancellation clause.

V

Vesting

Ownership of the money in a retirement plan account. Your own elective deferrals are always 100% vested; employer contributions can vest on a schedule, so leaving a job early can forfeit part of them. Source: IRS: Retirement topics, vesting, read October 24, 2026. See also: Rollover (direct rollover), Elective deferral. Guide: Travel PT Benefits: What a Package Includes and the Rules Behind It.

W

Waiting period (job-based coverage)

HealthCare.gov defines it as “The time that must pass before coverage can become effective for an employee or dependent who is otherwise eligible for coverage under a job-based health plan.” Agency plans differ: some start on the first day of a contract and others only after a waiting period. Ask when coverage begins and whether it continues between assignments before you count on it. Source: HealthCare.gov glossary, Waiting period (job-based coverage), read October 25, 2026. See also: Group health plan (job-based coverage), Special enrollment period, COBRA.

Withholding

The income tax your employer takes out of each paycheck: in the IRS’s words, “your employer probably withholds income tax from your paycheck and pays it to the IRS in your name.” You change it by giving your employer a new Form W-4, and the IRS says too little withholding “can lead to a tax bill or penalty.” The IRS lists starting or stopping a second job among the times to check it, which applies when you work for two agencies in one year. Source: IRS, Tax withholding, read October 25, 2026. See also: Form W-2 (box 1), Estimated tax, Take-home pay.

Workers' compensation

Benefits such as wage replacement and medical treatment for workers injured on the job or who acquire an occupational disease. For employees of private companies it is run by the states: the Department of Labor says they “should contact their state workers' compensation board.” If an agency employs you on a contract, ask it how claims work and who its insurance carrier is. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation, read October 24, 2026. See also: Agency (travel therapy staffing agency), Professional liability insurance.

Working condition benefit

Property or services an employer provides so you can do your job, left out of your wages to the extent you could have deducted the cost as a business expense had you paid it yourself. IRS Publication 15-B lists job-related education among its examples, and the exclusion also covers a cash payment for a specific business expense when the employer requires you to verify the spending and return any unused part. Source: IRS Publication 15-B (2026), Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits, read October 24, 2026. See also: Educational assistance program, Accountable plan, CEU (continuing education unit).

By ProTherapy Staffing, published October 22, 2026.