What is a travel PT housing stipend?

A housing stipend is a tax-free weekly payment from your agency to cover the cost of housing at your assignment location. It's separate from your taxable hourly wage and is not subject to income tax if you maintain a valid tax home.

How much is the travel PT housing stipend?

Stipends vary by location and agency but typically range from $800 to $2,000 per week depending on the cost of living in your assignment city. High-cost cities like San Francisco or New York offer higher stipends.

Do I have to use my housing stipend for housing?

Technically no — it's a reimbursement, not a restricted fund. But you must be incurring real housing expenses at your assignment location to legally receive it as tax-free. Using it for non-housing expenses doesn't make it taxable on its own.

What is a tax home for travel PTs?

Your tax home is the city or general area of your regular place of business. For travel PTs, it's typically where you live permanently and maintain ongoing expenses. You must return there regularly and pay ongoing housing costs.

Is agency housing or stipend better for travel PTs?

The stipend is usually better financially if you can find affordable housing near the facility. Agency housing is more convenient but often comes at the cost of flexibility and location control.

Travel PT Housing Stipend Guide: How Tax-Free Stipends Work

The housing stipend is the biggest financial lever in a travel PT pay package — and it's also the most misunderstood. When structured correctly (agency-provided or self-arranged stipend), housing payments are tax-free under IRS rules because you're working away from your established "tax home." Weekly housing stipends range from $900 in low-cost markets to $2,000+ in high-cost cities like San Francisco or New York.

The key requirement: you must maintain a legitimate primary residence in a different city. This means paying ongoing rent or mortgage on a home you intend to return to. If you give up your permanent residence or repeatedly work in your home city, the IRS will treat your stipends as taxable income. A travel healthcare CPA — not a general tax preparer — should confirm your tax home eligibility before your first assignment.

Agency Housing vs. Taking the Stipend

Most agencies offer a choice: accept agency-arranged housing (they book and pay for it) or take the housing stipend and arrange your own lodging. Taking the stipend almost always produces more take-home pay if you can find affordable housing — the stipend rate often exceeds the actual cost of a furnished room or short-term rental in most markets outside major metros.