🚩 Red Flags — Walk Away
Won't Show You the Full Pay Package Breakdown
If your recruiter gives you a single blended rate or refuses to break down every line item in writing — hourly taxable rate, housing stipend, meals and incidentals, travel reimbursement — treat it as a red flag. The split is part of the offer: the IRS travel expense guide sets the rules an allowance must meet to be paid tax-free.
Pressures You to Accept Quickly
"This job will be gone by tomorrow" is a pressure line. Yes, travel therapy jobs move fast, but a good recruiter gives you time to make an informed decision. The FTC’s advice before you accept a job offer includes: “Talk to someone you trust. Describe the offer to them.” (FTC: job scams)
Disappears After Placement
If your recruiter is attentive during the sales process but ghosts you once you're on assignment, that tells you everything about their priorities. You need support throughout your entire contract.
Doesn't Understand Clinical Settings
If your recruiter can't explain the difference between acute care and SNF, or doesn't understand why setting matters to you, they're not equipped to find you the right fit. Clinical knowledge matters.
Gets Defensive About Pay Questions
You have every right to ask about pay structure. If a recruiter gets defensive, evasive, or tells you "that's not how it works" when you ask for transparency, ask them why, and get the answer in writing.
Sends You Jobs That Don't Match Your Preferences
If you've told your recruiter you want outpatient in the Pacific Northwest and they keep sending you SNF positions in rural Alabama, they're not listening. A good recruiter respects your criteria. Tell a recruiter exactly what you want, and expect offers that match it: Find my next contract.
✅ Green Flags — You've Found a Good One
Provides Every Line Item in Writing Before You Commit
A good recruiter sends you a detailed pay breakdown without you having to ask, so you can compare it with other offers.
Has Clinical Knowledge or Background
Ask whether your recruiter has worked as a PT, OT or SLP and, if not, who at the agency you can take a clinical question to. A recruiter who knows the settings can tell whether a job fits your skills before you sign.
Responds Quickly and Consistently
Whether you're negotiating a contract or asking about a paycheck discrepancy on a Saturday, great recruiters are reachable and responsive. This consistency doesn't change after placement.
Tells You When a Job Isn't Right
A good recruiter may talk you out of a bad fit. If they say "I don't think this one is right for you," that's a sign they value the long-term relationship over a quick placement.
Carries a Small Caseload
Caseloads differ from recruiter to recruiter, whatever the agency's size, and a recruiter with fewer travelers has more time for each one. Ask how many travelers they currently support.
Transparent About How Agencies Make Money
If a recruiter is willing to explain how the pay structure works and where the agency's margin comes from, that's a strong signal of honesty. Transparency breeds trust.
The Bottom Line
Your recruiter is your day-to-day contact at the agency. A good one can help you compare offers, find assignments that fit, and catch problems in a contract before you sign.
Don't settle. If you're seeing red flags, it's okay to switch. Your recruiter works for you, not the other way around.