The first full week of November is Allied Health Professions Week. Learn more about the annual celebration of allied health professionals here.
It's Allied Health Professions Week—and with 2026 right around the corner, there’s no better time to turn the page and start a new chapter in your healthcare career. Whether you’re craving a change of scenery, looking to grow your skills, or simply ready for a fresh start, travel healthcare in 2026 offers endless opportunities to combine your passion for helping others with the thrill of exploring new places.
Allied health professionals play a vital role in diagnosing, treating, and supporting patients across every corner of the healthcare system. From imaging and respiratory care to therapy and laboratory sciences, allied health careers keep hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers running smoothly. And for those ready to embrace something new this year, travel allied health careers in 2026 make it possible to do the work you love while exploring new places and meeting new people along the way.
Learn more about your options and how to become a travel allied health professional who can make a difference in patients’ lives.
Key characteristics of travel allied health careers
What makes travel allied health careers so unique and appealing?
Short-term assignments
One of the factors that makes travel allied health options so different is that the positions you take are not long-term. They typically last only a few weeks, allowing you to get significant experience in various settings while also building professional contacts.
Focused expertise
Allied health professionals receive training and experience in one relatively narrow field. CT technologists, for example, will be experts at producing cross-sectional images of the body with the use of radiologic equipment, while respiratory therapists focus on diagnosing and treating cardiopulmonary and pulmonary conditions.
Direct or indirect patient care
Many of these careers allow for direct patient care. Allied health professionals often take medical histories and are fully involved in the diagnostic process.
Because so many of these professions require using equipment to monitor conditions or to help achieve an accurate diagnosis, allied health experts position patients and talk them through the procedure. Many are also involved in preparing them for surgery or providing aftercare services, allowing for even more interaction.
Other career options in the allied health field allow you to have indirect contact with patients if that is your preference. It’s possible to work in laboratories analyzing tests and otherwise assisting doctors and nurses without having direct contact with patients.
Variety of educational pathways
Travel allied health requirements are career-specific. Some professionals can begin their careers right after completing a certificate program, while others might need to obtain higher education and certification. This variety makes the field exciting and provides opportunities for people who may not be looking to spend a long time in school but still want to participate in the healthcare field.
Collaboration across teams
Allied health professionals work closely with care teams that can be made up of other allied health experts, nurses, doctors, surgeons, and specialists. This collaborative spirit is a huge boost for many, and it allows for the best patient outcomes. It may be what attracts many people to these professions.
A sampling of travel allied health careers
There are numerous options you can consider as you begin your path toward a travel allied health career. Take a look at some of the most sought-after positions.
Travel catheterization laboratory technician
Travel cath lab techs take on short-term assignments helping cardiologists diagnose and treat heart conditions in a catheterization lab. They do everything from preparing patients for procedures to operating imaging equipment and monitoring vital signs.
Travel respiratory therapist
A respiratory therapist assists patients who have respiratory issues of all types. They accept short assignments throughout the country and work under the supervision of doctors as they help diagnose conditions and educate patients on treatment options and living with chronic breathing problems.
Travel ultrasound technologist
A travel ultrasound technologist relies on equipment that produces sound waves to form images of body structures. They position patients, follow physician's instructions for obtaining the images, and provide education to patients.
Radiologic technologist
Travel rad techs travel throughout the country performing imaging studies and offering patients treatments that use radiation. They prepare patients for the procedures and help protect them from unnecessary exposure to radiation.
Steps to becoming a travel allied health professional
If you’re thinking about becoming a travel allied health professional, knowing what steps to take to reach your goals is vital. Each career has its own specific requirements and path, but having an overview of what to expect can help you begin your journey with a clear view of the finish line.
Complete your education
Allied health education requirements are varied, but all of them will mean ensuring you have your high school diploma or pass the GED. For the majority of these professions, you will need to complete either allied health degree programs or receive an associate’s degree in a relevant field.
For example, if you’d like to become a CT technologist, you’ll have to obtain an associate degree in nuclear medicine, radiography, or diagnostic medical sonography.
It’s important to remember that employers have begun to seek candidates who have bachelor’s degrees. Obtaining further degrees can give you an edge over the competition.
Some travel allied health careers actually require a bachelor’s degree. Perfusionists and nuclear medicine technologists are just two of the options that require more than an associate’s degree.
Certain careers, such as speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, require a master’s degree. A few even ask for doctoral degrees. The two most common careers in this category are audiologists and physical therapists. Because these programs take a few years, these careers tend to pay the highest salaries.
By taking time to review the requirements of the careers you’re considering, you can see if they match your goals. For example, if you’re not looking to spend a few years in school, then becoming an occupational therapist may not be the right choice.
Obtain your credentials
Some travel allied health careers will require that you have a license or are certified. Getting your license means passing an exam that verifies your competency in various subjects related to your field.
Which license you will need to obtain will depend on the exact allied health discipline you choose to work in. For example, physical therapists need to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination, while to become a rad tech, you need to pass the exam offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
The license you obtain will allow you to work in your state, but being a travel healthcare provider further complicates matters. How can you work in different states?
Some people choose to get a few licenses in states where they would prefer to work, but it would be impossible to obtain credentials for the entire country. That’s why you also have the option, in some instances, of pursuing a compact license for your career. These give you the chance to work in all of the states that are part of the compact.
Once you’ve passed the exam, you can apply for your license via your state’s licensing board. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pursue continuing education because you’ll need these credits to renew your license. How often the renewal period is will depend on your state and its licensing board.
Some employers are also looking for certification in certain careers. You may even be required to obtain further credentials to work as a travel allied health professional. Some of the most common certifications you may need are Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Certification makes you more attractive to employers, so consider pursuing it if you’re trying to enter a competitive field. It might even increase your chances of earning better salaries.
Gain experience in your chosen field
Even after completing the necessary allied health degree programs and obtaining your license, you can’t jump into travel careers. You will need to get experience in your chosen field for at least one year. This allows you to get a real feel for what the job involves so that you’re prepared for the additional challenges that travel positions pose.
Certain careers could require two or more years of experience before you’re eligible to work as a travel professional. Taking this time to gain experience is a good thing. It allows you to build confidence in your own skills and put all of your knowledge into use so that you can provide top-notch care no matter where you are.
Find the right travel healthcare partner
To begin working as a travel allied health professional, you’ll need to partner with a travel staffing agency. This is the smoothest and fastest way of getting access to the best job openings throughout the country.
There are numerous options out there when making this choice, so how can you decide on the right agency? For one thing, look at the benefits they offer. You have to think of your staffing agency as your employer, so they should provide the same benefits.
You should ask about retirement planning, such as contributions to your 401(k), as well as health insurance that covers dental and vision from the first day you start working. The best agencies will also provide life insurance.
Ensure the company offers long- and short-term disability and provides paid sick days. Traveling can take its toll on your body, and you need to be sure you’ll be covered if you need a day or two to get over an illness.
Some agencies also offer bonuses for referrals. Take the time to ask about these types of perks and compare them with what other agencies provide.
Above all, however, it’s important to look for a staffing agency that cares about you as a person. Your recruiters and the people who will help you find your postings should be as invested in seeing you succeed as you are. They must be interested in your career goals and be ready to help you achieve them.
Prepare for your first travel assignment
Once you have chosen your agency and found the right first assignment, it’s important to work with your recruiter to prepare for your posting. After you’ve taken a few travel assignments, you’ll know what to pack and what to expect, but the first time can be a bit daunting.
Your staffing agency should provide guidance on everything you need to do, including how to find a place to live for the length of the assignment. You should have a clear idea of what to expect from the stipends you’ll receive for travel expenses and housing, too.
One vital factor your staffing agency should alert you to and help you with is maintaining a primary residence. If you have a primary residence, you can deduct the housing stipends and other duplicate fees from your taxes.
Benefits of working as a travel allied health professional
For many people, travel health careers can offer vital benefits that make some of the difficulties of continual travel and new assignments fully worth it.
Better pay
Travel allied health professionals tend to get paid higher wages than those who work locally. These positions offer sign-on bonuses, stipends, and higher hourly rates. There are tax benefits, too, that could increase your bottom line. Many of the stipends you receive, for example, are non-taxable.
Salaries vary by state, however. More rural areas tend to pay lower wages than positions in large and busy cities. Your experience and credentials will impact how much you make, too.
Improved work-life balance
One of the toughest aspects of working in the healthcare industry is the risk of burning out. This occurs when you become overwhelmed by your job and aren’t able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Because there are staffing shortages throughout the healthcare field, taking time off can feel almost impossible.
With travel assignments, however, you have the freedom to take a break between postings whenever you feel like it. You don’t have to coordinate with other team members when planning a vacation, and you have much more freedom overall.
Explore new places
For many, the biggest benefit of working in the travel health industry is being able to live in new places every few weeks. It gives you a chance to see the country. If you’ve been considering moving to a particular location, you can test it out and see if it suits your personality and preferences.
Living and working in a location is very different from just visiting for a few days. You’ll get a real sense of what being a resident there is like.
Meet new people—personally and professionally
Every position will put you in contact with a variety of professionals. You can make friendships and learn new skills from people who have more experience than you. It’s also possible to build your professional connections, which could lead to all manner of new opportunities.
Access to diverse work environments
When you work at different facilities, you get to learn a variety of protocols. You’ll get a chance to try your hand at using equipment you may not be accustomed to, as well. In smaller facilities where there may not be as many people to perform the various procedures, you may have a greater chance of trying a greater range of tasks.
Having access to all of these different workplaces gives you the opportunity to widen your skills and broaden your experiences. The more diverse the work environments you’ve been exposed to, the more attractive you will be to potential employers, too.
Opportunity to make a difference
When you work in the healthcare industry, you’re making a difference in the lives of patients. That’s even more so if you’re traveling to locations that are understaffed. Rural areas suffer from significant healthcare shortages, so being able to take on even temporary positions in these underserved places can improve the lives of the residents.
Often, travel healthcare professionals take on postings to cover emergencies. If there’s been a natural disaster, for example, they may lend a hand to the local staff and help a suffering community.
Kick-start your allied travel adventure with Prolink
If you’ve been considering becoming a travel allied health professional, there’s no better time than now to get started. Contract positions in allied health are available and paying well all over the country.
At Prolink, we value your goals—both personal and professional. We help you find positions that take your career and your life in the direction you want to go. Whether it's the city, country, or coast, we have travel allied health positions across the country, and we'll work with you to find the perfect fit.
Are you ready to take your allied health career across the country? Click below to connect with a Prolink recruiter today.
