🚩 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 — that's a major red flag. You deserve to see exactly where every dollar goes.
Pressures You to Accept Quickly
"This job will be gone by tomorrow" is the oldest trick in the book. Yes, travel therapy jobs move fast, but a good recruiter gives you time to make an informed decision. Constant urgency is a manipulation tactic.
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, they're likely hiding unfavorable margins.
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.
✅ Green Flags — You've Found a Good One
Provides Every Line Item in Writing Before You Commit
A great recruiter proactively sends you a detailed pay breakdown without you having to ask. They want you to see the numbers because they're proud of what they're offering.
Has Clinical Knowledge or Background
Recruiters who are actual therapists — or who work at therapist-owned agencies — understand your clinical concerns in a way that pure sales people simply can't. They advocate differently.
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
The best recruiters will actually 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
Recruiters at smaller agencies typically work with fewer travelers, which means more individual attention, faster responses, and better advocacy. 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 the most important relationship in your travel therapy career. A great one can help you earn more, find better assignments, and avoid costly mistakes. A bad one can cost you thousands of dollars and leave you stranded in a miserable contract.
Don't settle. If you're seeing red flags, it's okay to switch. Your recruiter works for you, not the other way around.