Just google "3way switch diagrams" and you will get images to check your connection against the proper connection on the diagram.

You didn't take a picture of the switches before you removed the wires from them?

Are you sure you purchased 3-way switches?

There are a multitude of different ways to wire a 3-way switch circuit depending on where the power source is coming in from the panel and the order of the boxes (eg. switch-light-switch vs switch-switch-light vs ...)

Randomly attaching wires and flipping switches is not a good way to do it.

It's time to start identifying what your wires are and where they go.

Google wiring diagrams

I'm positive they are 3 way switches that I purchased. If I have the hot wire connected to the common screw, does it matter which screws the traveler wires are attached to?

Depends on how the circuit is set up. The hot wire (from the panel) may not even attach to the common screw in some circumstances (edited to add - directly that is, it may pass through a box and then connect to the common).

Can you open up all three boxes and tell us what wires are in each? Do you know where the power source is coming in from the panel?

But to answer directly, no it doesn't matter which traveller screw on one switch is attached to which traveller screw on the other. (Sorry, I'm not explaining things as clearly as I'd like. I need more coffee.)

How are you identifying what is 'hot'?

I'm using a voltage tester to determine the hot wires.

I only have 2 boxes since it is a 3 way switch. Each box has the same wires:

1 copper grounding wire

1 red wire (traveler)

1 black wire (traveler)

1 black wire (hot)

You have 3 boxes because one is the light.

When nothing is hooked up are both wires that you've identified as hot still hot? They shouldn't be.

Each box has the same wires

Are those the ONLY wires in the boxes? Or are those the only ones that are loose and need to be connected to something? I want to know ALL of the wires coming into and out of each box and what wires are connected to what (that you haven't touched).

Pictures can help.

And is the 'voltage tester' a non-contact voltage tester? Those aren't very good for diagnosing problems because they can have false positives. A non-contact tester is susceptible to induced currents from wiring running in the same conduit or in close proximity to the wiring being tested.

Your hot wires may not be hot.

These are the two boxes for the switch. Now that I've disconnected both switches, only one box has a hot wire. It is a non contact tester, but all I have at this point, thought this would be a much simpler task.

Also to note, when I removed the first old switch, as I pulled out the switch to see what was behind it, the light cut off. Not sure if I could have jostled something loose?

wow figured it out. didnt realize the load wire for the 2nd one should be connected to the common screw. Big learning experience from me, thanks for the help.

You beat me to it. :)

If you had hooked the first switch up to the always hot and attached the travellers there, at the other box you would see that depending on the position of the first switch, either the red or one of the blacks would be hot. Those are your two travellers (how I think about it is that the power either travels on one or the other).

The other black goes to the light. It's only hot if the switches are in one of 'ON' combinations.