Locum Tenens Salary Guide 2025: How Much Do Locum Healthcare Providers Earn Per Hour?

The healthcare industry and medical professionals’ careers are in a state of flux. Locum tenens work, once seen primarily as a temporary solution, has become a highly desirable and well-paid career path for many physicians and advanced practitioners. Flexibility, variety of clinical settings, and strong earning potential continue to draw providers to locum tenens roles.

Data provided by Locums.com offers a current view of pay trends across the country. As a resource hub for locum tenens providers, Locums.com gives clinicians the tools, guides, and insights they need to navigate assignments and connect with agencies posting active opportunities.

 In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about locum tenens salary for 2025. We will look at the average locum tenens hourly pay rate, key factors that influence earnings, and the reasons behind the growing popularity of locum tenens work among providers nationwide.

What is Locum Tenens?

Locum tenens is a Latin phrase that means  “to hold the place of.” Locum tenens providers and advanced practitioners fill in at healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics on temporary assignments to meet staffing shortages. These can be short, from a few shifts, or long-term for over a year.

Unlike permanent employees, locum tenens providers are usually classified as independent contractors. While this allows them more flexibility when it comes to picking where and when they work, locum tenens providers must take care of their benefits, taxes, and retirement on their own.

Factors That Influence Locum Tenens Pay Rates in 2025

Locum tenens salary is not a set amount that you will see every time you take an assignment. There are several factors that determine your pay rate as a locum tenens provider. It is important to be aware of these when negotiating contracts and looking for locum tenens jobs.

1. Medical Specialty: This is by far the biggest driver in terms of how much you are going to make. Higher-demand specialties or those with a national shortage of qualified physicians, as well as more specialized and/or niche skill sets (i.e., interventional cardiology, neurosurgery), will always be able to offer higher rates.
2. Location & Facility: Where you are willing to work has a MASSIVE impact. Rural providers and facilities in underserved areas can and will offer a much higher hourly rate to attract qualified professionals. In addition, the type of facility you are willing to work in can also greatly impact your earning potential. High-acuity trauma centers, big hospital systems, and academic medical centers often have higher compensation than smaller, outpatient-only clinics, for example.
3. Assignment Urgency & Duration: If a facility is in an emergency staffing crisis, they are willing to pay more for an immediate fill. Shorter assignments, or assignments that are requested at the last minute, also tend to have a higher hourly rate than a longer-term contract that was secured months in advance.
4. Shift Type: The hours you are willing to work will greatly impact your earnings. Nights, weekends, and holiday coverage will almost always have a premium associated with it. In addition, on-call coverage is paid differently from a regularly scheduled shift.
5. Patient Load & Scope of Work: The amount of patient volume you are expected to see and the intensity of the skill set you are expected to perform all play into your potential compensation. A high-volume, busy emergency department position will almost always pay more than a low-volume primary care clinic position, for example.
6. The Locum Tenens Agency: Locum tenens agencies and other medical staffing agencies all have their own overhead costs and pay structures. The best locums agencies will be completely transparent with you in terms of compensation as well as what benefits they can offer you (like malpractice insurance, licensing fees, travel reimbursement, etc. ).

Locum Tenens Salary by Specialty in 2025

Ok, so what can locum tenens physicians expect to earn on an hourly basis in 2025? Annual average salary numbers can be very misleading in the locum tenens world, but an hourly wage is a much better standard by which to measure pay.

Here's what locums agencies and industry reports are predicting for 2025, in terms of hourly pay for locum tenens physicians, by medical specialty.

(Note: The following is an approximation, and can vary by factors listed above.)

Why Choose Locum Tenens?

Money is a major draw, but not the only reason healthcare professionals pursue locum careers. In fact, temporary work offers numerous personal and professional benefits that a traditional permanent salary often can’t compete with. Some of these benefits include:

• Flexibility and work/life balance: Easily the most frequently cited perk. You are in charge of your schedule. Want to work six months and travel six? Sure. Need to take time off to be with family? No need to request PTO. This freedom is a major weapon in the fight against physician burnout.
• Extra Income: Locum tenens work is a way to earn money in addition to the annual salary from a permanent job. 
• Travel the Country: Locum tenens jobs are available in all 50 states. Healthcare providers have a paid opportunity to live in various cities and regions, ranging from large urban areas to small towns and rural settings.
• Try Out a New Practice Setting: Thinking about making a big change in your career, such as going from private practice to a large hospital system, or from academic medicine to an outpatient clinic? Locum work can let you "try before you buy" by working in different types of healthcare facilities and work environments.
• Focus on patient care: Perhaps not surprisingly, locum tenens physicians spend less time bogged down with the administrative duties and hospital politics than their permanently-staffed counterparts. As a result, they can focus more on direct patient care, which is why the majority of physicians got into the industry in the first place.

Health Insurance for Locum Tenens Healthcare Providers

Locum tenens physicians are independent contractors; therefore, they are not eligible for health insurance through an employer. Knowing how to obtain health insurance is important when calculating your total expenses and compensation. Individual plans can be expensive and unpredictable for independent professionals with fluctuating assignments and income. That’s where PEO4YOU comes in.

PEO4YOU provides independent contractors, freelance physicians, and locum tenens medical professionals access to group health and welfare benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance through the CSJB Health and Welfare Trust Fund.

Joining through PEO4YOU allows locum doctors to have:

• Nationwide PPO network access (including BCBS)
• Predictable renewals and stable pricing
• Customizable plan options to fit changing assignments
• Eligibility for family and dependent coverage
• Support from benefits specialists experienced in healthcare professionals’ needs

Tips For Maximizing The Locum Tenens Salary

• Secure an Agency That Works for You: Remember, locum tenens is a team effort between you and your locum tenens company. You’ll be better off with an agency in your corner that’s fighting for you and your pay than trying to negotiate your own rates and contract details on your own.
• Be Flexible: This is one of the quickest ways to be a more competitive candidate. The more flexible you are on where you are willing to work and when you can take an assignment, the more opportunities you’ll have to access the most competitive (read: highest paying) jobs. Flexibility on other factors is also important — for example, showing willingness to travel to a less-popular destination or work a last-minute request can both help your agency find the highest paying jobs for you. 
• Maintain Licenses in Multiple States: The more up-to-date licenses you have, particularly in in-demand states, the more likely your agency can send you out immediately when an emergency arises at a hospital or clinic in need. 
• Know Your Value: Don’t be afraid to negotiate your rate and ask questions. The ranges and trends included in this guide (and in other market reports) are a great jumping-off point for assessing the value of a given job offer, but you also need to know the going rate for your particular specialty and skill set and ask to be paid accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Locum tenens pay in 2025 is still one of the highest for physicians and advanced practitioners for all specialties. Flexible assignments, competitive hourly wages, and opportunities nationwide have made locum tenens work an excellent choice for a career in healthcare.

Locums.com is a central hub where locum providers and recruiters can find each other. They focus on helping providers accelerate their locum tenens careers through practical tools, guides, and resources. Providers exploring new assignments can use Locums.com to stay organized, evaluate opportunities, and find new roles quickly.

For locum tenens providers seeking a suitable health insurance plan, contact PEO4YOU today to learn how we can help you find the best insurers and secure the right plan.