Average Locum Tenens Salary in 2025: Is It Worth It?

Locum tenens is a Latin term meaning “to hold the place of.”

In today’s context, it refers to physicians and advanced practitioners who fill in for their peers on a short-term basis across hospitals, clinics, and private practices.

Currently, over 50,000 US physicians take on locum tenens assignments annually.

If you’re considering joining their ranks, understanding the current locum tenens salary for your specialty can help you accept the right kinds of assignments.

In this report, we’ll discuss earnings across different specialties and what variables can drive their pay up or down.

You’ll also learn about the benefits and potential drawbacks of this route.

Average Locum Tenens Salary in the US

The average annual salary for a Locum tenens physician in the United States is approximately $227,367.

Most physicians earn within the range of $193,571 and $254,733. This equates to an average hourly rate of about $128.

Locum Tenens Salary Trend in the US

The locum tenens market has seen significant growth over the past decade, both in terms of demand and physician compensation. One of the primary drivers has been a nationwide shortage of permanent physicians, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

_{Aggregated data from Staff Care, CHG Healthcare, and LocumTenens.com reports}

Specialty	2018 Avg Daily Rate	2020 Avg Daily Rate	2022 Avg Daily Rate	2024 Avg Daily Rate
Anesthesiology	$1,400	$1,550	$1,700	$1,800
Emergency Medicine	$1,600	$1,650	$1,700	$1,750
Psychiatry	$1,200	$1,300	$1,400	$1,600
Internal Medicine	$800	$950	$1,000	$1,100
Family Medicine	$900	$1,000	$1,100	$1,250
Radiology	$1,700	$1,850	$2,000	$2,200

Salary by Medical Specialty

The demand and supply dynamics across various specialties directly influence salary rates, creating significant differences in compensation between fields.

High Paying Specialties

Specialty	Avg Hourly Rate	Est. Daily Rate	Annualized (Full-Time)
Anesthesiology	$285 – $350	$2,300 – $2,800	$660,000+
Radiology	$250 – $300	$2,000 – $2,400	$520,000+
Cardiology	$250 – $310	$2,000 – $2,480	$550,000+
Emergency Medicine	$200 – $245	$1,600 – $2,000	$420,000+

These specialties demand quick, high-level clinical decisions under pressure. The shortage of these specialists, particularly in rural regions, drives up compensation.

Mid-Tier Specialties

Specialty	Avg Hourly Rate	Est. Daily Rate	Annualized (Full-Time)
Hospitalist	$140 – $190	$1,120 – $1,520	$330,000+
Psychiatry	$145 – $210	$1,160 – $1,680	$338,000+
OB/GYN	$150 – $200	$1,200 – $1,600	$360,000+
Critical Care	$190 – $265	$1,520 – $2,120	$470,000+

While demand for these specialties has traditionally been modest with corresponding pay scales, specialties like Psychiatry and OB/GYN are becoming increasingly lucrative. Your salary remains intact as basic living expenses are typically covered during assignments.

Primary Care Specialties

Specialty	Avg Hourly Rate	Est. Daily Rate	Annualized (Full-Time)
Family Medicine	$90 – $130	$720 – $1,040	$230,000+
Internal Medicine	$90 – $130	$720 – $1,040	$230,000+
Pediatrics	$100 – $150	$800 – $1,200	$260,000+

Primary care specialists sit lower on the pay scale. However, roles here often come with additional perks like housing, travel, and flexible schedules.

Note : Annual earnings are estimated based on full-time locum tenens work.

Additional Benefits and Perks

Paid Travel and Housing

Most locum tenens agencies cover the cost of travel to and from assignments, including flights, car rentals, or mileage reimbursement. Housing is usually fully furnished and covered, often in hotels or short-term rentals near the work site.

Your salary remains intact as basic living expenses are typically covered during assignments.

Tax Advantages

Working locum tenens means you’re an independent contractor; you may qualify for numerous tax deductions, including travel expenses, Continuing Medical Education (CME), licensing fees, and even retirement contributions through SEP-IRAs or solo 401(k)s.

Flexible Work Schedules

You can accept locum tenens assignments on your own schedule. While this is not directly a financial benefit, it ensures that you have a healthy work-life balance.

You can take a month off after a high-intensity assignment or work only in specific seasons, like summer.

Such luxuries aren’t always available in permanent roles.

Licensing Support

Considering you’ll be working across different states, agencies often assist in obtaining your state medical licenses and hospital privileges. Some even expedite the process for urgent placements.

Factors that Influence Locum Tenens Pay

Understanding how these factors influence your pay can help you negotiate better.

Medical Specialty

The fact that some specialties require high precision procedures or have higher demand makes up for the difference in locum tenens pay range.

In our table above, we’ve highlighted the average rates for top specialties like anesthesiology in comparison to general practitioners. You’ll notice that the difference in pay can be as high as $1,000 per day.

Geographic Location

In addition to your specialty, where you work matters as well. Rural or underserved areas tend to offer more compensation due to physician shortages and urgent staffing needs.

In several cases, higher compensation might not necessarily mean a higher salary. You might just be compensated with other benefits like paid travel and housing.

Experience and Board Certification

Board-certified physicians with several years of practice typically earn higher. That’s not just due to expertise but also because many hospitals and clinics prefer professionals who require minimal supervision.

Fellowship training or subspecialty skills can also lead to higher negotiation leverage and access to quality assignments.

Shift Type

Some shift types are often avoided due to the inconvenience or increased workloads. For instance, night shifts, weekend coverage, holidays, or on-call duty often come with higher rates.

Another option that can earn you a significant pay is urgent placements. Facilities are willing to increase rates to fill critical gaps fast.

Assignment Duration

Short-term assignments often pay more per day than long-term roles. This is because long-term roles offer more consistent work that translates into higher total compensation.

You can strike a balance by alternating between short bursts of intense work and longer breaks.

Type of Facility

Hospitals, correctional facilities, community clinics, and urgent care centers all pay differently. For instance, correctional institutions might be willing to pay above-average rates due to the challenging nature of the work environment.

Licensing

While locum tenens agencies can help with your licensing in the state of assignment, you can negotiate better if you have licenses in multiple states.

Physicians with active licenses in compact states or high-demand regions are often favored and may be fast-tracked for better-paying roles.

Is Locum Tenens Worth It? Pros and Cons

Like most career choices, the answer to this will depend on your goals and lifestyle preferences. However, we’ve outlined some of the pros and cons of this option to help you make informed decisions.

Pros of Working Locum Tenens

• Higher Pay Potential : Locum tenens physicians can often out-earn their permanent counterparts, especially in high-demand specialties. With housing, travel, and malpractice typically covered, more of your money stays in your pocket.

• Flexible Schedule : You control your calendar and can easily build your life around your work instead of the other way around.

• No Administrative Hassles : You’ll not have to deal with office politics, staff meetings, and billing headaches. You just show up, care for patients, and move on.

• Test-Drive Different Settings : If you intend to become a permanent physician, you can explore different settings, from hospitals to clinics, to see which one aligns with your goals before committing full time.

• Professional Development : Frequent exposure to different clinical environments can sharpen your adaptability. This ensures you’re not just stuck doing repeated tasks but facing different challenges that improve your perspective.

Cons of Working Locum Tenens

• Lack of Job Security : It’s important to note that locum tenens assignments are temporary. As a contractor, securing your next position when one ends falls primarily on you and your recruiter.

• No Employee Benefits : As an independent contractor, you’re responsible for your own health insurance, retirement planning, and taxes. You’ll need an experienced physician’s financial advisor to help you set up these things without stress.

• Frequent Relocation: If you’retaking short-termassignments, you might be packing up often. This lifestyle can be exciting for some physicians, but those with families may find the constant relocations challenging to manage.

• Limited Career Progression: Without being permanently affiliated with one institution, you may have fewer opportunities for leadership roles or academic advancement.

Get the Most Out of Your Locum Tenens Career

While there’s a good chance you’ll earn more than permanent residents, the drawbacks of working as locum tenens are still very real. If you want to take up locum tenens jobs, you must find a way around these drawbacks.

Over the years, we’ve been working with numerous physicians to help them gain benefits that they might struggle with alone. We take care of everything, including disability insurance, retirement planning, and taxes.

These are some of the toughest parts of working locum tenens; letting us help will ensure that you get the best experience as a contractor.

Book an appointment with Physicians Thrive today to learn more.