Where Can I Find Locum Jobs in Medicine?

Are you interested in locum tenens work? Having a locum tenens assignment can help you network, learn more about the industry, and fulfill your travel desires.

Additionally, healthcare providers are often seeking temporary replacements to compensate for vacations, leaves, and burnouts. This doesn’t only apply to doctors, but to physician assistants and nurse practitioners as well.

If you’re interested in finding locum tenens assignments in your field but don’t know where to start, this guide can help you begin.

Key Takeaways

Locum tenens offers networking, industry insight, and travel opportunities.
Temporary locum roles span various healthcare specialties, including doctors and nurses.
Higher hourly pay for locum roles but often lacks benefits and security.
Frequent travel and lack of retirement benefits can complicate financial planning.

Table of Contents

10 Medical Locum Jobs to Choose From

If you want to become a locum healthcare personnel, chances are your specialty will lie among those 10:

1. Locum Doctors

Average pay per hour: $102

Like regular doctors, locum doctors have varying specialties (e.g., cardiologists, surgeons, pediatricians, etc). Accordingly, the average pay per hour mentioned above can fluctuate depending on the specialty and experience.

Locum doctors are always in demand due to the increased number of patients. You should always be able to find a contract. A few places you could look for include:

2. Locum Nurses

Average pay per hour: $39 for regular nurses and $41 for ICU nurses.

Locum nurses have the same job description as regular nurses. They help assess patients, gather information about their health, and develop care plans based on the patients’ needs.

They’re also responsible for monitoring patients’ conditions, providing emotional support, and teaching them how to keep better health.

ICU nurses have higher pay because of their extra tasks. They have advanced technical skills and collaborate more closely with doctors.

They are also sometimes responsible for critical decision-making in ICUs to keep emergency patients alive.

Here are some suggestions for finding where to work as a locum nurse:

3. Locum Dentists

Average pay per hour: $91

Depending on their specialty (general practitioners or specialized dentists), locum dentists can operate on various procedures, from simple cavities to surgical extractions.

Note: dentists who use specialized equipment (e.g., microscopes for endodontic treatment) are expected to make more per hour than $91.

You can find locum dentist jobs here:

4. Locum Pharmacists

Average pay per hour: $61

Locum pharmacists perform the same duties as regular pharmacists but temporarily. Their responsibilities include but aren’t limited to:

Dispensing medications according to subscriptions
Managing inventory and ordering supplies
Supervising pharmacy personnel (technicians and assistants)
Administering vaccinations (in some jurisdictions)
Preparing custom medications through compounding when necessary

You can find locum pharmacist jobs here:

5. Locum Physiotherapists

Average pay per hour: $46

Locum physiotherapists assess their patients’ conditions and develop individualized treatment plans to handle said conditions.

They often implement therapeutic exercises to improve mobility, strength, and overall body function.

Physiotherapists can work in hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers, which may fluctuate their hourly average.

You can find locum physiotherapist jobs through:

6. Locum Occupational Therapists

Average pay per hour: $46

Locum occupational therapists provide coverage in various healthcare settings. They assist patients in developing, recovering, or maintaining the skills needed for daily living and working.

They do so by assessing patients’ physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges and then designing therapy plans accordingly.

Much like physiotherapists, occupational therapists can work in hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They can also work in schools and community settings if staffing is short.

Here are a couple of suggestions to check out if you want to get hired as an occupational therapist:

7. Locum Speech Therapists

Average pay per hour: $44

Speech therapists specialize in diagnosing and treating communication disorders. They work with people of all ages who face speech, language, voice, or fluency challenges.

They have a diverse line of work, ranging from helping children with developmental speech delays to assisting stroke survivors in regaining their speech abilities.

Locum speech therapists have the same job description as regular therapists and can work in hospitals, clinics, schools, and private practices. They often collaborate with other healthcare personnel to monitor prognosis.

Here are some sources to help you find work as a locum speech therapist:

8. Locum Radiographers

Average pay per hour: $46

Locum radiographers are medical imaging professionals who provide temporary support in clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic image centers. They specialize in operating machines like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound.

These machines have many manufacturers and often come with various usage instructions, making the “locum” aspect of such a role quite difficult. Locum radiographers have to adapt to the different types of machines and their usage to ensure the image quality is up to standard.

Nevertheless, it is a position worth investing time in because of the learning opportunities it can provide. Here are a few sources to help you get started:

9. Locum Dieticians

Average pay per hour: $37

Locum dieticians are nutrition experts who provide temporary services in a variety of healthcare settings like hospitals, clinics, and private practices.

On paper, they assess nutritional needs and build an adequate nutrition plan. However, that’s easier said than done, as dieticians work with patients with various conditions, like diabetes, heart diseases, and digestive disorders.

Adding locum to the formula can make things a bit trickier, as locum dieticians should adapt to different environments and patient populations.

If you’re interested in being a locum dietician, here’s where you can start:

10. Locum Podiatrists

Average pay per hour: $71

Podiatrists provide treatment for patients with foot, ankle, and lower limb conditions. They’re especially helpful with sports injuries, fractures, arthritis, and diabetic foot problems.

They may also perform surgeries, prescribe orthotics, and offer advice on food care and footwear.

Locum podiatrists follow the same protocol and work in the same settings as regular podiatrists. Demand for podiatrists can increase during national or international sports events when athletes visit to check up or diagnose a particular condition.

Here’s where to look if you want to become a locum podiatrist:

Before You Find Work as a Locum

Working as a locum has many advantages. For example, your average payment per hour is often higher than that of other healthcare personnel with permanent contracts.

However, permanent contracts have packages, benefits, and paid leaves, something that temporary contracts often lack.

Additionally, locum jobs usually require moving between healthcare facilities, which can take you across cities, states, and sometimes countries. While this may be favorable to some people, many others may not appreciate the life of constantly moving around.

Lastly, working as a locum can make it harder to secure a retirement account, as you don’t have a permanent employer who may contribute to your 403(b) or 401(k).

That being said, working as a locum is a fantastic opportunity to learn more and network with other healthcare personnel in your field. It’s also not uncommon for locums to be offered a permanent contract if they perform well.

Let Us Help You

Whether you choose to work as a locum or a permanent physician, one thing remains true: it’ll be difficult not to fall into the early financial mistakes that most physicians make.

The process will be even more difficult if you don’t have a family member or a trusted friend in the medical industry who can tell you the ins and outs of everything.

Moreover, you’ll have student loans to pay back, a possible family to plan for, and a retirement plan to build, which can make things unbearably complicated. Add to that the stress of working locum, and mistakes can quickly aggregate and threaten your financial stability.

If you want to thrive as a locum, you need to learn from someone who’s been there for years. That’s where Physicians Thrive comes into play.

Our specialized team of Physicians has already gone through everything you’re expected to go through. We can give you years’ worth of experience so you can take the ideal financial steps every single time.

Contact us to get started. We’ll understand your unique situation and help you through everything, from negotiating a good contract to planning your retirement.