What Is Locum Tenens? The Complete Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve come across the phrase “what is locum tenens” and found yourself searching for a clear answer, you’re in good company. Every year, tens of thousands of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants discover locum tenens — and many say it changes the way they think about their medical career entirely.

In this guide, we break down everything you need to know: what locum tenens means, how it works in practice, who qualifies, how much it pays, and whether it could be the right move for you.

What Does “Locum Tenens” Mean?

Definition Locum tenens is a Latin phrase meaning “to hold the place.” In healthcare, it refers to a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant who temporarily fills a clinical role at a hospital, clinic, or healthcare facility — typically arranged through a staffing agency — while earning premium hourly compensation.

The term has been used in medicine for centuries, but the modern locum tenens industry — as a structured staffing model — really emerged in the United States in the 1970s. Today it’s a multi-billion-dollar sector of the healthcare workforce that shows no sign of slowing down.

According to the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), more than 50,000 healthcare providers work as locum tenens clinicians in the U.S. at any given time, collectively serving approximately 7.5 million patients annually.

2. How Does Locum Tenens Work?

The locum tenens model is straightforward. A healthcare facility — whether a hospital, urgent care clinic, private practice, or health system — has a temporary staffing gap. This could be due to a physician going on leave, a position being vacated, an unexpected volume spike, or an unfilled permanent role.

Rather than leave the gap unaddressed, the facility partners with a locum tenens staffing agency like Premium Locums Group. The agency then matches a qualified clinician with the assignment based on specialty, availability, and fit.

The Typical Locum Tenens Process

1. A healthcare facility contacts a locum tenens agency with their coverage need
2. The agency matches a qualified physician or APP from their provider network
3. The provider reviews the assignment details — location, rate, shift schedule, duration
4. The agency coordinates all credentialing, licensing, and onboarding paperwork
5. Travel and accommodation are arranged and covered as part of the package
6. The provider shows up, practices medicine, and gets paid at the agreed hourly rate
7. At the end of the contract, both parties can extend or the provider moves on

The entire process — from initial inquiry to first day on assignment — typically takes two to six weeks depending on the state licensing and credentialing timeline. Premium Locums Group handles all of that administrative work on behalf of our providers.

3. Who Works as a Locum Tenens Provider?

Locum tenens is not limited to a single type of clinician or career stage. It attracts a wide range of healthcare professionals for different reasons:

• Experienced Physicians who want to reduce burnout, increase earnings, or explore new practice settings without committing to a permanent role
• Residents and Early-Career Clinicians who want to gain exposure to multiple specialties, facility types, and patient populations before settling into a permanent position
• Physicians in Transition between permanent positions who want to maintain income and clinical activity during their job search
• Near-Retirement Physicians who want to scale back their hours while maintaining clinical practice and premium income
• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) who want access to higher pay rates, scheduling flexibility, and clinical variety

Industry Insight According to a 2022 StaffCare survey, 9 out of 10 physicians who tried locum tenens said they would recommend it to a colleague — and 73% reported that their first locum experience exceeded expectations.

4. What Specialties Are Available?

One of the most common misconceptions about locum tenens is that it’s only available for primary care physicians. In reality, locum assignments span virtually every specialty in medicine.

High-Demand Locum Tenens Specialties

• Internal Medicine — One of the most consistently in-demand locum specialties nationwide
• Urgent Care — High volume, fast-paced — strong rates and wide availability
• Family Medicine — Especially in rural and underserved communities
• Emergency Medicine — Level I–III trauma centers, high compensation, 24/7 availability
• Hospitalist — Inpatient coverage — one of the fastest-growing locum specialties
• Psychiatry — Critical shortage nationwide — premium rates and diverse settings
• Radiology — Teleradiology options available — location-flexible
• Anesthesiology — High-demand, high-compensation locum specialty
• OB/GYN — Strong demand in both urban and rural facilities

For advanced practice providers, locum assignments are available across Urgent Care, Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, Behavioral Health, and a growing range of specialty settings.

5. How Much Do Locum Tenens Providers Earn?

Compensation is one of the most compelling reasons clinicians explore locum tenens — and the numbers are genuinely significant.

Provider Type	Typical Locum Rate	Annual Potential (40hrs/wk)
Physician (Primary Care)	$200–$350/hr	$416,000–$728,000
Physician (Emergency Med)	$250–$400/hr	$520,000–$832,000
Physician (Psychiatry)	$200–$350/hr	$416,000–$728,000
Nurse Practitioner (NP)	$80–$150/hr	$166,400–$312,000
Physician Assistant (PA)	$80–$140/hr	$166,400–$291,200

Source: Premium Locums Group active listing data, NALTO 2023 compensation survey.

For a full breakdown by specialty, see our locum tenens pay rates guide for physicians.

At Premium Locums Group, physician assignments currently start at $350/hour — one of the highest rates available in the locum tenens market. It’s important to note that these rates are in addition to travel and accommodation packages, which are provided separately — meaning your hourly rate is genuinely your take-home compensation per hour worked.

Financial Tip Many physicians use locum tenens strategically to pay off medical school debt at an accelerated pace. At $350/hr working 25 hours per week, a physician earns over $455,000 annually — while maintaining significant personal time.

6. How Does Credentialing Work in Locum Tenens?

Credentialing is the process by which healthcare facilities verify a provider’s qualifications, licensure, training, and background before granting clinical privileges. In locum tenens, this process is handled differently from traditional employment — and it’s a significant advantage.

When you work with a quality locum tenens agency like Premium Locums Group, we coordinate the entire credentialing process on your behalf. This includes:

• State medical license applications and follow-up communications
• Hospital and facility credentialing packet completion and submission
• DEA and controlled substance registration where applicable
• Malpractice and liability insurance — including tail coverage — at no cost to you
• Facility-specific onboarding paperwork and compliance documentation

The timeline for credentialing varies by state and facility, but typically ranges from two to six weeks. Our team initiates the process immediately upon your commitment to an assignment, minimizing delays and maximizing your time on-assignment earning.

7. Locum Tenens vs. Permanent Employment — Key Differences

Factor	Permanent Employment	Locum Tenens
Compensation	Fixed salary — often capped	Hourly rate — up to $350/hr for physicians
Schedule Control	Employer-controlled	Physician/APP-controlled
Location	Fixed, single facility	Nationwide — your choice
Travel & Housing	Not covered	Fully covered by agency
Credentialing	Self-managed	Handled by staffing agency
Malpractice Insurance	Usually provided	Provided — including tail coverage
Career Variety	Limited to one setting	Multiple specialties and settings
Burnout Risk	High with fixed demands	Lower — built-in breaks between contracts

8. Is Locum Tenens Right for You?

Locum tenens isn’t for everyone — but for the right clinician at the right stage of their career, it can be transformative. Consider locum tenens if any of the following applies to you:

• You want to earn significantly more than your current salary without taking on a new permanent role
• You’re experiencing burnout and want more control over your schedule and workload
• You’re between permanent positions and want to maintain clinical activity and income
• You want to explore a new geographic region, specialty, or practice setting before committing
• You’re a new graduate seeking rapid clinical exposure across multiple environments
• You’re approaching retirement and want to scale back gradually while maintaining income

Even a single short-term locum assignment — as brief as two to four weeks — gives most clinicians enough experience to decide whether it fits their career goals. Many who try it once never go back to traditional employment exclusively.

9. How to Get Started with Premium Locums Group

Getting started with locum tenens through Premium Locums Group is simpler than most clinicians expect. Here’s how it works:

1. Submit your profile at premiumlocumsgroup.com — specialty, credentials, preferred locations, and availability
2. Our placement specialists match you with active assignments that fit your goals
3. Review your options — you choose which assignments interest you
4. We initiate full credentialing and travel coordination immediately upon acceptance
5. You arrive at the facility, ready to practice. We handle the rest.

Current active listings include Urgent Care, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine roles in Texas, Virginia, and Arkansas — with physician rates starting at $325–$350/hour. New positions are added regularly as our partner network expands.

FAQs

Q: Is locum tenens only for physicians? No. Locum tenens is available to a wide range of licensed healthcare providers, including physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), CRNAs, and other advanced practice providers. Premium Locums Group actively places both physicians and APPs across multiple specialties.

 

Q: Do locum tenens providers pay their own taxes? Locum tenens providers typically work as independent contractors (1099) and are responsible for their own taxes, including self-employment tax. However, many locum expenses — including travel, housing, and professional development — may be deductible. Working with a tax professional familiar with locum tenens income is strongly recommended.

 

Q: How long do locum tenens contracts last? Contract lengths vary widely. Some assignments cover a single week of urgent coverage, while others run for 13-week rolling contracts or longer. The duration is agreed upon upfront, and many contracts can be extended if both the provider and facility wish to continue the arrangement.

 

Q: Will a locum tenens agency cover my malpractice insurance? Yes — in virtually all cases, malpractice insurance, including tail coverage, is provided by the agency or the facility. At Premium Locums Group, this is handled as part of our standard onboarding process, so you are fully protected from day one at no out-of-pocket cost to you.

 

Q: Can I work locum tenens while maintaining a part-time permanent position? Many clinicians do exactly this. Locum tenens contracts are typically flexible enough to work around a reduced permanent schedule. This is especially common among physicians who want to supplement income, maintain variety, or test locum tenens before fully committing.

 

Q: How quickly can I start my first locum tenens assignment? Timeline depends on credentialing, which varies by state and facility. If you already hold an active license in the target state, assignments can often begin within two to four weeks. Premium Locums initiates credentialing immediately upon acceptance to minimize your wait time.

Conclusion

Locum tenens is one of medicine’s best-kept secrets — and it’s no longer a secret. Whether you’re a physician looking for higher pay and more freedom, an NP or PA seeking clinical variety, or a clinician simply exploring your options, understanding what is locum tenens is the first step toward a fundamentally different relationship with your career.

It offers premium compensation, schedule control, travel flexibility, and a quality of professional life that traditional employment rarely matches. And with Premium Locums Group handling every administrative detail — from credentialing to housing — the barriers to getting started are lower than ever.

Ready to Explore Locum Tenens? Visit premiumlocumsgroup.com to browse active assignments or contact our placement team directly. Physician rates start at $350/hr with full travel and accommodation packages included.