7 Compelling Reasons Why Should You Try Locums

If you’ve ever wondered why should you try locums, you’re not alone. Across the United States, thousands of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are making the switch to locum tenens and the numbers tell a powerful story.

In 2023, the locum tenens market was valued at over $4.5 billion and continues to grow rapidly. Physician burnout is at an all-time high, healthcare facilities face record staffing gaps, and clinicians are searching for a better way to practice medicine on their own terms.

This guide breaks down the seven most compelling reasons to explore locums opportunities — whether you’re a seasoned attending physician, a newly licensed NP, or a PA looking to diversify your career. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of what locum tenens can do for your income, your lifestyle, and your long-term career trajectory.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Is Locum Tenens? (Quick Definition)
• Significantly Higher Earning Potential
• True Schedule Flexibility
• Travel With Full Housing & Compensation
• Credentialing & Onboarding — Fully Handled
• Career Variety Without Leaving Medicine
• Access to Top-Tier Hospital Locum Jobs
• Lower Burnout, Higher Satisfaction
• Locum Tenens vs. Traditional Employment — Quick Comparison
• How to Get Started with Premium Locums
• FAQs
• Conclusion

 

1. What Is Locum Tenens?

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 health system — typically arranged through a staffing agency — while earning premium hourly compensation.

 

Locum tenens is not a niche workaround — it’s a recognized and growing segment of the U.S. healthcare workforce. Facilities rely on locum clinicians to cover everything from physician vacations and parental leave to long-term staffing gaps caused by recruitment delays or unexpected departures.

For clinicians, it represents a fundamentally different relationship with work: one where they choose the assignment, the location, and the duration — rather than being bound to a single employer’s schedule.

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

 

2. Significantly Higher Earning Potential

One of the most immediate answers to “why should you try locums?” is simple: the pay. Locum tenens physicians consistently earn more per hour than their traditionally employed counterparts.

What the Numbers Look Like

At Premium Locums Group, active physician assignments offer rates starting at $350 per hour for specialties including Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Urgent Care. When you factor in the typical number of hours worked per assignment, the annual earning potential far exceeds most traditional hospital employment contracts.

Here’s how the math can look in practice:

• A physician working 40 hours/week at $350/hr earns approximately $728,000 annually
• Even at 25 hours/week (a reduced locum schedule), that’s $455,000 per year
• Travel, housing, and transportation are covered on top of your rate — not deducted from it

For APPs — nurse practitioners and physician assistants — locum rates are similarly competitive and often 20–40% higher than traditional per-hour employment equivalents.

Expert Insight: Locum tenens compensation is one of the few places in medicine where your income can actually reflect the value you bring — without being capped by a salaried contract, notes a leading healthcare workforce consultant. Many physicians use locums assignments strategically to pay off medical school debt at an accelerated pace.

 

3. True Schedule Flexibility

Physician burnout doesn’t come from caring about patients — it comes from losing control over your time. Traditional employment contracts often leave clinicians with little say in when they work, how many patients they see, or how long their shifts run.

Locum tenens changes that dynamic entirely.

What Flexibility Actually Means in Practice

1. You choose which assignments to accept — and which to decline
2. You set the duration of each contract (days, weeks, or months)
3. You decide how many assignments to take per year

This means a physician could work intensively for six months — maximizing income — and take the remaining six months off for personal pursuits, family, research, or travel. Alternatively, they might maintain a steady schedule of rolling 13-week contracts with predictable start and end dates.

The point is: locum physicians are, by definition, in control of their own calendars. That alone is enough for many clinicians to make the switch.

4. Travel With Full Housing & Compensation

One of the most underrated benefits of locums opportunities is the travel package. Unlike traditional employment — where any relocation costs come directly out of your pocket — locum tenens assignments typically include full travel and housing arrangements as part of the contract.

What’s Usually Covered

• Round-trip airfare or mileage reimbursement to and from the assignment
• Comfortable accommodation (hotel or furnished apartment) for the assignment duration
• In some cases, a daily meals and incidentals allowance (M&IE per diem)
• Car rental or local transportation where applicable

At Premium Locums Group, all active listings include travel and accommodation packages as standard — meaning the rate you’re quoted is what you earn, not a gross figure from which expenses are later deducted.

For physicians who enjoy experiencing new cities, regions, and healthcare environments, this represents an extraordinary opportunity to combine professional excellence with genuine exploration. Current active assignments include placements in Texas and Arkansas — with more states being added continuously.

5. Credentialing & Onboarding: Fully Handled

Ask most physicians what stops them from exploring locums opportunities and you’ll hear the same answer: “the paperwork.” State licensing applications, hospital credentialing packets, insurance enrollment forms, and facility-specific onboarding requirements can be overwhelming — especially for busy clinicians with full patient loads.

This is where a quality staffing partner like Premium Locums Group makes the critical difference.

What Premium Locums Handles For You

• State medical license applications and follow-up
• Hospital and facility credentialing coordination
• DEA and controlled substance registrations where applicable
• Malpractice and liability insurance (tail coverage included)
• Facility-specific onboarding paperwork and compliance documentation

The result: you show up ready to practice medicine. Our team has already done the administrative heavy lifting. This is a core reason why hiring physicians choose to work with established locum tenens partners rather than pursuing assignments independently.

Important Note: Credentialing timelines vary by state and facility. Premium Locums Group begins the credentialing process immediately upon your commitment to an assignment — minimizing delays and maximizing your time on-assignment earning.

 

6. Career Variety Without Leaving Medicine

Traditional employment often locks physicians into a single practice setting, patient population, and clinical rhythm. Over time, this can contribute to professional stagnation — a quieter but equally damaging cousin of burnout.

Locum tenens offers a structurally different experience: the ability to practice across multiple settings, regions, and patient populations — all while staying fully embedded in clinical medicine.

Examples of Career Variety Through Locums

• An Internal Medicine physician who primarily works in academic medicine can take a locums assignment at a rural critical access hospital — expanding their clinical toolkit
• A Family Medicine physician in a suburban practice can explore urban urgent care assignments during slower personal seasons
• A newly graduated NP can gain rapid, broad clinical exposure across multiple facility types before committing to a permanent role

This variety doesn’t just prevent boredom — it actively builds a more well-rounded, resilient clinician. Many physicians report that their locum experiences made them significantly better practitioners in their permanent roles.

7. Access to Top-Tier Hospital Locum Jobs

Not all locum tenens assignments are equal. One of the key advantages of working with Premium Locums Group is exclusive access to hospital locum jobs at nationally recognized, high-quality partner facilities.

Our Partner Facility Network Includes

• HCA Healthcare — the largest for-profit hospital operator in the U.S.
• Ascension — one of the nation’s leading nonprofit health systems
• CHRISTUS Health — a major faith-based regional health network
• Arkansas Methodist Medical Center — a trusted regional facility
• Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center — a key Southeast facility

These are not community urgent care centers with skeleton staffing — they are established, fully equipped healthcare institutions with the infrastructure, support staff, and clinical resources that allow locum physicians to do their best work from day one.

Working at top-tier facilities also strengthens your CV, expands your professional network, and positions you well for future permanent opportunities if you ever choose to pursue them.

8. Lower Burnout, Higher Satisfaction

Physician burnout is a genuine crisis. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), more than 60% of U.S. physicians report at least one symptom of burnout — with administrative burden, loss of autonomy, and schedule inflexibility cited as the leading contributors.

Locum tenens addresses each of these root causes directly:

Locum Tenens vs. Traditional Employment — At-a-Glance Comparison

Factor	Traditional Employment	Locum Tenens
Hourly Rate	$80–$150/hr (salaried equiv.)	Up to $350/hr
Schedule Flexibility	Employer-controlled	Physician-controlled
Location	Fixed, single facility	Nationwide, rotational
Travel & Housing	Not included	Fully covered
Credentialing	Self-managed	Handled by staffing partner
Burnout Risk	High (fixed, rigid)	Lower (variety, control)
Career Exploration	Limited	High — multi-specialty exposure

Source: Premium Locums Group, NALTO, American Medical Association Burnout Report 2023.

Locum physicians report higher levels of professional autonomy, reduced administrative burden (since the staffing partner handles non-clinical tasks), and the psychological benefit of clear “on” and “off” periods — rather than the always-on culture of permanent employment.

For physicians considering locum tenens for the first time, even a single short-term assignment often proves transformative — both financially and personally.

9. Locum Tenens vs. Traditional Employment

Still weighing the decision? The comparison table above tells part of the story. But it’s worth noting that for many physicians, locum tenens isn’t a permanent lifestyle choice — it’s a strategic tool.

Some use it as a bridge between permanent positions. Others use it to test-drive a new specialty or geographic location before committing. And many use it as a long-term primary income strategy — particularly those who value income maximization and schedule control above institutional affiliation.

Did You Know? A 2022 survey by StaffCare found that 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 their expectations — particularly on pay and the quality of onboarding support.

 

10. How to Get Started with Premium Locums

Getting started is simpler than most physicians expect. Here’s the process with Premium Locums Group:

2. Submit your profile — specialty, preferred locations, availability, and credentials
3. Our team identifies matching hospital locum jobs from our active listing database
4. We present you with suitable assignments — you choose what fits your goals

• We initiate credentialing and onboarding immediately upon your acceptance
• You arrive at the facility — ready to practice. We handle the rest.

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

Ready to explore? Visit premiumlocumsgroup.com or contact our team directly at info@premiumlocumsgroup.com to discuss your first assignment.

 

11. FAQ: Your Locum Tenens Questions Answered

Based on Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ for locum tenens and related physician staffing queries.

Q: What is the difference between locum tenens and a permanent physician position? Locum tenens positions are temporary, contract-based clinical roles where physicians or APPs fill short-term staffing gaps at healthcare facilities. Unlike permanent positions, locum clinicians choose their assignments, work on fixed-term contracts, earn higher hourly rates, and receive travel and housing as part of their compensation package.

 

Q: Is locum tenens worth it financially for physicians? Yes — for most physicians, locum tenens offers significantly higher per-hour compensation than traditional salaried employment. At Premium Locums Group, physician rates start at $350/hr. When combined with fully covered travel and housing, the total financial value often exceeds traditional employment by 30–60%, depending on specialty and volume.

 

Q: Do locum tenens physicians need separate malpractice insurance? In most cases, malpractice coverage — including tail coverage — is arranged by the staffing agency or the hiring facility. At Premium Locums Group, we coordinate malpractice and liability insurance as part of our onboarding process, so you are protected from day one of every assignment without additional out-of-pocket cost.

 

Q: How long do locum tenens assignments typically last? Assignment durations vary widely — from single-day coverage to rolling 13-week contracts and beyond. At Premium Locums Group, we offer assignments ranging from short-term coverage (one to four weeks) to extended contracts. The duration is agreed upon upfront and can often be extended if both the clinician and facility wish to continue.

 

Q: Can nurse practitioners and physician assistants do locum tenens? Absolutely. Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) — including Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) — are highly sought-after for locum assignments. Premium Locums Group actively places APPs in Urgent Care, Primary Care, and specialty settings. Compensation and benefits are competitive, with full credentialing support included.

 

Q: How quickly can I start a locum tenens assignment after applying? Timeline depends primarily on credentialing, which varies by state and facility. Straightforward assignments where you already hold the required state license can begin in as little as two to four weeks. Premium Locums Group initiates the full credentialing and onboarding process immediately upon acceptance to minimize delays and maximize your earning start date.

 

12. Conclusion: Is Locum Tenens Right for You?

So, why should you try locums? Because it offers something traditional medical employment rarely delivers: income that reflects your expertise, schedule control that respects your life, and clinical variety that keeps medicine interesting.

The seven reasons explored in this guide — from premium earning rates and full travel packages to burnout reduction and access to elite hospital locum jobs — represent a genuinely different way to practice medicine. One that is growing in popularity precisely because it works.

At Premium Locums Group, we’ve built our platform around one goal: connecting qualified physicians and APPs with locums opportunities that match their skills, goals, and lifestyle. We handle the administrative complexity so you can focus entirely on patient care.

Whether you’re ready to commit to your first assignment or simply exploring the idea, we’re here to answer your questions, walk you through active listings, and help you take the next step.

Ready to Get Started? Visit premiumlocumsgroup.com to browse active physician and APP assignments across Texas, Arkansas, and beyond. Or contact our team directly: info@premiumlocumsgroup.com | +1 937-756-2867. Current openings include Urgent Care and Internal Medicine roles starting at $350/hr — with travel and housing fully covered.