In 2021, I was on a night shift at a facility in Texas where I was told the ED physician would come up to help with intubations. We suddenly had a patient needing an intubation… but the ED physician downstairs was busy doing a procedure. After several calls I managed to get anesthesia to come up to assist. I learned a valuable lesson - ‘coverage’ can mean a lot of things. Make sure to clarify details before starting any assignment.
In today’s newsletter:
CHG report on locum tenens trends in 2025
How to know if your rate is fair
Looking up your specialty before your recruiter call
What I’m Reading
CHG Healthcare (they own CompHealth, Weatherby, and a few other big staffing agencies) released their 2025 State of Locum Tenens Report late last year. They survey hospitals and docs annually to track locums trends. Here are some highlights based on the latest data (from 2024):
Locums usage jumped 25% higher than hospitals expected
43% of docs reported burnout relief after locum assignments
48% said they planned to increase locum days in 2025
Anesthesiology demand up 55%, EM down 8%
Keep in mind this is one data set and agency-driven, but worth watching to see how 2025 played out and where 2026 trends go. Check out the full report here.
Rates: Are you getting a fair rate?
One of the most common questions I get from physicians who are interested in locums is what kind of rate they should expect. My annoying but honest answer is: it depends.
A big issue is that when you start off in the locums world, no one tells you what you should expect to get paid. Recruiters will give you a range but it’s hard to know if that’s the full picture. And other docs don’t usually talk about rates openly.
So what are some factors that go into your initial pay rate?
Region - expect higher pay in states that have poor coverage and access to physicians
Flexibility - how many shifts can you offer and which hours are you willing to work (night shifts, etc)
Facility desperation - if there is a sudden large need for docs you have more leverage
Experience - facilities are more likely to want you if you have locums experience than not
Competition - there may be quite a few docs going for an open position if the facility is popular to work at (this gives the facility more leverage)
The Reality Check
If your offered rate is on the lower end, ask why. Bad location? Difficult facility? Something they’re not telling you?
If it’s on the higher end, ask about any catches. Short notice? High acuity? Staffing Issues?
The Practical Win: Look Up Your Pay Range
🚀 Here are some tools you can use to get a sense of your range depending on your specialty:
—>Locumstory Trends by specialty (agency data from CHG)
—>Physician Side Gigs Database (crowd-sourced from docs)
—>Doximity compensation reports (not locums-specific but a good baseline)
—>Locums.com Pay Estimator (just got tipped off on this one)
What’s Coming Next
Over the next few issues, I’ll cover:
Credentialing: how to expedite on your end
Travel/housing systems
How to avoid burnout
Contract clauses and why they matter
Rate negotiations
What is the #1 thing stopping you from taking a locums gig (or more of them)? Reply and let me know and I’ll cover it in a future issue