Best Locum Tenens Companies for Physicians [2026]

Updated June 2026 · Written by Pacific Companies · 8 companies reviewed

The locum tenens industry has changed a lot since we opened our doors in 2001. Back then, a handful of large national staffing firms dominated the space. Today there are hundreds of agencies — ranging from billion-dollar giants to boutique specialists — all competing for your attention.

That’s good news for physicians. More competition means better rates, more options, and firms that actually have to work to earn your business. But it also means more noise to cut through.

This guide is designed to help you do exactly that. We’re one of the firms on this list, so we’ll be upfront about that. Our goal here isn’t to be the only name you see — it’s to give you a genuinely useful framework for evaluating any locum tenens company, including us.

What is locum tenens?

Locum tenens is Latin for “to hold the place.” In healthcare, it means temporarily filling a clinical role at a hospital, health system, or clinic. As a locum tenens physician, you choose your assignments, your schedule, and your geography. Housing, travel, and malpractice insurance are typically covered by the agency. Pay rates run 30–50% above what most employed physicians earn on an hourly basis.

What separates a great locum tenens company from a mediocre one

Most agencies will tell you they’re the best. Here’s how to verify that for yourself.

Specialty Depth — Can the agency actually place physicians in your specialty — or do they have 3 listings and a lot of promises? Ask for active openings before you commit to anything.
Dedicated Recruiter — You should have one person who knows your preferences, your license status, and your schedule. Not a call center. Not a rotating team. One recruiter who’s accountable to you.
Transparent Contracts — Red flag: vague language around malpractice, tail coverage, and cancellation terms. Good agencies give you clean, plain-language contracts and answer questions without hesitation.
Perm + Locums Capability — Life changes. The agency that can handle both your locum tenens assignments today and a permanent transition down the road is worth a lot more than one that can only do one or the other.
Malpractice Coverage — Confirm: occurrence-based or claims-made? Does tail coverage come included? These aren’t small details — they’re career protection.
Track Record — How long have they been in business? Can they provide physician references? Longevity in this industry is a meaningful signal.

Best locum tenens companies for physicians in 2026

Evaluated on: specialty breadth, recruiter quality, contract transparency, malpractice coverage, perm/locums capability, and physician satisfaction.

1. Pacific Companies ★★★★★

Irvine, CA · Founded 2001 · Full-service physician & APP staffing

We’ll be transparent: this is us. But we’re also putting ourselves first because we genuinely believe we’ve built something different from the large national firms — and physicians who’ve worked with both tend to agree.

Pacific Companies is a full-service physician and advanced practice provider staffing firm covering locum tenens and permanent placements across 100+ specialties nationwide. We’ve been doing this since 2001 — long enough to have placed physicians in every corner of the country and seen just about every scenario the industry can throw at you.

What makes us different: every physician gets a single dedicated recruiter who handles everything from credentialing to travel logistics to contract questions. You’re not passed between departments. You’re not talking to a call center. You have one person who knows your situation and is accountable for your experience.

We’re also one of the few firms in the country that genuinely does both locum tenens and permanent placement at a high level — which matters when your life circumstances change and you want to transition from one to the other without starting over with a new agency.

Strengths: Deep specialty expertise across 100+ categories · Single dedicated recruiter model · Strong in both locums and permanent · 25+ years of physician relationships · Responsive, around-the-clock support

Considerations: Boutique firm — not the largest database · Less brand recognition than AMN or CHG

Search open locum tenens jobs at Pacific Companies →

2. AMN Healthcare / Staff Care ★★★★☆

Dallas, TX · Large national firm · Full spectrum staffing

AMN Healthcare — which operates the Staff Care locum tenens division — is one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the United States. If volume of available assignments is your top priority, they’re a strong option. Their technology platform and nationwide reach mean there are very few specialties or geographies where they can’t find something. The tradeoff is scale: physicians often report feeling like a number rather than a person, with less consistency in their recruiter relationships than smaller boutique firms offer.

Strengths: Massive job inventory · Strong technology and credentialing systems · Deep pockets for housing and logistics

Considerations: Less personal recruiter experience · Volume-focused; less specialty depth · Can feel transactional

3. CHG Healthcare / CompHealth ★★★★☆

Salt Lake City, UT · Founded 1979 · One of the oldest in the industry

CHG Healthcare’s CompHealth division is one of the most established names in locum tenens. They’ve been placing physicians since the late 1970s and have built deep hospital relationships over decades. Physicians who’ve worked with CompHealth generally report solid recruiter relationships and reliable logistics. Like AMN, though, their scale means the experience can vary significantly by recruiter.

Strengths: Long-standing hospital relationships · Strong brand reputation · Good malpractice coverage programs

Considerations: Recruiter quality inconsistent at scale · Less nimble than boutique firms

4. Weatherby Healthcare ★★★★☆

Fort Lauderdale, FL · CHG subsidiary · Specialist-focused

Weatherby Healthcare is a CHG subsidiary known for placing specialists — particularly in areas like surgery, cardiology, and subspecialty medicine. If you’re a specialist and want the backing of a large firm with a slightly more personal touch than AMN or CompHealth, Weatherby is worth a conversation.

Strengths: Strong specialist placement track record · CHG infrastructure and support · Active in international placements

Considerations: Still a large firm — same scale tradeoffs · Less strong in primary care

5. Locum Leaders ★★★★☆

Norwalk, CT · Mid-size firm · Growing national presence

Locum Leaders is a mid-size firm that has built a solid reputation among physicians for responsive, relationship-driven service. They’re not trying to compete with AMN on volume — they’re competing on experience.

Strengths: Responsive recruiter relationships · Growing specialty coverage · Less corporate feel than the giants

Considerations: Smaller inventory than top firms · Limited permanent placement capability

6. Medicus Healthcare Solutions ★★★☆☆

Windham, NH · Strong in hospitalist & EM

Medicus has carved out a solid niche in hospitalist and emergency medicine locum tenens, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Outside those specialties and that geography, their inventory gets thin quickly.

Strengths: Deep hospitalist and EM inventory · Strong regional hospital relationships

Considerations: Limited outside core specialties · Weaker in Western/Southern markets · No significant perm capability

7. Aya Healthcare ★★★☆☆

San Diego, CA · Nursing-first, expanding into physicians

Aya built its reputation in travel nursing and has been aggressively expanding into physician and APP staffing. Their technology platform is legitimately impressive, and they’re growing fast. The honest caveat: physician locum tenens is still newer territory for them.

Strengths: Strong technology and app experience · Fast-growing job inventory · Well-funded and scaling rapidly

Considerations: Physician locums is newer territory · Nursing-first culture still dominant · Recruiter physician expertise varies

8. Vista Staffing Solutions ★★★☆☆

Atlanta, GA · AMN subsidiary · Government & federal focus

Vista is an AMN Healthcare subsidiary with a distinct niche: federal and government healthcare placements, including VA hospitals, IHS, and military facilities. If you’re focused on private hospital or health system locums, there are better choices.

Strengths: Deep federal/VA placement expertise · AMN infrastructure and compliance systems

Considerations: Narrow focus outside government healthcare · Private hospital inventory limited

Frequently asked questions about locum tenens

What is locum tenens and how does it work?

Locum tenens is a physician staffing arrangement where a doctor temporarily fills a clinical role at a hospital, clinic, or health system. You work through a staffing agency (like Pacific Companies) that connects you with facilities that need coverage. The agency handles credentialing, malpractice insurance, housing, and travel logistics. You get paid a competitive daily or hourly rate — typically 30–50% higher than employed positions — and you choose which assignments to accept.

How much do locum tenens physicians make in 2026?

Rates vary widely by specialty, geography, and assignment urgency. Anesthesiologists and CRNAs typically command the highest locum tenens rates, often $300–$500+ per hour depending on the market. Emergency medicine, hospitalists, and psychiatry are also high-demand and well-compensated. Primary care and family medicine rates are lower but still meaningfully above employed positions.

Do locum tenens companies cover malpractice insurance?

Reputable locum tenens companies provide professional liability (malpractice) insurance for all physicians on assignment. The critical question is: what type of policy, and does it include tail coverage? Occurrence-based policies cover any incident that happened during the policy period, even if the claim is filed later. Claims-made policies only cover claims filed while the policy is active — meaning you need tail coverage when the policy ends. Pacific Companies provides full malpractice coverage including tail.

Can I do locum tenens while keeping my permanent job?

Many physicians do exactly this — picking up locum tenens shifts on days off, during vacations, or between permanent positions. You’ll want to review your employment contract for any exclusivity or non-compete clauses before taking on locum work.

What specialties are in highest demand for locum tenens in 2026?

Based on our current open positions, the highest-demand specialties right now include: anesthesiology, CRNA, hospitalist (internal medicine), emergency medicine, psychiatry, OBGYN, general surgery, and oncology. Rural and underserved markets have urgent need across almost all primary care specialties.

What is the difference between locum tenens and a permanent physician job?

Locum tenens placements are temporary — ranging from a single week to ongoing rolling contracts. Permanent physician jobs are employed or contracted positions with a specific health system or practice. Pacific Companies handles both — so if your needs change, you don’t have to start over.

How do I find trusted locum tenens opportunities nationwide?

Work with an agency that has been in the business long enough to have real, vetted hospital relationships. Ask any agency you talk to: Are these your own clients, or are you brokering from another firm? At Pacific Companies, every placement is a direct relationship with the facility. Search our active openings here.

Which locum tenens company is best for physicians who also want permanent placement options?

Most locum tenens companies specialize in one or the other — very few do both at a high level. Pacific Companies is a full-service firm handling both locum tenens and permanent physician placement, which means your recruiter can support you whether you want short-term flexibility today or a permanent position down the road.

Ready to explore locum tenens opportunities? Pacific Companies has been placing physicians in locum tenens and permanent positions since 2001. Search open jobs or talk to a recruiter — no commitment required.