Insights From Wapiti

Locum tenens roles are highly flexible, ranging from one-day shifts to multi-month stints. In practice, a locum physician or advanced provider may cover a colleague’s absence “from a single shift to several months”. Assignments vary with the facility’s needs. A rural ER might hire a locum for just a weekend, while covering a full-time vacancy could lead to contracts of 6-12+ months or longer. In fact, surveys find locum assignments can be as short as a few days or up to a year or more, and many providers take multiple one-to-three-month gigs each year.

Typical Assignment Lengths

• Short-Term Contracts: These cover immediate, temporary gaps. For example, a clinic might call in a locum for weekend or holiday shifts. Short-term jobs can literally be single shifts or week-long blocks. Often an urgent-care center or hospital emergency department will hire a locum for 3-14 days to cover vacation or seasonal surges.

• Medium-Term Contracts: Assignments of 4-12 weeks are very common. Facilities use these for extended vacations, medical/maternity leave, or transition periods. In a typical year, many locum providers report working just 1-3 assignments. During this time, a locum might serve as the acting physician while a search for a permanent hire is underway.

• Long-Term Contracts: For ongoing shortages, locums may sign on for six months or more. Some extended contracts exceed a year, especially in hard-to-staff specialties or remote areas. A year-long locum contract can cover a long-term leave or fill a chronic staffing gap. Wapiti Medical Staffing provides short and long-term locum assignments nationwide, reflecting this full spectrum. Many locum physicians have assignments renewed or back-to-back, effectively making locum work a steady career.

• Recurring Agreements: Some locums negotiate “standing” schedules (e.g. two weekends per month or one week every quarter) with a single facility. This recurring arrangement provides predictability: the provider knows they will return regularly, and the facility has reliable coverage. While not a continuous contract, these ongoing engagements mean a locum can work in the same place indefinitely, year after year if desired.

What Determines Contract Length?

Several factors shape how long a locum tenens contract runs:

• Specialty Demand: High-need fields often yield longer assignments. Critical-care, rural primary care, psychiatry, or anesthesia roles (all in chronic shortage) may require long stints to fully staff. Conversely, specialties with many available doctors (e.g. general family practice in urban areas) might post more short-term shifts. For example, a rural family medicine clinic may offer a 3-month locum to fill a vacancy, whereas an urban hospital might call a locum for just a week.

• Geography & Facility Type: The region and setting play a major role in the demand for locum tenens physicians. These professionals are most commonly placed in areas facing physician shortages—especially rural communities and underserved populations. Facilities such as critical-access hospitals, tribal health centers, and safety-net hospitals often rely on locums to fill long-term gaps, as bringing in outside help typically involves travel logistics and credentialing delays. In contrast, urban and suburban facilities tend to use locum tenens physicians more for short-term coverage during staffing fluctuations or seasonal surges. Institutions like correctional facilities and mental health hospitals also frequently turn to locums, often for extended periods, due to the ongoing challenges they face in hiring and retaining full-time medical staff.

• Facility Needs: The reason for the vacancy dictates duration. A locum covering a doctor’s two-week vacation will be booked for just that period. Maternity or medical leaves usually mean 2-6 months of coverage. If a hospital is searching for a permanent hire (which can take many months), it might contract a locum for the entire recruiting cycle (sometimes 9-12+ months). Emergency “gap coverage” (like a sudden resignation) might start short, then get extended as needed. Agencies and hospitals plan contracts based on anticipated needs, often including renewal clauses if extended help is required.

• Licensing & Credentialing Timelines: Bureaucracy can affect start dates and therefore effective contract length. Obtaining state medical licenses or facility privileges can take weeks to months. In multi-state practice, licensing through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact can speed things up, but traditional board applications can take up to 6 months. Physicians should account for this lead time. A staffing agency assigns credentialing specialists to help; our credentialing team will assist you with licensing and paperwork, even going so far as to help you apply for state licenses. Providers who already hold multiple state licenses can often start sooner and accept longer gigs across more locations.

• Physician Availability & Preference: Finally, the doctor’s own schedule impacts assignment length. A semi-retired physician might prefer short, sporadic shifts (e.g. only weekends), while someone seeking full-time work may opt for longer contracts or even work year-round as a locum. In fact, 7% of the U.S. physician workforce, approximately 50,000 doctors, not including international graduates, currently work locum tenens assignments as part of a growing temporary workforce in American healthcare. Those who make locum tenens a full-time career often choose consecutive contracts and can build a multi-year locum schedule, whereas those using locum for supplemental income or flexibility might stick to a few assignments per year.

Flexibility and Long-Term Locum Careers

Many physicians ask whether locum tenens is just a short-term detour or can be a long-term career. The data suggest it can definitely be the latter. In practice, locum providers stay active for years. In one national survey, 36% of physicians began locum tenens work after retiring from permanent practice, and about half started in mid-career, showing this path can easily stretch across multiple stages of a physician’s professional life. Those who make locum tenens a full-time career often choose consecutive contracts and can build a multi-year schedule, whereas others may use locum work to supplement income or maintain flexibility.

The attraction is clear. Locums offers autonomy and flexibility: 89% of surveyed physicians said location was a top factor in selecting assignments, and 60% cited assignment length, pointing to lifestyle as a key motivator. Physicians can take time off for family, hobbies, or sabbaticals while still earning competitive pay. Appealing income is another major draw, and many physicians boost their earnings significantly through locum shifts. Providers can enjoy flexible schedules and extra income with short- and long-term assignments tailored to their needs.

In practical terms, locum work continues to evolve. A 2017 survey found that 65% of locum tenens physicians had been in practice for at least 21 years, and 48% were over 60, suggesting many experienced doctors use locum roles to continue practicing on their own terms. Whether used full-time or part-time, the locum lifestyle offers physicians control over when, where, and how they work.

Locum Tenens by Practice Setting

Contract lengths also vary by practice setting:

• Rural/Critical Access Hospitals: These locations have chronic staffing shortages. Locum contracts here tend to be longer (often months) since travel time is involved and hospitals want continuity. For example, a rural hospital might book a locum for 2-3 months (or longer) during a physician’s leave or while recruiting. Some rural sites even maintain ongoing relationships with locum docs, scheduling them regularly.

• Urgent Care Clinics: Urgent care centers often hire locums for high-volume periods (weekends, holiday seasons) or to cover multiple clinics. Contracts are usually short (days to a few weeks). A clinic director might roster a locum for one or two weeks at a time, with the option to extend as needed.

• Emergency Departments: Emergency rooms frequently use locum staff for both planned and surprise vacancies. ED locums might sign on for 1-4 week blocks, or for a regular block schedule (e.g. every other week). In busy centers, locum emergency physicians often work a series of multi-week assignments to ensure full coverage.

• Correctional and Behavioral Health Facilities: These types of facilities often face provider shortages. Locum contracts in these settings are typically multi-week to multi-month. Because security and special credentials are involved, facilities usually arrange block assignments (for example, covering a sick psychiatrist for two months or a family doc for 6 months). Providers in these settings may even be hired as “per diem” on an open-ended basis, extending their assignment year-round.

• Telemedicine Locums: As telehealth grows, a small but increasing number of locum physicians fill virtual roles. Tele-locum work can be extremely flexible: contracts might be on-call shifts a few hours long, or remote clinic coverage for days at a time. 

Making Locum Tenens Work for You

Physicians eyeing locum tenens should consider these practical tips:

• Plan for Licensing: Start the licensing process early. Applying for a new state license can take from a few weeks to several months. In fact, credentialing was one of the top concerns among surveyed locum tenens physicians, alongside issues like assignment logistics and onboarding delays. Join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact if possible (it expedites multi-state licensure). A staffing agency like ours can handle much of this process. Wapiti’s credentialing team will guide you through paperwork and even help file state licenses, smoothing the path to your assignment start date.

• Be Clear on Availability: Decide the level of commitment you want. If you prefer short bursts, look for per-diem or week-long assignments. If you want stable income, target contracts with defined spans (e.g. 8 or 12 weeks) or inquire about rolling assignments. Agencies often ask about your preferred contract length; make your flexibility clear.

• Negotiate Term and Extensions: Locum contracts are usually fixed-term. Before signing, know whether extensions are possible. It’s common for hospitals to extend successful locums or renew contracts if the need persists. You can also negotiate incremental extensions in your contract, giving both parties flexibility.

• Use Agency Resources: Partner with a reputable locum staffing firm. For instance, our Locum Tenens Guide and How Does Locum Work? resources outline how to set up schedules and travel logistics. Wapiti can help find short and long-term jobs and assist with logistics like travel and housing. By leveraging an agency’s network, you often gain faster access to varied opportunities across the country.

• Balance Work-Life: One of locum’s biggest benefits is work-life balance. You can pick assignments near home (and work only local shifts) or travel to new regions. Many locums work part of the year and take planned breaks. A parent, for instance, could choose to work just two 96-hour weekend shifts per month and spend the rest of the time at home. Use that flexibility to align your assignments with personal goals – whether that’s extra family time, travel, or gradual step-down toward retirement.

Whether you’re looking for more flexibility, better pay, or a change of pace, your next opportunity could be just a click away. Explore open locum tenens positions and see where Wapiti can take you.