Locum tenens work allows you to set your schedule and explore the country — and it also allows you to earn a competitive wage while you travel. Why not work in one of the top-paying states for locum tenens? We’ve compiled data from two of the largest locum tenens staffing agencies to find the areas with the highest average pay in 2024.
Here are the top 10 highest-paying states and a few reasons to work in these underserved areas.
1. Delaware: 149%
Physicians can expect to earn 149% of the national median while working in this small East Coast peninsula. Delaware was ranked number five among top-paying states for locum tenens in 2023 and climbed to the highest spot this year, partly because of a physician shortage. The state has many federally designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) and medically underserved areas. Delaware has been experiencing rapid population growth (it was the sixth fastest-growing state in 2023), contributing to the physician shortage.
Additionally, since Delaware lacks its own medical school, students who aspire to become doctors must leave the state for their education and typically do not return to practice there.
2. Arkansas: 131%
For the first time, Arkansas is included on the list of top-paying states for locum tenens, and providers there can expect to be paid 131% of the national median. Nearly all counties in this southern state are designated as HPSAs, and Alabama ranks 47th in the country for the number of active physicians per 100,000 population. More than 43% of Arkansans live in rural areas and have less access to healthcare.
According to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) vice chancellor Richard Turnage, an aging workforce and burnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic have also exacerbated the physician shortage in Arkansas.
3. Tennessee: 129%
“The Volunteer State,” Tennessee, is also on the list for the first time — and like Delaware, the state is experiencing significant population growth (ranked eighth among states by % growth in 2023), contributing to the physician shortage.
Tennessee also ranks 47th in the nation for public health outcomes and 35th for healthcare access, according to U.S. News and World Report. Because of these factors, hospitals pay locum tenens providers 129% of the national median.
Are you an NP or PA and are curious about locums? Check out our NP/PA locums resources
4. South Dakota: 129%
South Dakota moved up two slots from last year’s list of the top-paying states for locum tenens physicians. Like Arkansas, more than 43% of residents live in rural areas, and only those living near Sioux Falls and Rapid City have easy access to healthcare. Mental health deserts are also a problem in South Dakota, as the American Psychiatric Association found that nearly half of the counties have no providers.
Further, the harsh winter climate in South Dakota can also make it challenging to find locum tenens physicians willing to work there.
5. Colorado: 127%
Ranked fourth on the 2023 list, Colorado pays its locum tenens providers 127% of the national median in part due to its physician shortage. Experts project the state will be short 2,424 doctors by 2030. On top of its projected shortage, 31% of Colorado’s physicians are also currently within the retirement range.
Colorado’s 64 counties are designated as HPSAs, with OB/GYNs, anesthesiologists, and internal medicine physicians comprising the most needed specialties.
6. West Virginia: 127%
Locum tenens providers earn 127% of the national median in West Virginia, which fell from number two to number six on this year’s list. Many healthcare facilities have closed in the state, making it more difficult for residents to receive healthcare. All but two West Virginia counties are designated as HPSAs.
West Virginia also faces significant healthcare staffing challenges due to an aging workforce, declining college enrollment, increased burnout, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it ranks as the nation’s unhealthiest state with the highest number of drug overdoses, the highest percentage of adults who smoke, the highest rate of adults who are obese, and the second-shortest life expectancy.
7. Nebraska: 123%
Though this is Nebraska’s first time on the list of top-paying states for locum tenens, it faces similar challenges as other states, including a lack of providers in rural areas. The 2023 Status of the Nebraska Healthcare Workforce report found that 83% of all diagnosing and treating practitioners worked in metropolitan areas, and 14 of the state’s 93 counties do not have a primary care physician.
8. Indiana: 118%
Over half of Indiana’s 92 counties have a primary healthcare provider shortage, which may explain the state’s higher locum tenens physician salaries (118% of the national median). Additionally, the state ranks tenth on the list of unhealthiest states. Indiana also has a severe lack of mental health professionals and needs to add nearly 300 psychiatrists to address the shortage.
9. Illinois: 117%
Like Indiana, Illinois is new to this list, but it ranks seventh on the list of U.S. states by number of HPSAs due to its 245 health professional shortage areas. The state is projected to be short 6,203 doctors by 2030. Additionally, there are only 237 residency slots in Illinois, and nearly half of those residents will practice out of state later.
10. Michigan: 114%
The last state on the list of top-paying states for locum tenens is Michigan, where physicians earn 114% of the national median. This is also the first time Michigan has appeared on the list; however, it faces challenges similar to other states, including an aging population, retiring physicians, and burnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 65 of Michigan’s 83 counties are designated as HPSAs, and nearly all affected counties are rural.
Though accepting assignments in an unknown state can be challenging, it can also be rewarding and lucrative — especially if you’re willing to work in high-need and rural areas throughout the United States.