As we move through the second half of 2025 and look ahead to 2026, one thing is clear: the locum tenens workforce continues to play a critical role in healthcare staffing. What was once considered a niche solution is now a mainstream strategy for healthcare systems looking to maintain care continuity, reduce burnout, and adapt to ever-changing patient needs.
Whether you’re a provider, administrator, or workforce strategist, staying aware of where the locum market is heading is essential. Here are a few of the biggest trends shaping the locum tenens workforce for the coming months ahead.
1. Steady Demand Across Specialties
While pandemic-era volatility has stabilized, demand for locum providers remains strong — especially in rural, underserved, and high-turnover areas. We’re still seeing consistent needs for hospitalists, emergency medicine physicians, CRNAs, psychiatrists, and advanced practice providers (APPs).
As burnout continues to impact permanent staff, facilities are relying on locum coverage to relieve pressure and maintain safe staffing levels. What’s changing is not the volume of demand, but the way organizations are including locums into long-term workforce planning.
2. Longer Assignment Durations
Short-term coverage is still part of the picture, but there’s a noticeable shift toward longer locum assignments — sometimes lasting several months or more. Health systems are prioritizing continuity of care and operational stability, and many providers prefer the consistency of longer-term engagements.
This trend also reflects the growing number of clinicians choosing locum work as a sustainable career path rather than a temporary solution.
2. Longer Assignment Durations
Short-term coverage is still part of the picture, but there’s a noticeable shift toward longer locum assignments — sometimes lasting several months or more. Health systems are prioritizing continuity of care and operational stability, and many providers prefer the consistency of longer-term engagements.
This trend also reflects the growing number of clinicians choosing locum work as a sustainable career path rather than a temporary solution.
3. Younger Providers Are Embracing Flexibility
Historically, locum work attracted mid-to-late career professionals looking for schedule flexibility or reduced administrative burden. Now, younger providers — including newly trained physicians, nurse practitioners, and PAs — are actively choosing locums to gain experience, travel, or avoid early burnout.
Many are attracted by the freedom to customize their schedules, explore different settings, and avoid rigid workloads. This generational shift is helping to legitimize and bring new respect to non-traditional clinical career paths.
4. Licensing and Credentialing Improvements (Slowly)
Interstate compacts like the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) and the Nurse Licensure Compact continue to gain traction, making it easier for providers to practice across state lines. While certain regulations till slow down some placements, ongoing improvements in technology and policy are gradually streamlining the credentialing process.
That said, speed-to-start remains a challenge — and many healthcare employers are prioritizing providers who already hold licenses in high-demand states.
5. Pay Rates Are Holding Steady, But May Shift
After years of fluctuation, locum pay rates have largely stabilized in 2025. Rates remain competitive in most specialties, especially in locations with high need or limited local resources.
Heading into 2026, inflation, contract negotiation cycles, and payer reimbursement changes may cause minor rate adjustments, but no dramatic shifts are currently forecasted. The real competition now is often about schedule, flexibility, and working conditions — not just pay.
6. Locum Tenens as a Strategic Solution — Not a Last Resort
Perhaps the most important trend is how organizations view locums. More healthcare systems are integrating locum coverage into long-term workforce strategy, not just using it to “fill the gap.”
This reflects a more realistic understanding of the workforce shortage, changing provider preferences, and the need for flexibility. Locum providers are being included in planning conversations, quality metrics, and team culture in ways we didn’t see a decade ago.
Looking Ahead
As 2026 approaches, locum tenens is no longer a temporary fix — it has become a core, flexible component of modern healthcare staffing. While the landscape will continue to shift with provider preferences, policy changes, and evolving technology, one thing remains clear: locum professionals are essential to maintaining care access and supporting sustainable staffing models.
