What Is a Locum Tenens Agency?
Five Benefits of Partnering with a Locum Tenens Agency
What to Look for When Choosing a Locum Tenens Agency
Comparing Five of the Largest Locum Tenens Agencies
Ten Reasons Clinicians Choose Medicus Healthcare Solutions as Their Locum Tenens Agency
A locum tenens job can take you in many directions, from a new facility or patient population to a different region of the country. Wherever your next opportunity leads, the locum tenens agency you choose can be an important part of the experience, helping coordinate everything from licensing and credentialing to travel and assignment support.
With several locum tenens agencies to choose from, finding the right fit comes down to understanding what each offers and how its approach aligns with what matters most to you. Here’s a closer look at some of the top locum tenens agencies, how they compare, and what to consider as you explore your options.
A locum tenens agency connects healthcare facilities with qualified physicians and advanced practitioners, providing flexible coverage solutions that keep teams staffed, reduce burnout, and ensure patients receive the care they need. Beyond matching clinicians with locum tenens jobs, locum tenens agencies manage many of the administrative and logistical responsibilities, including licensing, credentialing, travel, housing, and malpractice coverage.
A locum tenens job can open the door to new facilities, patient populations, and greater flexibility in how and where you practice. Getting started, however, comes with several moving pieces, from state licensing and credentialing to travel arrangements and contract details. Managing those requirements on your own can add time and complexity to the process.
That’s where a locum tenens agency can help. By partnering with a dependable locum tenens agency, you gain the support of a team that helps you manage those details, streamlines the process, and gives you back more of your time. While the specific level of support varies by locum agency, the benefits generally fall into a few core areas.
Many locum tenens agencies pair you with a recruiter who can help identify locum tenens jobs that align with your goals, availability, specialty, and location preferences. Instead of searching across multiple job boards or company websites, you may have a dedicated point of contact bringing relevant opportunities directly to you.
Some locum tenens agencies provide support with licensing and credentialing, which can help reduce the administrative work involved in preparing for an assignment. The level of assistance varies, but locum agencies may help clarify requirements, coordinate documentation, and guide you through different stages of the process.
For clinicians interested in the travel side of locum tenens work, locum agencies can make logistics considerably easier. Some locum tenens agencies coordinate travel and lodging directly or offer reimbursement, though the specifics differ from one locum agency to the next.
Some locum tenens agencies provide malpractice coverage as part of their services. It is worth confirming malpractice coverage with any locum tenens agency you are considering, since coverage varies.
Working with a locum tenens agency generally means having a point of contact if issues arise, whether that's handling contract negotiations, answering questions, or simply serving as a resource throughout your locum tenens job and overall career.
Each locum tenens agency offers a different combination of opportunities, services, and support. Before choosing an agency, consider how well its approach aligns with your professional goals and the type of experience you are looking for.
Here are a few questions to consider when choosing a locum tenens agency:
Beyond these questions, consider speaking with peers who have worked locum tenens and may have firsthand experience with the agencies you are considering. You can also ask your point of contact about the details that matter most to you, such as response times, rewards programs, online portals, and the level of support available throughout an assignment. Pay attention to how clearly and promptly the agency communicates. Ultimately, the right locum tenens agency is the one that provides you with the services and level of support that will help you feel confident throughout your locum tenens experience.
The locum tenens agencies below are among the largest locum tenens staffing firms named by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) and are frequently cited among leading locum tenens agencies nationwide.
Founded in 2004, Medicus Healthcare Solutions is a nationally recognized locum tenens agency known for combining personalized service with innovative technology. Physicians and advanced practitioners benefit from dedicated support throughout every assignment, including licensing, credentialing, travel coordination, and malpractice coverage. While Medicus serves healthcare organizations nationwide, it keeps relationships at the center of its approach. Providers work with experienced teams that take the time to understand their goals, advocate on their behalf, and deliver opportunities aligned with their preferences. Medicus is a long-standing NALTO member and has earned ClearlyRated Best of Staffing recognition for client and talent satisfaction for 10 consecutive years.
Founded in 1979, CHG Healthcare operates several healthcare staffing and technology brands, including CompHealth, Weatherby Healthcare, and Global Medical Staffing. Its multi-brand structure gives physicians and advanced practitioners access to locum tenens opportunities across the United States as well as select international markets through Global Medical Staffing. CHG companies also provide support with licensing, credentialing, travel, housing, and malpractice coverage.
AMN Healthcare offers locum tenens staffing as part of a broader portfolio of healthcare workforce solutions. The company works with physicians, advanced practitioners, dentists, and other clinicians across numerous specialties. Provider support includes licensing, credentialing, travel coordination, accommodations, and malpractice coverage. For healthcare organizations, AMN also offers a locum-to-permanent staffing program that provides an opportunity to evaluate clinician fit before transitioning a temporary provider into a permanent role.
Founded in 2000, Jackson Healthcare operates several healthcare staffing businesses, including Jackson + Coker and LocumTenens.com. Its companies provide locum tenens staffing, permanent recruitment, and other workforce solutions across the United States. Both Jackson + Coker and LocumTenens.com are NALTO members and have received multiple ClearlyRated Best of Staffing awards for client and talent satisfaction.
Founded in 2012, Hayes Locums provides locum tenens staffing across a range of physician specialties. The company uses specialty-specific consultants and provides licensing, credentialing, travel, and malpractice support throughout the assignment process. Hayes Locums is a NALTO member and has previously received ClearlyRated Best of Staffing recognition for client and talent satisfaction.
Physicians and advanced practitioners have more choices than ever when it comes to locum tenens agencies. Yet year after year, thousands choose Medicus. Why? Because a great locum tenens experience is about more than access to jobs. It requires a partner who understands your goals, advocates for your success, and supports you every step of the way.
As one of the three largest locum tenens agencies in the United States, Medicus Healthcare Solutions connects physicians and advanced practitioners with opportunities across nearly every medical specialty and practice setting. Size alone, however, isn't what keeps clinicians coming back. The difference is the experience.
At Medicus, every assignment starts with a relationship. Your recruiter gets to know your goals, and in-house teams handle credentialing, licensing, travel, and support along the way. The result is a locum tenens experience that is simpler, more rewarding, and built around your career, lifestyle, and personal priorities.
Whether you’re exploring your first locum tenens assignment or have been working locums for years, here are ten reasons clinicians continue to choose Medicus as their trusted staffing partner.
When you work with Medicus, you are paired with a dedicated recruiter who takes the time to understand your goals, schedule preferences, and what matters most to you in a locum assignment. They act as your advocate, helping you find opportunities that fit your professional and personal goals while providing consistent support throughout your locum tenens journey.
Medicus has built longstanding partnerships with hospitals, medical groups, health systems, government facilities, and other healthcare organizations across the country. Those relationships give physicians and advanced practitioners access to short- and long-term locum tenens opportunities across nearly every specialty, practice setting, and geographic region. Opportunities are especially strong in anesthesiology, radiology, gastroenterology, hospital medicine, and emergency medicine throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Through innovative workforce solutions like MedicusOne, Medicus partners with healthcare organizations in ways that extend beyond traditional locum tenens staffing. Those relationships help provide physicians and advanced practitioners with access to exclusive locum opportunities that may not be broadly available through other locum tenens agencies.
Through the Medicus Transition Program, physicians and advanced practitioners can join dedicated teams of locum tenens clinicians supporting larger staffing initiatives. These project-based assignments help healthcare organizations address large-scale coverage gaps, maintain access to care, and support clinical programs during periods of transition.
Credentialing and licensing can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of locum tenens. Medicus has dedicated in-house licensing and credentialing teams that guide you through the requirements for each locum tenens job. From coordinating documentation to navigating state and facility requirements, the team supports you throughout the process.
Medicus’ in-house travel team coordinates travel and accommodations for locum tenens assignments, with your individual preferences taken into consideration whenever possible. Travel support is also available 24/7 if an issue arises during your assignment.
Medicus provides malpractice coverage for clinicians working on Medicus assignments, simplifying one of the more complex parts of the locum tenens experience. Coverage includes claims-made and prior-acts protection, as well as tail coverage for eligible assignments if the applicable policy lapses or expires. It's one more way Medicus helps ensure clinicians are supported before, during, and after each assignment.
With short- and long-term locum tenens jobs available, your recruiter can help you build a schedule around your availability and career priorities. Whether you are looking for occasional assignments or a more consistent locum tenens schedule, your recruiter can help identify opportunities that fit.
Some locum tenens agencies focus on the next placement. Medicus focuses on the relationship. Your recruiter stays connected to your goals, availability, and preferences, making it easier to identify future opportunities that fit your evolving career.
The MedicusIQ portal gives you one place to manage many of the details associated with your locum tenens jobs. You can review upcoming assignments, travel arrangements, schedules, timesheets, and saved job searches, as well as submit expenses and upload or track important documents.
Through the My Medicus Loyalty Program, eligible clinicians can enjoy benefits such as travel-related upgrades, health insurance options, and other rewards throughout their partnership with Medicus.
The Medicus difference is reflected in the relationships built with clinicians and healthcare organizations every day. From your first conversation with a recruiter to your next assignment and beyond, Medicus' focus is on delivering the support, advocacy, and personalized service clinicians need to succeed.
That commitment has earned industry recognition. Medicus is a member of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO) and has earned ClearlyRated Best of Staffing recognition for client and talent satisfaction for 10 consecutive years, with an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Medicus' continued growth further reflects the strength of those relationships. In 2026, Medicus achieved the highest year-over-year growth rate among firms included in SIA’s 2026 Largest Staffing Firms Globally report, earning the No. 1 position for growth globally. Medicus also recorded the highest growth rate among firms included in SIA’s 2026 analysis of the fastest-growing staffing firms in the United States over the five-year measurement period. While those milestones reflect the strength of Medicus, they are ultimately the result of the trust clinicians and healthcare partners place in us every day.
For physicians and advanced practitioners, that combination of personalized support, nationwide opportunities, and proven industry growth can provide added confidence in choosing Medicus as a long-term locum tenens partner.
Interested in partnering with Medicus? View open locum tenens jobs or complete the short form below to connect with a Medicus recruiter.
Yes. Clinicians may choose to work with more than one locum tenens agency. Comparing opportunities across agencies can give you greater visibility into available locum tenens jobs and help you understand which locum tenens agency experience best aligns with your preferences.
There may not be one locum tenens agency that is right for everyone, but there may be one that is the right fit for you. Consider what matters most in your locum tenens experience, such as job availability within your specialty, recruiter support, licensing and credentialing assistance, malpractice coverage, travel support, and communication. Understanding your priorities can make it easier to compare locum agencies and choose the one that best aligns with your goals.
Many locum tenens agencies provide licensing and credentialing support, although the level of assistance may vary.
Some locum tenens agencies provide malpractice coverage; however, coverage and policy details may vary, so always confirm what is included with each agency before accepting a job.
Some locum tenens agencies coordinate travel and lodging directly, while others may use reimbursement models or provide more limited support. Since arrangements can vary by locum agency and assignment, ask how travel, lodging, and related expenses are handled before accepting a locum tenens job.