LOCUMs rates 2024

[JacobMcCandles]

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Hard for me to understand the logic of locums if you have kids. If you consider what you are getting paid when you factor in time away it is trashy. I would consider low volume driveable locums for 275/hr and i would either want to work a 72 hour shift or do a reverse 24 followed by a morning 12 and then go home. To at least squeeze out 36 hours in 48 plus a 2-3 hour drive. I could probably get a bunch of other work done in the meantime.

Even some of the higher rates never made sense unless it was an easy drive. I don’t understand the people who travel significant distances. Any time away from home I consider work time. Once you factor in travel and potentially staying the night somewhere that isn’t my own home then even the high rates don’t seem worth it.

 

[Porfirio]

$100 per hr X 120 hrs X 12 months = $144,000 per year

That’s pretty sizable. Especially when you consider low pay in high tax/high cost of living area at home.

 

[JacobMcCandles]

$100 per hr X 120 hrs X 12 months = $144,000 per year

That’s pretty sizable. Especially when you consider low pay in high tax/high cost of living area at home.

Again, how many hours are spent traveling, sitting in a hotel room, sleeping in a hotel room, away from family? I’m fortunate enough to be in a spot that I’d rather have that time for myself although I realize not everyone is in that spot.

 

[EctopicFetus]

$100 per hr X 120 hrs X 12 months = $144,000 per year

That’s pretty sizable. Especially when you consider low pay in high tax/high cost of living area at home.

Yeah I mean at best you spent 3-4 hours traveling per shift. Then travel delays. The increased med mal risk. I’m also fortunate that I’ve never been offered a locums rate which is as high as my main job.

But what I don’t understand is why someone does it. The uncertainty. The time you spend on credentialing etc.

 

[Porfirio]

Sleep is sleep, not much happening then.

Working 12 hrs straight then off for 12hrs to work 12 hrs more leaves very little time with family. Add to this sometimes the shift is an overnight, etc. Travel time to local hospital as well.

Also, sometimes when you work 12 hrs shifts your schedule does not align with family being home/off (depending on age of child).

Depending on local rates, you could work 30-50% less for the same pay.

Imagine only working 6 days, 2 travel days for the same pay as 10 days at a local shop. That’s two extra days off, plus the 2 travel days are a lot easier than the Pit.

I can see why some do it. Heck a guy I work with flies in from Colorado to do this.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Sleep is sleep, not much happening then.

Working 12 hrs straight then off for 12hrs to work 12 hrs more leaves very little time with family. Add to this sometimes the shift is an overnight, etc. Travel time to local hospital as well.

Also, sometimes when you work 12 hrs shifts your schedule does not align with family being home/off (depending on age of child).

Depending on local rates, you could work 30-50% less for the same pay.

Imagine only working 6 days, 2 travel days for the same pay as 10 days at a local shop. That’s two extra days off, plus the 2 travel days are a lot easier than the Pit.

I can see why some do it. Heck a guy I work with flies in from Colorado to do this.

Definitely depends on local rates vs locums. It’s easy to find 250 near me. Not easy work. Just normal em. I haven’t seen a ton of 350 shifts for locums .

 

[emergentmd]

Hard for me to understand the logic of locums if you have kids. If you consider what you are getting paid when you factor in time away it is trashy. I would consider low volume driveable locums for 275/hr and i would either want to work a 72 hour shift or do a reverse 24 followed by a morning 12 and then go home. To at least squeeze out 36 hours in 48 plus a 2-3 hour drive. I could probably get a bunch of other work done in the meantime.

Back in 2015ish, I was making about 250/hr W2 (9hr shifts)and transitioned out to locums (12 hr shifts) because they were paying me 450/hr for a site 90 min away and 650/hr 4 hrs away. So each 650/hr shifts was worth 3 W2 shift so I could work 4-5/month equivalent to my monthly W2.

Travel and work was brutal. Many of my W2 partners did locums with me but very very few transitioned permanently. Most went back to some local jobs. For a single unattached doc, I think it is worth it. For someone with a family/kids, like me, it is not sustainable.

I used it as a transition into what I am doing now so it paid the bills but did I mention Brutal? Sites sucked, travel sucked, being away from family sucked.

But that was a lot of money back then and some of my locums partners was pulling in 1M+/yr.

 

[GatorCHOMPions]

Back in 2015ish, I was making about 250/hr W2 (9hr shifts)and transitioned out to locums (12 hr shifts) because they were paying me 450/hr for a site 90 min away and 650/hr 4 hrs away. So each 650/hr shifts was worth 3 W2 shift so I could work 4-5/month equivalent to my monthly W2.

Travel and work was brutal. Many of my W2 partners did locums with me but very very few transitioned permanently. Most went back to some local jobs. For a single unattached doc, I think it is worth it. For someone with a family/kids, like me, it is not sustainable.

I used it as a transition into what I am doing now so it paid the bills but did I mention Brutal? Sites sucked, travel sucked, being away from family sucked.

But that was a lot of money back then and some of my locums partners was pulling in 1M+/yr.

I was in residency then and these were the kinds of stories I heard that suckered me into EM.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Back in 2015ish, I was making about 250/hr W2 (9hr shifts)and transitioned out to locums (12 hr shifts) because they were paying me 450/hr for a site 90 min away and 650/hr 4 hrs away. So each 650/hr shifts was worth 3 W2 shift so I could work 4-5/month equivalent to my monthly W2.

Travel and work was brutal. Many of my W2 partners did locums with me but very very few transitioned permanently. Most went back to some local jobs. For a single unattached doc, I think it is worth it. For someone with a family/kids, like me, it is not sustainable.

I used it as a transition into what I am doing now so it paid the bills but did I mention Brutal? Sites sucked, travel sucked, being away from family sucked.

But that was a lot of money back then and some of my locums partners was pulling in 1M+/yr.

Hard to find 650 now. I had a buddy also around 2015 would make 1k/hr. Another one made 800/he doing nights in a border town in Texas.

For those rates I do get it. What I’m seeing is 100-150/hr more (usually not even that much). I’m referring to as compared to normal rates.

In my unicorn job I haven’t seen a locums rate close to what I make.

 

[finalpsychyear]

Back in 2015ish, I was making about 250/hr W2 (9hr shifts)and transitioned out to locums (12 hr shifts) because they were paying me 450/hr for a site 90 min away and 650/hr 4 hrs away. So each 650/hr shifts was worth 3 W2 shift so I could work 4-5/month equivalent to my monthly W2.

Travel and work was brutal. Many of my W2 partners did locums with me but very very few transitioned permanently. Most went back to some local jobs. For a single unattached doc, I think it is worth it. For someone with a family/kids, like me, it is not sustainable.

I used it as a transition into what I am doing now so it paid the bills but did I mention Brutal? Sites sucked, travel sucked, being away from family sucked.

But that was a lot of money back then and some of my locums partners was pulling in 1M+/yr.

The locums path helped a few of my em friends very close to fire now. Young 29-30 yo no wife or kids put their heads down and worked nights/wknd getting 500/hr avg on some gigs. I bet a few neared 1m cause same year 2015 and then were debating cash balance and all that due to 1099 work.

Plus some wanted a large liq portfolio b4 marriage due to asset protection.

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

I was in residency then and these were the kinds of stories I heard that suckered me into EM.

Yeah dude we got swindled hard

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

Back in 2018, I was working locums for 260/hr 1099 for a CMG because 1) I was an idiot fresh out of training, and 2) the local market I was restricted to was trash.

Now I work for $250/hr W2 on an SDG partnership track (inflation ripping my face off, however).

The highest locums rates I see now (which are rare in my experience) are about 350/hr 1099.

Personally, I couldn't justify leaving my wife and kids for less than 600/hr.

 

[Janders]

Agree with the tone above. Its sorta like travel nursing. Makes sense when you are young, childless, want to move around, and maybe will get 20-30% more cash. Wait now you're in your mid-30s with a young child? You better be doubling my base rate for locums that involves real travel (say more than 1.5hr in a car). It's just the math, and life circumstances.

For a while I did locums that was roughly the same pay as my base gig, perhaps +20% pay occasionally during the covid doldrums since it was hourly and not volume based. However, it involved driving between 30min and 70min, and workplaces that were operating and similar levels of dysfunction to my main gig, and volume that was 30-50% less than my main gig, so the shifts were actually easier. 1099 money is nice to be able to write of a few things towards. But this type of "roughly equivalent" pay isn't going to coerce me to drop my FT job, or start driving 3hr, or flying and stringing shifts together...

 

[Alvarez13]

Sleep room, wife is SAHM, young kids, good health, I laugh more at work than most docs, good hospitals, home gym, hired someone to clean the house, hired someone to mow the lawn, hired someone to help with the kids

But I would say my superpower is being able to sleep.

Bad hospitals = I say no thanks - until they jack up the price

I'm like you usually 20-22 12 hr shifts per mo. Just married a trauma surgeon and we're working on buying a house. I've had maid service biweekly and it's one of the best things I've ever bought for myself. We have one kid, probably more coming.

My question, do you have a maid, au pair? Do you have a house manager? I'm big on spending money to get rid of the things I don't want to do and maximizing time doing things I enjoy. We both grew up middle/lower class, so still trying to figure out how to manage a household if we're not home as much.

 

[Porfirio]

part time nanny, wife is SAHM (3 kids), maid (weekly now), lawn dude, trash dude (recycling- he breaks it down and sorts it), wife and I order just about everything online/delivery and tons of cardboard every week, guy who details the cars (every 2 weeks), CPA (book keeping/taxes), robot vacuum cleaner for each floor, robot mop for down stairs, I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house), my dad is retired so he is my house manager (calls for plumber and stuff, there for all the handy man visits, taking cars to get oil changes, etc). I pay my mom and dad a small amount for the help but they honestly do just fine on SS/teacher pension. They love to just be with the grandkids and eat dinner at our house from time to time. My dad wants to help me plant a garden in my backyard and he wants to help take care of it. So I might have a part-time gardener soon (not my dad).

Maid was the best thing ever. I fought my wife on it (she grew up with one). But now I can’t imagine life without one. Forget cleaning toilets and bathtubs/showers. Only thing I do now is 1 load of laundry and loading/unloading a dishwasher.

 

[BoardingDoc]

I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house)

I did this while we were building our current house and was anal retentive about getting the entire house setup that way. Best decision ever. Being able to independently control every single light in the home by voice or phone (plus all the other "smartification" I did for the house) is beyond convenient.

I was at a hotel for a conference last weekend and mildly annoyed that I had to get up to turn on the lights when I first woke up.

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

part time nanny, wife is SAHM (3 kids), maid (weekly now), lawn dude, trash dude (recycling- he breaks it down and sorts it), wife and I order just about everything online/delivery and tons of cardboard every week, guy who details the cars (every 2 weeks), CPA (book keeping/taxes), robot vacuum cleaner for each floor, robot mop for down stairs, I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house), my dad is retired so he is my house manager (calls for plumber and stuff, there for all the handy man visits, taking cars to get oil changes, etc). I pay my mom and dad a small amount for the help but they honestly do just fine on SS/teacher pension. They love to just be with the grandkids and eat dinner at our house from time to time. My dad wants to help me plant a garden in my backyard and he wants to help take care of it. So I might have a part-time gardener soon (not my dad).

Maid was the best thing ever. I fought my wife on it (she grew up with one). But now I can’t imagine life without one. Forget cleaning toilets and bathtubs/showers. Only thing I do now is 1 load of laundry and loading/unloading a dishwasher.

Now I know why you work so much.

This reeks of Fairfield county lmao.

You pay someone to break down your cardboard?!

 

[finalpsychyear]

part time nanny, wife is SAHM (3 kids), maid (weekly now), lawn dude, trash dude (recycling- he breaks it down and sorts it), wife and I order just about everything online/delivery and tons of cardboard every week, guy who details the cars (every 2 weeks), CPA (book keeping/taxes), robot vacuum cleaner for each floor, robot mop for down stairs, I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house), my dad is retired so he is my house manager (calls for plumber and stuff, there for all the handy man visits, taking cars to get oil changes, etc). I pay my mom and dad a small amount for the help but they honestly do just fine on SS/teacher pension. They love to just be with the grandkids and eat dinner at our house from time to time. My dad wants to help me plant a garden in my backyard and he wants to help take care of it. So I might have a part-time gardener soon (not my dad).

Maid was the best thing ever. I fought my wife on it (she grew up with one). But now I can’t imagine life without one. Forget cleaning toilets and bathtubs/showers. Only thing I do now is 1 load of laundry and loading/unloading a dishwasher.

Great to hear. I only get cleaning q2 weeks but when i have kids then weekly probably. My sisters nanny also doubles and cooks them the authentic type of food they grew up with so dinner is usually figured out. I know because i usually get some leftovers lol.

 

[Porfirio]

I did this while we were building our current house and was anal retentive about getting the entire house setup that way. Best decision ever. Being able to independently control every single light in the home by voice or phone (plus all the other "smartification" I did for the house) is beyond convenient.

I was at a hotel for a conference last weekend and mildly annoyed that I had to get up to turn on the lights when I first woke up.

Nothing better than getting into bed and saying, “Hey Google, turn off all the lights,” and “Hey Google, turn on master fan.”

 

[Porfirio]

Now I know why you work so much.

This reeks of Fairfield county lmao.

You pay someone to break down your cardboard?!

I pay someone to drive over to my house, sort all the plastic/cans/bottles, break down a huge stack of cardboard, drive across town to the recycling center, wait in line at the recycling center, get out and put it all in the bins, stack the cardboard on the ground, and drive home. I am not doing that Tuesday morning/lunch time. It is worth $60 for 3 months of weekly service (especially for how much cardboard my house produces). The dude says I am his largest cardboard stop.

 

[emergentmd]

part time nanny, wife is SAHM (3 kids), maid (weekly now), lawn dude, trash dude (recycling- he breaks it down and sorts it), wife and I order just about everything online/delivery and tons of cardboard every week, guy who details the cars (every 2 weeks), CPA (book keeping/taxes), robot vacuum cleaner for each floor, robot mop for down stairs, I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house), my dad is retired so he is my house manager (calls for plumber and stuff, there for all the handy man visits, taking cars to get oil changes, etc). I pay my mom and dad a small amount for the help but they honestly do just fine on SS/teacher pension. They love to just be with the grandkids and eat dinner at our house from time to time. My dad wants to help me plant a garden in my backyard and he wants to help take care of it. So I might have a part-time gardener soon (not my dad).

Maid was the best thing ever. I fought my wife on it (she grew up with one). But now I can’t imagine life without one. Forget cleaning toilets and bathtubs/showers. Only thing I do now is 1 load of laundry and loading/unloading a dishwasher.

I like everything you are doing. If I worked that much, I likely would pay someone to do everything I do now. But now that I am working 3-4 dys/month, I find things to do just for the enjoyment. I will fix all computer/internet/TV/remote/smart whatever issues (degree in computer engineering) just b/c it is sometimes a challenge. I will do many small handyman stuff for the satisfaction/pride but only things I enjoy (Own rentals and sometimes it is easier to do it rather than finding someone). I put up blinds, mount TVs, install reverse osmosis water system, regrip golf clubs, install smart thermostats, wifi locks, fix my washer/dryer. I can pretty much do anything by watching youtube. I even clean my own pool b/c I spend about an hour a month doing it (get a floor robot, throw in chlorinator, and that is it. Cleaning companies make it way too complicated).

But things I hate, I pay. Cleaners, lawn guy, CPA. Nanny was a no go b/c my wife loves taking care of the kids.

 

[Alvarez13]

part time nanny, wife is SAHM (3 kids), maid (weekly now), lawn dude, trash dude (recycling- he breaks it down and sorts it), wife and I order just about everything online/delivery and tons of cardboard every week, guy who details the cars (every 2 weeks), CPA (book keeping/taxes), robot vacuum cleaner for each floor, robot mop for down stairs, I installed Google enabled smart switches for all my lights/fans switches in my house - so I voice activate and automate all my house lights/door locks/garage doors (I never have to touch a switch in my house), my dad is retired so he is my house manager (calls for plumber and stuff, there for all the handy man visits, taking cars to get oil changes, etc). I pay my mom and dad a small amount for the help but they honestly do just fine on SS/teacher pension. They love to just be with the grandkids and eat dinner at our house from time to time. My dad wants to help me plant a garden in my backyard and he wants to help take care of it. So I might have a part-time gardener soon (not my dad).

Maid was the best thing ever. I fought my wife on it (she grew up with one). But now I can’t imagine life without one. Forget cleaning toilets and bathtubs/showers. Only thing I do now is 1 load of laundry and loading/unloading a dishwasher.

Oops, I missed what SAHM meant. But this is helpful. I like your style.

Sorry to derail the thread.

 

[BoardingDoc]

Oops, I missed what SAHM meant. But this is helpful. I like your style.

Sorry to derail the thread.

Stay At Home Mom