Locum Tenens Staffing Market Report 2026

The locum tenens staffing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $12.08 billion in 2025 to $13.5 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing healthcare staff shortages, expansion of hospital networks, rising demand for specialty physicians, growing reliance on staffing agencies, increasing healthcare service utilization.

The locum tenens staffing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $20.84 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing adoption of ai-enabled workforce matching, rising telemedicine-driven staffing demand, expansion of flexible employment models, growing use of digital credentialing systems, increasing cross-border healthcare staffing needs. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing use of digital staffing platforms, rising demand for on-demand clinical workforce solutions, growing adoption of credential verification technologies, expansion of remote and telehealth staffing models, enhanced focus on workforce flexibility.

The increasing patient volumes are expected to drive the growth of the locum tenens staffing market in the coming years. Rising patient volumes refer to the growing number of individuals seeking medical care across hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. This increase is largely due to the expanding aging population, as older adults generally require more frequent medical visits, long-term care, and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Higher patient volumes create a greater demand for flexible and immediate medical staffing solutions, making locum tenens professionals essential for maintaining consistent patient care, alleviating workforce shortages, and preventing provider burnout in high-demand healthcare settings. For example, in December 2024, according to a report published by the National Health Service (NHS), a UK-based government department, in 2022/23, there were 5,099 hospital admissions where obesity was the primary diagnosis and a main or secondary bariatric procedure was recorded. These admissions represented 4% of all hospital admissions that year, consistent with previous years, and accounted for 16% of admissions related to conditions linked to smoking. Therefore, the rising patient volumes are fueling the growth of the locum tenens staffing market.

Key companies in the locum tenens staffing market are focusing on innovations in pharmacy workforce management, such as dynamic shift coverage, to quickly fill staffing gaps and provide flexible work opportunities for pharmacy professionals. Dynamic shift coverage involves matching available pharmacy professionals to open shifts in real time to ensure uninterrupted pharmacy operations. For instance, in February 2025, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), a US-based professional association, in collaboration with the California Pharmacists Association (CPHA) and Locumate, launched HealthShifts, a digital platform for locum tenens staffing. HealthShifts integrates provider profiles, shift scheduling, credential verification, and communication tools; it enables facilities to post shifts and match them with qualified temporary staff in real time, while allowing clinicians to manage their schedules and credentials digitally. Key features include automated matching algorithms, mobile accessibility, and integrated compliance checks. The platform is applicable across hospitals, pharmacies, and outpatient clinics, offering benefits such as faster staffing, reduced administrative workload, improved workforce flexibility, and enhanced continuity of patient care.

In January 2024, Aya Healthcare Inc., a US-based healthcare staffing firm, acquired ID Medical Group Limited for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Aya Healthcare Inc. aimed to expand its locum tenens staffing capabilities by entering the UK market, improving operational efficiency through shared best practices, and enhancing service delivery with advanced technology and additional resources. ID Medical Group Limited is a UK-based healthcare staffing company that provides locum tenens, allied staffing, staff bank management, and international recruitment services to the National Health Service and other healthcare organizations.

Major companies operating in the locum tenens staffing market are AMN Healthcare Services Inc., Cross Country Healthcare Inc., Aya Healthcare Inc., CHG Healthcare Services Inc., Barton & Associates Inc., Medicus Healthcare Solutions LLC, All Medical Personnel Inc., Hayes Locums Inc., OneStaff Locums LLC, Caliber Healthcare Solutions LLC, Nomad Health Inc., Wapiti Medical Staffing LLC, Locums Inc., Austin Major Group LLC, TinkBird Healthcare Staffing LLC, Wilderness Medical Staffing LLC, FreeUpMD Inc., ProLocums Inc., MBS Locum Tenens LLC, Rosata Recruitment Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the locum tenens staffing market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the locum tenens staffing market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the locum tenens staffing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Tariffs have limited direct impact on the locum tenens staffing market, but they influence operational costs through higher prices of imported medical equipment, digital infrastructure hardware, and information technology systems used by healthcare facilities. Hospitals and clinics in North America and Europe face budget constraints that can affect staffing decisions, while Asia-Pacific experiences indirect cost pressures. These dynamics may slow short-term staffing demand growth. However, tariffs are reinforcing the need for flexible staffing models, supporting long-term reliance on locum tenens professionals to manage cost and workforce variability.

The locum tenens staffing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides locum tenens staffing market statistics, including locum tenens staffing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a locum tenens staffing market share, detailed locum tenens staffing market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the locum tenens staffing industry. This locum tenens staffing market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Locum tenens staffing refers to the practice of hiring temporary healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, or other clinicians, to cover for regular staff who are unavailable due to vacation, illness, vacancies, or periods of high patient demand. These professionals, known as locum tenens, work on a short-term basis, often through staffing agencies, helping to maintain continuity of care in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities.

The primary types of locum tenens staffing include temporary staffing, per diem staffing, and locum tenens recruitment. Temporary staffing involves hiring medical professionals for a limited period to address workforce shortages, medical leave, or seasonal demand. These professionals are employed via staffing agencies and work on a contractual basis without becoming permanent staff members. These services cover various specialties, including primary care, anesthesiology, radiology, emergency medicine, surgery, nurse practitioners, behavioral health, and others, and are utilized in end-use settings such as hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and others.

The locum tenens staffing market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as emergency staffing support, rural and remote area coverage, telehealth locum placement, compliance monitoring, 24/7 client support, and long-term vacancy coverage. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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