Locum tenens vs. permanent physician jobs: What’s the difference?

Flexibility, lifestyle and work-life balance

Locum tenens

Locum tenens provides unmatched scheduling flexibility. You can choose when, where and how often you work, which may appeal to those looking for career mobility, breaks between assignments for travel or personal projects, or control over when you take time off.

Permanent positions

Permanent jobs typically come with structured schedules and set PTO policies. While this could mean less day-to-day flexibility, the predictability of a routine and stable work hours can make it easier to plan for family life or long-term commitments.

Key takeaway

Locum tenens provides more control. Permanent provides more predictability.

Clinical variety and experience

Locum tenens

Working locum tenens exposes physicians to a wide range of practice settings, from rural hospitals to urban trauma centers. This is a great way to build skills, prevent burnout and stay engaged. This also provides opportunities to experience new procedures, patient populations or technologies that you might not otherwise have exposure to. Some facilities will even accept new graduates, but many require at least 1 – 2 years of prior experience to ensure providers can adapt quickly to new environments.

Permanent positions

A long-term role allows physicians to build deep relationships with staff and patients and become fully immersed in the community or workplace culture. While exposure to new systems or environments may be more limited, the continuity of care and sense of belonging can be deeply rewarding.

Key takeaway

Locum tenens broadens skills through diverse settings. Permanent deepens expertise through continuity.

Logistics

Locum tenens

Top staffing agencies like Aya Locums simplify the process by handling licensing, credentialing, travel and lodging, so you can focus on patient care.

Permanent positions

Onboarding varies by employer, but physicians are generally responsible for relocation, licensing and credentialing when changing roles. While this can involve more administrative steps, it also often comes with relocation stipends and institutional support.

Key takeaway

Locum tenens relies on agencies to streamline logistics. Permanent provides institutional support for transitions.

Transitioning from locum tenens to permanent positions

Another unique advantage of working locum tenens is the potential to transition into a permanent role. For many physicians locum assignments act as a ‘working interview’, allowing you to get a true sense of a facility’s culture, workflow, team dynamics and patient population before making a long-term commitment.

In fact, some facilities specifically bring on locum providers while searching for a permanent hire, which naturally creates opportunities to transition if both sides feel it’s the right fit. This trial period can benefit both parties — you gain firsthand experience, and the facility sees how you work within their system before extending a permanent offer.

Of course, not every assignment leads to a permanent option. For instance, if you’re covering a maternity leave or short-term need, the likelihood is lower. But in many cases, if there’s mutual interest, the door to a permanent arrangement might open.

When a locum-to-perm opportunity arises, the process is usually straightforward. Sometimes a facility will approach the provider directly, or they’ll work through the agency to gauge interest. From there, details like compensation and benefits are typically negotiated between the provider and the client, while the agency helps facilitate communication and transition.

It’s also worth noting that career paths aren’t one-directional. Some providers happily transition from locum tenens into permanent roles, while others leave permanent jobs to return to locums for added flexibility or supplemental income. Both choices are valuable, and the best path forward depends on your professional goals and lifestyle preferences.

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