[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":213},["ShallowReactive",2],{"headerMenu":3,"blog-article:locums-pay-isn-t-one-size-fits-all-and-that-s-a-good-thing":38,"footerMenu":197},{"items":4,"title":37},[5,11,16,21,27],{"internalPage":6,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":10},{"parentPage":7,"slug":8,"title":9},null,"jobs","Find independent physician jobs and telemedicine jobs","Jobs",{"internalPage":12,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":15},{"parentPage":7,"slug":13,"title":14},"physicians","Claim Your Independence as a Physician","Physicians",{"internalPage":17,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":20},{"parentPage":7,"slug":18,"title":19},"hire","Hire independent locums physicians","Employers",{"internalPage":22,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":26},{"parentPage":23,"slug":24,"title":25},{"slug":13,"title":14},"telemedicine","Telemedicine Jobs","Telemedicine",{"internalPage":7,"link":28,"subItems":29,"title":36},"#",[30,33],{"internalPage":7,"link":31,"title":32},"/blog","Blog",{"internalPage":7,"link":34,"title":35},"/podcast","Podcast","Resources","Header",{"article":39,"related":145},{"_createdAt":40,"_id":41,"_rev":42,"_system":43,"_type":46,"_updatedAt":47,"author":48,"categories":65,"content":75,"excerpt":128,"headerImage":129,"metaDescription":134,"metaKeywords":135,"metaTitle":136,"openGraphImage":137,"openGraphImageUrl":132,"publishedAt":141,"slug":142,"tags":7,"title":144},"2026-03-20T13:23:57Z","ed327a14-aaa6-4166-a542-22d653e9e6b2","S4s3yaI81wNC0q4jXozZwd",{"base":44},{"id":41,"rev":45},"RRBJU8ZKMBnAFwZ5AD3Co7","article","2026-03-20T20:22:19Z",{"_createdAt":49,"_id":50,"_rev":51,"_type":52,"_updatedAt":53,"bio":54,"image":55,"name":59,"slug":60,"socialMedia":63},"2025-10-31T00:49:05Z","36780c4d-4cd4-4b24-bd22-7e4babb43cf6","MvNmR47t15uESvmPkYghGn","author","2025-10-31T00:58:00Z","Heidi Roberts has worn just about every hat at Sycamore — from recruiting, scheduling, and credentialing to account management and team leadership. Her experience building and leading recruiter training, writing operational playbooks, and refining internal processes gives her a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on what truly shapes the physician experience.\n\nShe’s passionate about making sure every doctor who partners with Sycamore feels valued, supported, and seen. Whether it’s improving systems or reimagining how Sycamore serves its physicians, Heidi’s focus is simple: create a seamless, human experience that puts doctors first.",{"_type":56,"asset":57},"image",{"url":58},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/00ed8f95761bea80c92695e1087b8c8cda37c4dd-2413x2648.jpg","Heidi Roberts",{"_type":61,"current":62},"slug","heidi-roberts",{"linkedin":64},"https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-b-roberts/",[66],{"_createdAt":67,"_id":68,"_rev":69,"_type":70,"_updatedAt":71,"backgroundColor":72,"borderColor":73,"textColor":73,"title":74},"2025-11-11T23:16:57Z","2d12c367-4db1-4ff3-9861-27560ee8adc0","WI0u9A1iAM1Mha5eVo6TMf","category","2025-11-11T23:17:55Z","Green ","black","Career Strategy",[76,87,95,103,111],{"_key":77,"_type":78,"children":79,"markDefs":85,"style":86},"2f181cd921d1","block",[80],{"_key":81,"_type":82,"marks":83,"text":84},"7cad305da4d80","span",[],"If you have worked locums for any length of time, you have probably found yourself in a conversation where someone asks what everyone is making at a particular site. It is a natural instinct. Physicians are analytical and fairness matters. At the same time, locums compensation does not function like a standardized pay scale, and comparing numbers without understanding the context can lead to unnecessary frustration.",[],"normal",{"_key":88,"_type":78,"children":89,"markDefs":94,"style":86},"74dfaee2df77",[90],{"_key":91,"_type":82,"marks":92,"text":93},"527f018205070",[],"Locums pay behaves much more like a dynamic marketplace. Timing alone can influence what is approved. A physician who agrees to help when a department is short staffed may receive a higher rate because leadership is focused on stabilizing coverage quickly. Months later, when the schedule is nearly full and only a few shifts remain open, the urgency changes and so does the flexibility around compensation. Credentials, reputation at the site, subspecialty experience, and willingness to work nights or holidays can all influence how rates are structured.",[],{"_key":96,"_type":78,"children":97,"markDefs":102,"style":86},"ecb1db405ee3",[98],{"_key":99,"_type":82,"marks":100,"text":101},"b68860d2e2890",[],"Personal priorities also shape rate decisions more than most people realize. Some physicians are willing to accept a lower rate because an assignment is close to home or near extended family. Others prioritize lighter patient volume, predictable travel, or schedule flexibility over maximizing hourly income. One physician may be intentionally seeking short term higher paying work, while another is looking for long term consistency and relationship building within a department. These choices are rarely visible when rates are compared, yet they play a meaningful role in what is approved.",[],{"_key":104,"_type":78,"children":105,"markDefs":110,"style":86},"a4e129f84cad",[106],{"_key":107,"_type":82,"marks":108,"text":109},"bdc215154a950",[],"There are also business realities behind the scenes. Locums companies operate under different contracts, financial structures, and risk assumptions when working with hospitals or contract management groups. What one agency can offer may not be feasible for another, even at the same site. Understanding these dynamics helps physicians make more strategic decisions about timing, opportunity fit, and long term positioning.",[],{"_key":112,"_type":78,"children":113,"markDefs":124,"style":86},"e8f418404c83",[114,118],{"_key":115,"_type":82,"marks":116,"text":117},"0975e876fd2e0",[],"If you have ever wondered how compensation conversations can affect the broader working environment at a site, we explore that more deeply in our companion article, ",{"_key":119,"_type":82,"marks":120,"text":123},"0975e876fd2e1",[121,122],"strong","3f00f3192918","“Keep it Classy. Why Doctors Shouldn’t Discuss Rates.”",[125],{"_key":122,"_type":126,"href":127},"link","https://sycamoredocs.com/blog/keep-it-classy-why-doctors-shouldn-t-discuss-rates","In locums, the number on the rate sheet is only part of the story. Timing, flexibility, and positioning often matter just as much.",{"_type":56,"alt":130,"asset":131,"caption":133},"Chess pieces on a board representing strategy, timing, and market dynamics that influence locum tenens physician pay.",{"url":132},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/acafae967cf8ee2255e868175595a3c08b12f562-6000x4000.jpg","In locums, compensation and opportunities often reflect timing, flexibility, and individual goals.","Locum tenens rates vary by timing, demand, and flexibility. Learn why physicians earn different pay and how to navigate the locums market strategically.","locum tenens pay, locums physician salary, locum tenens rates, why locums pay varies, locum tenens compensation, emergency medicine locums pay, physician hourly rates, locums market trends, locum tenens jobs, physician compensation differences, locums contracts, travel physician jobs, temporary physician staffing, locums negotiation, locum tenens opportunities, physician staffing agencies, hospital coverage needs, locums demand, physician flexibility, short term physician assignments","Why Locums Pay Varies and What Physicians Should Know",{"_type":56,"asset":138},{"_ref":139,"_type":140},"image-acafae967cf8ee2255e868175595a3c08b12f562-6000x4000-jpg","reference","2026-03-20T13:25:00.000Z",{"_type":61,"current":143},"locums-pay-isn-t-one-size-fits-all-and-that-s-a-good-thing","Locums Pay Isn’t One Size Fits All. And That’s a Good Thing.",[146,163,180],{"_id":147,"author":148,"categories":151,"excerpt":153,"headerImage":154,"publishedAt":159,"slug":160,"title":162},"af2dc3f7-5d65-44e0-ac20-d0ee7c263c6d",{"image":149,"name":59},{"_type":56,"asset":150},{"url":58},[152],{"_createdAt":67,"_id":68,"_rev":69,"_type":70,"_updatedAt":71,"backgroundColor":72,"borderColor":73,"textColor":73,"title":74},"ER locums isn't always a straight path. For some physicians, experience at rural hospitals and critical access facilities can open doors and create new opportunities along the way.",{"_type":56,"alt":155,"asset":156,"caption":158},"Country road leading into the distance, representing opportunities for physicians building experience in emergency medicine and locum tenens work.",{"url":157},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/756f76e8cf55049e418196adef570dce3f48a9d2-5529x3317.jpg","Sometimes the best opportunities are found off the beaten path.","2026-06-16T15:54:00.000Z",{"_type":61,"current":161},"the-road-to-er-locums-isn-t-always-a-straight-line","The Road to ER Locums Isn't Always a Straight Line.",{"_id":164,"author":165,"categories":168,"excerpt":170,"headerImage":171,"publishedAt":176,"slug":177,"title":179},"c63c18a3-487d-4a90-aa12-faef5722454a",{"image":166,"name":59},{"_type":56,"asset":167},{"url":58},[169],{"_createdAt":67,"_id":68,"_rev":69,"_type":70,"_updatedAt":71,"backgroundColor":72,"borderColor":73,"textColor":73,"title":74},"Want more shifts? Your reputation may matter more than your CV. Discover why being easy to work with is one of the most valuable assets in locums.",{"_type":56,"alt":172,"asset":173,"caption":175},"Emergency medicine physician reviewing a busy schedule and managing locum tenens shifts.",{"url":174},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/c4f8e1040282604403c85bad4253db8722816b53-5760x3840.jpg","A strong reputation doesn't just build relationships. It builds schedules.","2026-06-04T12:35:00.000Z",{"_type":61,"current":178},"your-reputation-is-currency-why-being-easy-to-work-with-pays","Your Reputation Is Currency: Why Being Easy to Work With Pays",{"_id":181,"author":182,"categories":185,"excerpt":187,"headerImage":188,"publishedAt":193,"slug":194,"title":196},"68b91f21-56c0-4c34-b2e7-a3860781c1c7",{"image":183,"name":59},{"_type":56,"asset":184},{"url":58},[186],{"_createdAt":67,"_id":68,"_rev":69,"_type":70,"_updatedAt":71,"backgroundColor":72,"borderColor":73,"textColor":73,"title":74},"Practicing emergency medicine where access is limited and the impact of your presence is immediate.",{"_type":56,"alt":189,"asset":190,"caption":192},"hospital emergency room",{"url":191},"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/mo3apquc/production/dbd7aee413e87b9b8f9e1056b08c0bd5888fe3d0-4928x3264.jpg","Serving communities where access to care is essential and every shift makes a difference.","2026-02-26T15:39:00.000Z",{"_type":61,"current":195},"the-impact-of-border-medicine-for-emergency-physicians","The Impact of Border Medicine for Emergency Physicians",{"items":198,"title":212},[199,201,203,206,208,209],{"internalPage":200,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":15},{"parentPage":7,"slug":13,"title":14},{"internalPage":202,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":20},{"parentPage":7,"slug":18,"title":19},{"internalPage":204,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":26},{"parentPage":205,"slug":24,"title":25},{"slug":13,"title":14},{"internalPage":207,"link":7,"subItems":7,"title":10},{"parentPage":7,"slug":8,"title":9},{"internalPage":7,"link":34,"subItems":7,"title":35},{"internalPage":7,"link":210,"subItems":7,"title":211},"/contact","Contact","Footer",1793243250802]