Work less, earn more: Why nurse practitioners are choosing locum tenens

As the demand for healthcare services continues to grow, so does the need for highly qualified nurse practitioners (NPs). This surge in demand is creating more opportunities for NPs to explore locum tenens roles, and with those opportunities come substantial benefits. Whether you’re looking to increase your income, enjoy greater flexibility, or advance professionally, locum tenens nurse practitioner jobs can help you take your career to the next level.

1. NP locums have a higher earning potential

One of the most compelling reasons NPs choose locum tenens work is the potential to earn a higher income. As a locum NP, you're typically paid hourly—and that means you get paid for every shift, every call, and every bit of overtime.

In many cases, locum tenens rates exceed those of salaried positions, especially when factoring in overtime or urgent coverage needs. For NPs looking to pay down student loans, invest, or even retire early, locums can provide a financial edge that full-time roles often can’t match.

2. Weatherby gives NPs W-2 employee benefits

A common misconception about locum tenens is that you have to give up health insurance, retirement plans, and other job benefits to earn more. But NPs working locums through agencies like Weatherby Healthcare are considered W-2 employees.

As a W-2 employee, you get access to full benefits and can avoid the paperwork and tax stress of working as an independent contractor. Benefits for W-2 NP locums working with Weatherby include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) with employer contributions

• Life and disability insurance

• Coverage for spouse or domestic partner and children

• 24/7 access to telehealth care

• Behavioral health services

• Automatic tax withholding—no surprises at tax time

The bottom line: Locums NPs can enjoy the stability of traditional employee benefits without being tied to a staff position.

Beyond salary: Find out what benefits Weatherby offers its NP locums

3. Locum NP jobs provide schedule flexibility

As a locum NP, your career fits your life, not the other way around. You choose when, where, and how much you work. Want to take on back-to-back assignments to maximize earnings, then enjoy a month off? Or do you prefer extra time between contracts for family, travel, or personal growth opportunities? With locums, you set the schedule.

For nurse practitioner Sasha Dunbar, locums has meant the freedom to create a schedule that works for both her career and her family.

The biggest benefit of locums is being able to set my own schedule and work when I want to work, to schedule time off, and be able to enjoy my family.

— Sasha Dunbar, NP

“I think I’ve had more vacation time since I started working as a locum than I ever had doing any other job," says Dunbar. "And because the pay is good, you can do that without having to make too many sacrifices. You can afford to take two months off without it being detrimental to your financial situation.”

This flexibility can be valuable for NPs at any career stage. Parents can match assignments to school schedules, those continuing their education can make room for classes, and experienced NPs can maintain balance without being limited by PTO policies or rigid shift requirements.

4. Locums provides freedom to choose your work location

With locum tenens, you decide not only when you work, but where. For adventurous NPs, assignments can take you across the country—from coastal cities to mountain towns—allowing you to experience new cities, states, and regions while getting paid. Some providers even seek out far-off locations like Hawaii or Alaska simply for the opportunity to live and practice in a new environment.

Acute care NP Renee Watson turned to locums for flexibility not only in where to live, but also timed to her preferred weather.

“I loved my job, but it got to the point where everything outside of work, because of the climate, was not up to standard. I just couldn’t deal with the snow, I couldn’t deal with the long cold, and I started to develop a great deal of anxiety about it,” says Watson, “I said, ‘You know, there are other things in life that will allow me the flexibility to come and go as I please without leaving Maryland permanently.’"

I started looking into how I could travel as a nurse practitioner and have a little bit more flexibility within my schedule to allow me to choose where I want to be within the country at a certain time of the year.

— Renee Watson, NP

Of course, you don’t have to travel to work locums. If you prefer to stay close to home, local opportunities are also available, offering you all the benefits of locums without uprooting your life.

And it’s not just about the work—it’s about the freedom. The time between assignments is yours to use however you choose: traveling abroad, volunteering, pursuing personal projects, or simply taking a well-deserved break. With locum tenens, you build a lifestyle on your own terms.

Travel, work/life balance, and teaching: The story of two locum NPs

5. Professional growth and continuous learning for NP locums

Every assignment is an opportunity to strengthen your expertise and broaden your perspective as an NP. Locum tenens roles are available in a range of healthcare settings—from large academic medical centers to community hospitals and rural clinics—and can help you gain exposure to diverse patient populations, EMR systems, and care models. Each environment challenges you to adapt and refine your approach, thereby building a well-rounded skill set that can set you apart in your career.

This variety not only keeps your work interesting, but it also accelerates your professional growth. You’ll sharpen your clinical knowledge, improve your adaptability, and develop problem-solving skills that come from navigating new situations. Many NPs also find that working in different environments boosts their confidence and enhances their ability to deliver patient-centered care in any setting.

Locums allows me to never stop learning and not to get stagnant in my practice.

— Desiree Cihelka-Metzger, NP

“An interesting piece of being a locum is that you have to be sensitive to what communities you’re walking into,” says Desiree Cihelka, a nurse practitioner specializing in stroke and vascular neurology.

She continues, “Each hospital has its own culture and vibe, but also the families and the patients that you serve are diverse and have very different needs region by region. Each unique area of the United States carries different thought processes and cultures about care. So, you have to frame the care differently and be sensitive to that when you’re going into new communities. But to me, that’s part of the adventure."

Weatherby supports NPs from start to finish

An experienced partner helps streamline the process by handling licensing, credentialing, travel, and logistics—giving you more time to focus on patients instead of paperwork.

Agencies also open doors to more opportunities, ensure reliable compensation, and provide support throughout each assignment.

Weatherby Healthcare has been doing exactly that for more than 30 years. With opportunities nationwide across a wide range of specialties and facilities, Weatherby gives NPs the flexibility to shape their careers while maintaining balance in their lives.

Are you interested in learning more about locum tenens for nurse practitioners? Give us a call at 954.343.3050 or view today’s nurse practitioner job openings.