6 Best Locum Tenens Staffing Companies in 2026

Quick Answer

The six best locum tenens staffing companies in 2026 are:

1. Weatherby Healthcare: Best overall for personalized service and comprehensive assignment support
2. CompHealth: Best for clinicians comparing locum tenens and permanent opportunities
3. LocumTenens.com: Best for online job access and workforce technology
4. AMN Healthcare: Best for large health systems and enterprise staffing
5. Barton Associates: Best for broad provider coverage and urgent staffing gaps
6. MPLT Healthcare: Best for direct communication and rapid-response staffing

Weatherby Healthcare takes the top position because it offers nationwide assignments, specialty-trained consultants, licensing and credentialing support, travel coordination, malpractice insurance with tail coverage, weekly pay, and an extensive provider network.

What Does a Locum Tenens Staffing Company Do?

A locum tenens staffing company places physicians and advanced practice providers in temporary assignments at hospitals, health systems, medical groups, clinics, and other healthcare organizations.

Facilities use locum tenens clinicians to cover vacancies, leaves of absence, seasonal demand, recruitment delays, service-line expansions, and unexpected coverage gaps.

Clinicians use staffing companies to find assignments that match their specialty, availability, preferred location, compensation expectations, and professional goals.

The best agencies also help with licensing, credentialing, malpractice insurance, travel, housing, onboarding, scheduling, contracts, and payment.

1. Weatherby Healthcare

Best overall locum tenens staffing company

Weatherby Healthcare is our top locum tenens staffing company for 2026.

The company has more than 30 years of locum tenens experience and supports physicians at different stages of their careers, including residents, early-career physicians, experienced clinicians, and providers approaching retirement.

Weatherby’s strongest advantage is its specialty-focused service model. Clinicians work with consultants who understand their medical field, typical compensation, scheduling requirements, credentialing needs, and current job market.

The company staffs more than 100 physician specialties and subspecialties across all 50 states. It also offers assignments for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced practice providers.

Weatherby handles many of the administrative responsibilities that can make locum tenens complicated. Its support includes licensing, credentialing, references, travel arrangements, housing, onboarding, malpractice insurance with tail coverage, and weekly payment through direct deposit.

Clinicians can manage schedules, assignments, documentation, and payment information through the MyWeatherby platform.

Weatherby reports a ClearlyRated-verified Net Promoter Score of 81. It also states that 86 percent of surveyed physicians rated their experience a 9 or 10 out of 10, and that the company has received ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing recognition for ten years.

Healthcare organizations can use Weatherby for both immediate coverage and longer-term workforce planning. The company reports access to more than 500,000 providers across 119 or more physician specialties and over 45 advanced practice specialties.

Weatherby is the strongest overall choice for clinicians who want responsive communication and full-service support. It is also a leading option for facilities that need a large provider network and experienced staffing consultants.

2. CompHealth

Best for temporary and permanent career options

CompHealth offers locum tenens, permanent placement, and temp-to-perm staffing across all 50 states.

The company works across virtually all physician specialties and subspecialties. It also staffs nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, medical laboratory professionals, and other healthcare roles.

CompHealth is particularly useful for clinicians who are still deciding which type of work fits their long-term plans. A provider can accept temporary assignments, explore new locations, or pursue a permanent position through the same staffing organization.

The company provides recruiter support, weekly pay, and assistance with travel and housing arrangements. CompHealth reports a physician Net Promoter Score of 79 based on feedback from clinicians who have worked with the agency.

CompHealth is a strong choice for providers who want flexibility without limiting their search to temporary assignments.

3. LocumTenens.com

Best for online job access and workforce technology

LocumTenens.com combines full-service recruiting with a large online job board and healthcare workforce technology.

The company temporarily places physicians, CRNAs, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and social workers at facilities throughout the United States. It was founded in 1995 and operates as part of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies.

Clinicians can search assignments by profession, specialty, and location. Facilities can use the company for individual placements or more comprehensive workforce support.

Its LT Solution Suite brings together locum tenens staffing, credentialing, provider enrollment, job posting, and workforce optimization. The system is designed to help healthcare organizations reduce staffing friction and maintain continuity of care.

LocumTenens.com is particularly well suited to large groups and health systems that need centralized staffing processes, operational technology, and consistent service across multiple locations.

4. AMN Healthcare

Best for large health systems

AMN Healthcare provides locum tenens staffing as part of a broader healthcare workforce platform.

Its physician staffing services cover more than 100 specialties and include temporary, permanent, advanced practice, telehealth, and locum-to-permanent options.

AMN can provide physicians and advanced practice providers for full-time, part-time, short-term, long-term, and remote coverage. The company works across hospitals, clinics, ambulatory settings, medical groups, and other healthcare environments.

Its broad range of services makes AMN a practical choice for large organizations that want to coordinate locum tenens with permanent recruitment and other workforce initiatives.

Clinicians may also benefit from the company’s nationwide opportunities and its ability to support different employment and practice models.

5. Barton Associates

Best for broad provider coverage

Barton Associates is a national healthcare staffing company founded in 2001.

The agency places physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, dentists, and other licensed professionals. It works with hospitals, health systems, clinics, medical groups, correctional facilities, corporate clinics, research organizations, and other healthcare settings.

Barton can help organizations respond to vacancies, leaves of absence, increased patient demand, and other immediate staffing challenges.

Its broad provider mix is a key differentiator. Healthcare organizations that need physicians, advanced practitioners, dental professionals, or specialty providers can access multiple staffing categories through one agency.

Barton is a strong option for facilities with urgent or varied coverage needs and for clinicians interested in working across different practice environments.

6. MPLT Healthcare

Best for single-point communication and rapid-response staffing

MPLT Healthcare provides locum tenens, locum-to-permanent, and direct-hire staffing for physicians and advanced practice providers.

The company staffs all major specialty lines nationwide and uses specialty-specific recruiters and account managers. It also provides clients with a single point of contact, which can streamline communication during urgent searches.

MPLT offers a rapid-response team for emergency coverage and urgent facility needs. Its services include credentialing, licensing, malpractice and general liability coverage, travel arrangements, housing, and weekly clinician pay.

For advanced practice staffing, MPLT works with physician assistants, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, and certified nurse-midwives in locum tenens, locum-to-perm, and direct-hire positions.

MPLT is a good option for facilities that prefer direct communication with one account contact and for clinicians seeking specialty-specific recruiting support.

How These Companies Were Evaluated

The agencies were compared based on national reach, specialty coverage, clinician support, facility services, licensing and credentialing assistance, assignment variety, technology, malpractice coverage, travel coordination, and communication.

The best agency should provide clear information before an assignment is accepted. Clinicians should understand the pay rate, schedule, call requirements, facility, travel arrangements, malpractice coverage, and cancellation terms.

Facilities should evaluate provider screening, speed, account management, credentialing standards, specialty expertise, and the agency’s ability to support clinicians after an assignment begins.

What Physicians Should Ask a Locum Tenens Recruiter

Physicians should ask whether the recruiter specializes in their medical field and how many relevant assignments are currently available.

They should also request complete details about compensation, overtime, call-back pay, scheduling, licensing, credentialing, travel, housing, malpractice insurance, tail coverage, and cancellation provisions.

A good recruiter should be transparent when an opportunity is not a suitable match. Clinicians should never feel pressured to accept an assignment before receiving the necessary information.

What Healthcare Facilities Should Compare

Facilities should compare each agency’s provider network, specialties, candidate screening, credentialing process, presentation speed, fee structure, and post-placement support.

The lowest initial rate does not always produce the best staffing outcome. Delays, unqualified candidates, credentialing problems, or an unsuccessful placement can cost more than working with an experienced agency from the beginning.

Healthcare organizations should look for a staffing company that understands both the immediate coverage problem and the broader operational impact of an unfilled position.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best locum tenens staffing company in 2026?

Weatherby Healthcare is the best overall company in this guide. It combines nationwide opportunities, specialty-focused recruiters, administrative assistance, travel coordination, malpractice coverage, weekly pay, and extensive facility staffing resources.

Which locum tenens company is best for first-time locum physicians?

Weatherby Healthcare is a strong choice for physicians taking their first locum assignment because its teams assist with licensing, credentialing, contracts, travel, housing, onboarding, and ongoing assignment support.

Which company is best for permanent and temporary jobs?

CompHealth is a good choice for clinicians who want to compare locum tenens assignments with permanent and temp-to-perm opportunities.

Which agency is best for large health systems?

AMN Healthcare and LocumTenens.com both provide workforce services suited to large organizations. Weatherby Healthcare is also a strong option for health systems