For many healthcare professionals, the holiday season is a time to step away from packed schedules. For others, it’s a chance to take on short-term locum tenens work that offers higher pay, flexible scheduling, and more control over how and when they practice.
Locum tenens work is already a familiar path for many clinicians. As of May 2024, about 8% of U.S. physicians, roughly 57,000, are actively working locum tenens, while another 27% have taken locum assignments at some point in their careers.
During the holidays, demand for this type of coverage increases as full-time staff take planned time off and facilities work to maintain consistent patient care.
Holiday locum assignments help hospitals and clinics stay fully staffed while giving clinicians the freedom to choose when, where, and how long they work. With the support of an experienced locum tenens recruiter, credentialing, scheduling, and placement become far easier during these high-demand periods.
Below, we’ll walk through the key reasons more healthcare professionals are choosing to work locum tenens during the holidays, and why it continues to grow as a preferred option.
P.S. Wondering how to find reliable holiday locum tenens opportunities that actually fit your availability and pay expectations? AAG Health works directly with healthcare facilities to place clinicians in high-demand roles with clear timelines and smooth onboarding.
What is Locum Tenens?
Locum tenens refers to short-term clinical work where physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced professionals step in to cover gaps in patient care.
These roles are essential across:
- Hospitals and urgent care centers
- Primary care clinics and specialty practices
- Rural locations and underserved communities
- Telemedicine platforms and seasonal care programs
Assignments can last anywhere from a few days to several months; it all depends on patient demand and staffing needs.
Why locum tenens matters
Locum tenens plays a growing role in how healthcare facilities manage seasonal surges, staff PTO, and hard-to-fill roles. Research shows that over 80% of healthcare facilities were expected to increase their reliance on locum professionals in 2025 to maintain care continuity and reduce burnout during high-pressure periods.
Check out the following YouTube video for a breakdown of what Locum Tenens is and why it can be a great choice:
Why Holidays Are Prime Time for Locum Tenens Work
Healthcare facilities face the same challenges every holiday season, challenges like thin staffing, higher patient volume, and limited staff availability. Between PTO requests, sick leave, and year-end fatigue, permanent teams are stretched, and staffing gaps become harder to ignore.
This is when demand for locum professionals spikes. Clinicians who are open to working during the holidays usually have their pick of assignments, with many offering premium pay, flexible scheduling accommodations, and expedited placement. Roles in primary care, emergency medicine, and urgent care settings fill quickly as patient demand climbs.
According to the CDC, the 2024–2025 flu season resulted in millions of illnesses nationwide and at least 39,319 hospitalizations. This added significant strain to hospitals and emergency departments during the holiday period.
For physicians and advanced practitioners, holiday locum tenens work offers an opportunity to support patient care during a critical time while maintaining control over where and when they practice.
7 Reasons to Work Locum Tenens During the Holidays
The holiday season creates the kinds of staffing conditions that make locum work more appealing and more valuable. Higher pay, faster placements, and greater flexibility usually align during this period.
From what we’ve seen working closely with healthcare facilities and clinicians, those who take short-term holiday assignments often walk away with higher income, broader clinical exposure, and better control over their schedules.
Here’s why it’s worth considering.
1. Holiday Locum Tenens Assignments Offer Higher Pay
One of the biggest reasons clinicians consider working locum tenens during the holidays is the compensation. Healthcare facilities under staffing pressure are mostly willing to offer premium rates to secure temporary coverage. This includes holiday pay differentials, urgent coverage incentives, and travel or housing support in many cases.
In the U.S., employers generally have to pay at least 1.5x regular pay for overtime hours worked over 40 per week. And many plans build additional holiday premium pay into compensation structures, so clinicians who work over the holidays can earn much more than they would during a standard shift.
We’ve noticed that holiday locum roles face less competition than peak-season assignments. Many full-time clinicians take time off, and not every locum professional is available during the holidays.
This creates a window of opportunity for physicians, nurse practitioners, and advanced professionals who are open to working during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s week.
Compared to standard holiday compensation for full-time staff, where you might earn time-and-a-half but be locked into a rigid schedule, locum roles usually pay more without the politics, mandatory rotations, or year-end fatigue.
For clinicians who want to add to their savings, pay down student loans, or build a financial cushion going into the new year, holiday locum jobs can be a fantastic way to do so.
2. You Can Control When, Where, and How Long You Work
One of the most appealing parts of holiday locum work is flexibility. You’re not locked into a fixed schedule or stuck following hospital staffing rules. Instead, you decide:
- When you want to work, including which holidays you’re open to.
- Where do you want to go, close to home or somewhere new.
- How long the assignment lasts from a few days to several weeks.
From what we’ve seen working with clinicians across different specialties, this kind of control makes it easier for you to work around family events, religious holidays, or travel plans. Some clinicians prefer to pick up shifts between major holidays, while others choose to cover Christmas or New Year’s and take extended time off in January or February instead.
This is a big deal for clinicians. A survey of more than 730 physicians and advanced practice providers found that schedule flexibility and work‑life balance are among the top priorities clinicians consider when evaluating job options, alongside compensation and autonomy.
There’s no pressure to commit to full-time rotations or long-term contracts. Most holiday locum assignments are short-term, optional, and built around your preferences, which is a big shift from traditional hospital scheduling models.
Whether you’re easing into semi-retirement, testing new practice settings, or just want to make extra income without burning out, locum holiday work puts the schedule in your hands.
3. Holiday Demand Leads to Faster Placements
During the holidays, healthcare facilities are under pressure to fill roles fast. Regular staff take time off, but patient volume stays high, and leadership teams can’t afford to let care slow down. That urgency means facilities are more responsive, and clinicians looking for locum tenens jobs during the holidays mostly get quicker results.
Here’s what happens:
- Interviews move faster
- Offers are extended quickly
- Credentialing processes are often streamlined
Hospitals and clinics are trying to fill urgent locum tenens jobs in real time. That gives you more leverage and less waiting time.
If you're already credentialed with a locum tenens staffing agency like AAG Health, turnaround times are even faster.
4. Helps You Avoid Burnout from Fixed Holiday Schedules
Holiday rotations can feel like a never‑ending clock for permanent staff. Fixed schedules, mandatory coverage, and back‑to‑back shifts over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s can drain even the most resilient clinicians.
That kind of chronic stress contributes to burnout throughout healthcare, with research showing that occupational burnout among healthcare providers exceeds 50%, and long hours and demanding workloads are big drivers of that trend.
Working locum tenens during the holidays lets you step in on your terms instead of being stuck rotating through fixed holiday schedules. You’re not subject to mandatory rotations, seasonal crowding on the calendar, or the obligation to fill every block of time your facility requires.
This freedom gives you more choice around rest and recovery, which improves your overall work‑life balance during one of the busiest periods of the year. We’ve noticed that clinicians who choose holiday locum assignments usually feel more energized because they work selectively and with intention.
Instead of stretching yourself thin just to cover standard shifts, you can pick the assignments that fit your personal and professional life, which helps you minimize stress and protect your well‑being when it matters most.
5. You Can Explore New Locations Without Long-Term Commitments
Another perk of holiday locum work is the chance to try out new places without signing up for a long‑term contract. Think of holiday assignments as low‑risk location trials where you get to see whether a community, region, or clinical setting fits your lifestyle and practice preferences before making any bigger decisions.
This flexibility is ideal for clinicians who want to:
- Travel seasonally or regionally without committing to a permanent move
- Be closer to family during specific holidays or times of year
- Work with new patient populations in rural areas, urgent care centers, or academic medicine environments
Trust us, travel and housing support that comes with many locum assignments simplifies logistics and makes short‑term moves easier to manage. That matters because many healthcare professionals prioritize work‑life balance and control over where and how they work. In one large national survey, more than half of physicians (54%) said they would take a pay cut for better work‑life balance.
Holiday locum work gives you that flexibility with no mandatory rotations or long‑term obligations, so you can explore new destinations while still caring for patients where you’re needed most.
6. Holiday Coverage Strengthens Your Professional Reputation
Healthcare facilities know how hard it can be to keep schedules full during high‑demand periods like the holidays. When you step in to help during these critical windows, you stand out to leadership teams and clinical directors who remember clinicians who show up when it matters most.
From our work with healthcare organizations, we’ve observed that holiday locum tenens assignments create visibility in ways routine coverage does not.
Holiday locum tenens assignments give you the chance to:
- Demonstrate reliability in high‑pressure, high‑need periods
- Build trust quickly with facility leadership and teams
- Unlock repeat assignments, preferred scheduling, or future opportunities
Temporary and locum work overall remains an important part of how many facilities manage gaps in care. A workforce trend analysis shows that 81% of healthcare organizations reported using locum tenens the same or more than before. This steady demand shows how much value healthcare leaders place on clinicians who can fill urgent needs.
In short, clinicians who deliver strong patient care and dependable coverage during holiday shifts often become go‑to talent for future assignments, even outside the holiday season. That reputation can lead to better scheduling options and opportunities.
7. One Holiday Assignment Can Shape Your New Year Plan
Working a holiday locum assignment doesn’t have to be a one‑off. For many clinicians, it’s a smart way to set the tone for the year ahead, financially, professionally, and personally.
Holiday assignments can open doors to:
- Extended contracts into Q1 or beyond if you like the facility or region
- Intentional time off after the holidays, since you've already earned a solid income
- Long‑term locum work as a career strategy rather than just a gap‑fill between jobs
Whether you're easing out of a full-time role, in between private practice arrangements, or figuring out your next move, a holiday locum gig gives you flexibility with structure. You can test out new clinical settings, keep your skills sharp, and line up additional work. Or, you can take a breather with less financial stress.
Who Should Consider Working Locum Tenens During the Holidays?
Holiday locum tenens work is not just for a single type of clinician. It fits a range of professionals who want more say over their schedules, income, and clinical experience.
In a 2025 survey of U.S. healthcare workers, 55 % said they plan to look for or switch jobs in 2026. This reflects an industry-wide interest in career changes and work arrangements that are a better fit for personal priorities like flexibility, scheduling control, and work‑life balance.
This option appeals to:
- Physicians and advanced practice providers who want holiday work without long‑term contracts
- Clinicians seeking flexibility or extra income during a high‑demand period
- Professionals transitioning away from permanent roles who want to stay engaged clinically
- Semi‑retired or lifestyle‑focused healthcare talent who want meaningful work without rigid schedules
Holiday locum work gives you options, whether you want to fill specific gaps, test a new practice setting, or plan your weeks around meaningful personal time.
Find the Right Holiday Locum Assignments With AAG Health
Taking on locum tenens shifts during the holidays can lead to more flexibility, better pay, and control over how and where you practice medicine.
Holiday coverage needs don’t slow down. Patient care continues across urgent care, emergency medicine, and hospital settings, and healthcare facilities need clinicians who can step in. That means higher rates, faster placements, and a chance to build relationships that can extend into the new year.
If you’re looking for extra savings, testing new assignment destinations, or staying clinically active without long-term pressure, holiday locum jobs offer a smart, low-commitment way to do so.
Clinicians also use this time to work selectively, take intentional breaks, or explore different patient populations, all while avoiding rigid holiday rotations.
And that’s where AAG Health comes in. We help you find locum roles that match your timing, specialty, and goals. As a national locum tenens staffing agency backed by data-driven sourcing and American Staffing Association (ASA) membership standards, we keep things efficient and supportive from first call to contract.
Get in touch with us to start exploring holiday assignments today.
FAQs
Do locum tenens roles really pay more during the holidays?
Yes, holiday locum jobs mostly come with premium rates and urgent coverage incentives since facilities are short-staffed and patient demand stays high.
What kind of specialties are in high demand during the holidays?
Primary care, emergency medicine, urgent care, and hospitalist roles are usually top priority, though specialty areas like anesthesiology, radiology, family medicine, surgical specialties, cardiology, pediatrics, and critical care also see spikes.
Can I choose where I work during the holiday period?
Absolutely. You can select the location, assignment length, and schedule that fits your goals, from staying local to working in new regions or rural areas.
How quickly can I get credentialed and start working?
That depends on the facility and state, but with proactive planning, many holiday assignments can be secured within a few weeks. AAG Health helps streamline this process.
Is housing or travel typically included?
Yes, most locum assignments offer travel and housing support as part of the package, especially for out-of-town placements.
How does AAG Health help me find the right holiday locum assignment?
AAG Health uses a high-touch, data-informed approach to match clinicians with roles that fit their preferences, timing, and specialty, all while handling logistics like credentialing, insurance, and travel.
What makes AAG Health different from other staffing agencies?
AAG Health blends high-tech sourcing with personalized service. We’re ASA-certified, use real-time data to match clinicians quickly, and offer a 90-day replacement guarantee on placements, which is a rare standard in the industry.
