Highest-Paid Roles for Locum Healthcare Workers

For many healthcare professionals, locum work offers an exciting opportunity to gain flexibility, variety, and higher earnings compared to permanent employment. One of the biggest attractions of locum work is the potential to earn more by taking on shifts that match your skills and availability.

But not all locum roles pay the same. Some roles consistently command higher hourly rates than others, depending on demand, specialisation, and location. If you are considering locum work and want to maximise your earnings, understanding which roles tend to offer the best pay can help you plan your career path.

Here is a closer look at some of the highest-paid roles for locum healthcare workers in the NHS and beyond.

Why Some Roles Pay More

High Demand

When there is a shortage of qualified professionals in a particular field, pay rates tend to rise. This is especially true for highly skilled or critical roles.

Specialist Skills

Roles that require additional certifications, specialist knowledge, or significant experience often offer higher rates. These positions cannot be filled easily by general staff.

Unpopular Shifts

Even in more common roles, shifts during nights, weekends, holidays, or in remote locations often come with enhanced rates to encourage uptake.

Urgency

Last-minute gaps that must be filled quickly can lead to higher pay offers, especially in essential services like A&E or theatres.

Keeping these factors in mind can help you target opportunities that align with your goals for flexibility and higher earnings.

Highest-Paid Locum Roles

Consultant Doctors

Consultants across multiple specialties, including anaesthetics, emergency medicine, and radiology, often top the earnings list.

Locum consultant rates can vary widely but commonly range from £80 to over £120 per hour, depending on the specialty and urgency of the shift.

General Practitioners (GPs)

Locum GPs continue to be in strong demand, particularly for covering rural practices, out-of-hours services, and urgent care centres.

Rates typically range between £70 and £100 per hour, depending on location, shift type, and the volume of patient lists.

Theatre Practitioners (ODPs and Anaesthetic Nurses)

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) and nurses trained in anaesthetics or recovery roles are often critical to keeping operating lists running smoothly.

Locum rates for these professionals often exceed £30 to £45 per hour, particularly for last-minute shifts or weekend cover.

Critical Care Nurses

ICU, HDU, and CCU nurses are always in demand, especially with fluctuating patient numbers and winter pressures.

Experienced critical care nurses can command rates of £30 to £50 per hour for bank and locum shifts, sometimes more with enhancements for night and weekend work.

A&E Nurses

Emergency departments rely heavily on skilled locum nurses to maintain safe staffing levels.

Experienced A&E nurses can earn from £28 to £45 per hour, with peak demand during winter months often driving rates higher.

Mental Health Nurses (RMNs)

With rising demand for mental health services, experienced RMNs are increasingly sought after.

Rates typically range from £25 to £40 per hour, depending on experience and location.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)

Locum roles for physiotherapists, radiographers, sonographers, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists can pay very well, particularly in specialised areas such as MRI, CT scanning, or neurological rehabilitation.

Specialist AHPs can earn £30 to £60 per hour or more.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Physician Associates (PAs)

These roles bridge gaps between nursing and medical responsibilities and are highly valued in urgent care centres, GP surgeries, and hospital settings.

Rates for ANPs and PAs typically range from £40 to £60 per hour.

How to Access the Best-Paying Locum Roles

Build Specialist Skills

Investing in further training, certifications, and professional development can open doors to better-paying roles. Specialising in areas like critical care, emergency medicine, or theatres significantly increases your earning potential.

Be Flexible

The best-paying shifts are often at unsocial hours or in less convenient locations. Being willing to work weekends, nights, or travel a bit further can result in significantly better pay.

Keep Compliance Up to Date

Trusts and staffing platforms prefer workers who are fully compliant and ready to go. Keeping your DBS, occupational health clearance, and professional registration up to date helps you access shifts faster.

Choose the Right Platform

Where you find your shifts can make a big difference to your take-home earnings. Traditional agencies often take a cut of your pay through fees and umbrella company deductions. More modern, collaborative staffing models allow you to keep more of what you earn.

Final Thoughts

Locum work offers exciting opportunities for healthcare professionals to earn more, build experience, and enjoy greater flexibility.

Consultants, GPs, critical care nurses, theatre practitioners, and many AHPs are among those who can command the highest locum pay rates, but all professionals have the opportunity to improve their earnings with the right strategies.

Choosing where and how you work is just as important as what role you take on. Working through platforms like Flexzo Ai allows you to find better-paying opportunities while keeping more of what you earn, avoiding unnecessary deductions, and staying connected to a supportive professional network.