Washington Locum Tenens Rates by Specialty
Washington locum rates vary by specialty and setting. Dermatology currently has the highest listed urban median at $471/hr. Washington has no individual state income tax.
Washington Locum Rates by Specialty
Median hourly rates in $/hr. Region: West.
| Specialty | Urban Hospital — MedianUrban Median | Rural / Critical Access — MedianRural Median |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiology | $358/hr | $414/hr |
| Cardiology | $302/hr | $263/hr |
| Dermatology | $364/hr | $317/hr |
| Emergency Medicine | $258/hr | $280/hr |
| Family Medicine | $149/hr | $172/hr |
| Gastroenterology | $380/hr | $397/hr |
| General Surgery | $322/hr | $280/hr |
| Hematology-Oncology | $398/hr | $416/hr |
| Hospitalist | $194/hr | $224/hr |
| Internal Medicine | $153/hr | $172/hr |
| Neonatology | $226/hr | $269/hr |
| Neurology | $295/hr | $325/hr |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | $290/hr | $327/hr |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $421/hr | $366/hr |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | $351/hr | $367/hr |
| Pain Management | $391/hr | $409/hr |
| Pathology | $352/hr | $307/hr |
| Pediatrics | $152/hr | $168/hr |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | $210/hr | $219/hr |
| Psychiatry | $201/hr | $248/hr |
| Radiology | $432/hr | $376/hr |
| Urology | $351/hr | $368/hr |
Highest-Paying Specialties in Washington
Urban median hourly rate
| Specialty | Urban Median |
|---|---|
| Dermatology | $471/hr |
| Radiology | $405/hr |
| Pain Management | $402/hr |
| Anesthesiology | $389/hr |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $383/hr |
Washington Tax, Licensing, and Market Notes
No state income tax. Washington does not tax earned income. At a $200/hr locum rate, your take-home advantage over a 10% state tax state is approximately $20/hr before federal taxes.
Washington has a strong and growing physician market anchored by UW Medicine and Providence Health in Seattle and MultiCare Health System in Tacoma. Eastern Washington, the Olympic Peninsula, and rural northeast Washington face persistent physician shortages, with many communities relying on locum physicians for primary care and emergency coverage. Seattle's technology industry-driven cost of living places it among the highest urban locum markets in the Pacific Northwest. The state's compact participation facilitates physician travel from Oregon and Idaho for rural and border-area coverage.
Licensing: Washington participates in the IMLC. Qualifying physicians can use it to obtain a separate Washington medical license through an expedited process.