Per diem, meaning “by the day,” jobs have existed for thousands of years, but the healthcare industry has adopted this term in a unique way. In other industries, per diem typically refers to an expense allowance for lodging, meals and incidental costs, whereas in healthcare, it denotes a specific type of position.

Per diem jobs in healthcare refer to a type of contract and pay rate across various settings, including hospitals, emergency departments, clinics, acute care centers, physician practices, and outpatient facilities, such as urgent care and ambulatory surgery centers. Per diem rates are typically flat, all-inclusive payments made to employees by the facility.

Working per diem in healthcare involves taking job assignments as needed rather than committing to a full-time role with fixed hours. Since permanent staff at healthcare facilities and local clinicians often seek extra shifts to increase their income, per diem positions can get filled quickly. Per diem employees may work for just a day to cover a sick colleague or for several weeks or months to fill gaps left by someone on extended leave or even a retiree.

Per diem gets more popular

Many healthcare facilities are moving away from traditional staffing and turning toward per diem roles, particularly in nursing, due to rising employment costs and fluctuating patient census. Facilities like hospitals and long-term care facilities turn to per diem professionals for short-term staff gaps and high turnover.

The benefit for healthcare facilities hiring per diem staff is clear: it’s a cost-effective strategy to only pay for labor when needed versus maintaining a full-time workforce. For per diem professionals, this means finding the right role where your specialty is needed is even easier than ever. Especially if you’re using a reputable healthcare job marketplace to find a per diem job that suits your experience, background and certification.

Factors that affect pay in per diem

The factors that affect per diem pay are location, shift type and hours worked. Here’s more detail for each:

Location – not all areas of the country offer the same per diem rates. Pay rates differ by location and facility. Per diem rates are primarily determined by the cost of living in the area where the role is situated and the level of demand for the professional. The highest paying per diem rates are typically found in large, populated cities where healthcare professionals are in great demand to meet patient census. New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are three examples of cities that provide the country’s highest-paying per diem rates.

Shift type – working on major holidays when other clinicians typically prefer time off, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, can result in higher pay for a per diem clinician. For per diem healthcare employees, there is no fixed schedule and they work only when there is a staffing gap at the facility or an increase in patient census. Hospitals, acute care centers, nursing and rehab centers are common settings for per diem jobs.

Hours worked – In per diem, pay is tied directly to the number of hours worked. Each facility or recruiter will have a timekeeping system to track employees’ shifts. Per diem healthcare employees must accurately record their shift’s start and end times to ensure they get paid properly.

Do per diem roles offer benefits like health insurance?

Typically, per diem in healthcare does not cover any medical, vision, or dental benefits. Additionally, there are no paid time off benefits or retirement plans. If you’re working per diem, you need to obtain benefits through a separate health insurance plan. Because these standard employee benefits are not available to per diem employees, the pay rate is generally higher.

Benefits of per diem roles

Is it easy to find per diem healthcare jobs? Yes, finding per diem jobs in new cities or nearby healthcare facilities is achievable. You can select per diem positions near your home, enabling you to work at familiar facilities while staying local. Whether you decide on travel per diem or local per diem roles, there are specific career advantages worth considering: 

Flexibility. Per diem allows you to work as much or as little as you want. Due to the higher pay for certain per diem positions, some healthcare professionals can work fewer hours while still earning a competitive income. Furthermore, some full-time healthcare employees may take on per diem shifts during their days off to supplement their income. You can select per diem roles based on the day, time, workplace environment and specialty that you prefer. If you choose not to pick up shifts during the week, that’s entirely your decision. This is what makes per diem a flexible option that anyone can tailor to meet their needs for extra shifts, taking time off, traveling, exploring new areas and building a career that fits their lifestyle.

Work-life balance – Having a balance between professional and personal life is essential. The ability to select your shifts based on your comfort level significantly enhances your work-life balance. Every healthcare professional knows the struggles of missing key moments like family gatherings, holidays, and birthdays or working excessive hours at the expense of spending time with friends or pursuing hobbies. With per diem healthcare, you’re not tied to a permanent position, allowing you to shape your schedule.

Per diem healthcare professionals frequently report high job satisfaction in career surveys since they feel more in control of their schedules and can take time off when needed. Working per diem often results in less burnout or exhaustion related to their work.

Gaining valuable job experience. Per diem roles enable healthcare professionals to work in various clinical settings and encounter diverse patient demographics. Per diem offers an excellent opportunity for clinicians to develop skills and gain expertise in different areas of healthcare.

While per diem roles can be challenging, there is a significant benefit to gaining firsthand experience and observing how various facilities operate. For instance, if you are a registered nurse in a small setting such as a physician’s office, you might want to explore different types of care in a busy, fast-paced hospital. Alternatively, if you are a hospital nurse anesthetist, you may take shifts at a surgery center to gain insight into various procedures.

Another benefit is valuable professional networking experience. Working alongside new clinical teams allows you to meet and collaborate with various clinical providers and helps expand your career network, which can lead to potential job opportunities. In the end, per diem healthcare roles focus on helping patients and the continuity of care, which is a priority for every healthcare facility. 

Turn to StaffDNA to find per diem jobs

StaffDNA® is the leading source for finding per diem jobs across various specialties, including nursing, allied healthcare, physical therapy and advanced practice. StaffDNA is the only tech company connecting candidates seeking per diem healthcare jobs in all specialties and settings. You can even search by location. Whether you’re looking for travel per diem positions or jobs near home, we have everything in one user-friendly app.

For per diem healthcare jobs, StaffDNA is the go-to resource for job seekers. The StaffDNA app offers a streamlined and transparent way to search, apply and get hired for per diem positions. You can easily find per diem jobs across various healthcare specialties, book the assignments you want and manage your work schedule—all in one place.

At StaffDNA, we believe it should be easy to find a job you love. Download our app today in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.