Before you sign the locums contract, run the numbers.
Upload your contract, check for red flags, and compare the offer against your W-2 package before tax, counting the benefits you would give up and the costs you would take on.
Built for CRNAs, physicians, NPs, PAs, and other clinicians comparing staff work against 1099 or travel income.
Educational first-pass review only. All figures are pre-tax. LocumsLab does not calculate taxes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Tail coverage, cancellation symmetry, and net-45 payment terms are worth clarifying before signing.
About LocumsLab
LocumsLab is built for clinicians who want a cleaner way to compare staff work, travel work, and 1099 contracts. Everything it shows is before tax, on purpose: tax outcomes depend on your full return, and that is a CPA's job. What it does handle is contract terms, the benefits gap, the costs you carry, and what a rate actually pays per hour.
"What's in this contract that I should ask about?"
Upload the PDF for a first-pass review of malpractice, cancellation, payment timing, call requirements, and other terms that locums clinicians commonly notice too late.
"Will I actually make more?"
Locums rates can look great until you factor in unpaid weeks, health insurance, malpractice, licensing, travel gaps, and quarterly taxes.
"What is this rate really worth per hour?"
Strip out malpractice, health insurance, the benefits gap, travel costs, and the hours you spend travelling but do not get paid for.
"What should I bring to my CPA?"
LocumsLab does not calculate your taxes. It gives you a clean pre-tax picture of the offer and a drafted email so your CPA can price the tax side properly.
The contract review and the math in one place.
LocumsLab is not trying to be your CPA or attorney, and it does not estimate your taxes. It gives you a cleaner pre-tax first pass so your next conversation with a recruiter, spouse, CPA, or attorney is based on numbers and specifics instead of vibes.
Contract Analyzer
Upload a locums contract as a PDF or Word file and get a first-pass review of red-flag clauses, missing protections, payment terms, and cancellation language — plus a drafted email with the questions worth asking before you sign.
ProW-2 vs 1099 comparison
Compare the full pre-tax value of each option side by side: salary, bonus, employer benefits, contract billings, stipends, insurance, and business expenses.
True Hourly Rate
See what a contract actually pays per hour after malpractice, health insurance, the benefits gap, travel costs, and the unpaid hours spent getting to the assignment.
Expense benchmarks
Malpractice, CME, licensing, and insurance cost ranges by profession, so the expense side of your comparison is grounded in something other than a guess.
Scenario comparison
Save offers and compare them side by side so you do not anchor on the highest hourly rate before seeing the net picture.
CPA worksheet PDF
Export your assumptions and pre-tax figures as a worksheet so a CPA, financial planner, or attorney can price the tax side without starting from scratch.
Not ready to build a full scenario?
Use Quick Start. It walks you through the basic W-2 vs 1099 comparison in a few minutes and shows what questions deserve a closer look.
Benchmarks help you negotiate without guessing.
Compare salary, malpractice ranges, and CME allowances by profession. Use benchmarks as context, then verify the details for your specialty, state, and contract.
| Profession | BLS Median Salary | Malpractice/yr | CME Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalist MD | $294,300 | $10,000–$30,000 | $3,000–$5,000 |
| CRNA | $214,500 | $3,000–$8,000 | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Emergency Medicine MD | $310,640 | $15,000–$50,000 | $3,000–$5,000 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $126,260 | $1,500–$4,000 | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Physician Assistant | $130,020 | $2,000–$5,000 | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Anesthesiologist MD | $331,190 | $20,000–$60,000 | $3,000–$6,000 |
| Registered Nurse | $93,600 | $500–$2,000 | $500–$1,500 |
More professions, tax burden comparisons, and retirement projections are included with Pro.
See full benchmarksSources for context: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, Medical Liability Monitor, and MGMA survey references. National medians only. Verify current figures for your specialty and state before making any decision.
The 1099 CRNA Handbook
A plain-English starting point for clinicians thinking about 1099 work. It covers entity setup, how taxation changes, malpractice, retirement accounts, and the kind of CPA you want before your first big contract. It explains the moving parts; it does not give you dollar figures to act on.
- What entity structures exist and what actually drives the choice
- How 1099 taxation differs from W-2, in plain English
- Malpractice: claims-made vs occurrence, and tail coverage
- Retirement account options for a solo practice
- How to find a CPA who understands 1099 healthcare work
What are clinicians actually being offered?
Submit an anonymous 1099 offer or current assignment rate. The more clinicians who share what they are seeing, the sooner the Locums Rate Report ships, and submitters get it first. Two minutes, no name required.
- State, setting, and shift length
- Hourly rate, call, malpractice, travel
- No login or employer name
- Be first to get the Locums Rate Report when it launches
Targeting late 2026 with enough verified submissions.
Review the numbers before you sign.
Use the free calculators for a quick pre-tax comparison. Upgrade when you need the contract analyzer, full benchmarks, and an exportable report.
For a quick first pass
Good for checking whether a locums offer deserves a closer look.
- All core calculators
- Save up to three scenarios
- Basic W-2 vs 1099 comparison
- Preview rate and expense benchmarks
For serious contract review
Built for locums clinicians actively reviewing an offer or comparing 1099 work against a staff package.
- Contract Analyzer — upload a PDF or Word file. Flags restrictive covenants, tail coverage, termination notice, and payment terms that are not spelled out
- True Hourly Rate — what the contract really pays per hour after malpractice, insurance, the benefits gap, and unpaid travel time
- Full market benchmarks by profession, state, and setting
- Recruiter and CPA emails — drafted for you, with your questions and figures already filled in
- Downloadable review report for your next CPA or attorney conversation
- Unlimited saved scenarios, side-by-side offer comparison, and PDF export
- One-time purchase — no subscription, nothing to cancel
A few things worth clarifying.
What does the Contract Analyzer actually do?
You upload a locums contract PDF and the analyzer flags common red-flag clauses, missing protections (such as tail coverage), payment terms, cancellation language, and malpractice concerns. It also generates a list of questions to clarify with the recruiter or attorney before signing. It is an educational first-pass review, not legal advice.
How accurate are the calculations?
LocumsLab does not calculate taxes. Every figure is shown before tax, because W-2 and 1099 income are taxed differently and the gap depends on your full individual return, which the app does not collect. What it does calculate is contract arithmetic you can verify yourself: billings, stipends, the employer benefits you would give up, business expenses, unpaid time, and cost per hour worked. Tax, legal, and entity decisions belong with a CPA or attorney.
Where does the benchmark data come from?
Salary benchmarks reference BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics. Malpractice and benefit ranges use industry survey references where available. Community-reported rate data will expand as more clinicians submit anonymous rates. Treat benchmarks as national context, not a guarantee for your market.
Can I export my scenarios?
Yes. Pro users can export scenario and comparison reports as pre-tax worksheet PDFs for a spouse, CPA, financial planner, or attorney.
Is this only for CRNAs?
No. It works for CRNAs, physicians, NPs, PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals comparing staff, travel, and locums work.
What if I have questions?
Email hello@locumslab.com. You should still use a qualified professional for tax, legal, or contract-specific advice.
Before you sign, run the math.
A better offer is not always the one with the bigger hourly rate. Compare the full pre-tax value, the structure, and the contract risk in one place.
Analyze a contract