Should you go locums?
Compare staff positions vs travel contracts. Model your income, taxes, and financial future.
Your Scenarios
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My Scenarios
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Contract Comparison
You can compare up to 5 scenarios side by side.
Quick Start: W-2 to Locums
New to locums? Answer a few questions and get a clear side-by-side view.
Your W-2 Position
Locums (1099)
Staff Position vs Locums/Travel
Compare your current staff role against locums or travel contracts
Staff Position
Locums/Travel
Market Benchmarks
Source: BLS 2023, MGMA 2023True Hourly Rate Calculator
Your contract rate is not your true rate. See what you actually earn after taxes, benefits costs, and time.
W2 vs 1099 Comparison
Understand the financial impact of employment classification
W2 Employee
1099 Contractor
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S-Corp Evaluator
Should you form an S-Corporation? CompareSole Prop/LLC vs S-Corp tax implications
An S-corporation can reduce self-employment taxes by splitting income between W-2 salary and distributions.
Sole Prop/LLC vs S-Corporation Comparison
Sole Proprietorship / LLC
S-Corporation
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Recommendation
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Reasonable Salary Benchmark
The IRS requires S-Corp owner-employees to pay themselves a salary comparable to what a non-owner would earn doing the same work. Use the BLS national median for your specialty as your starting point - your CPA can adjust based on hours worked, region, and experience.
Source: BLS May 2024 OES data (published April 2025). Ranges reflect national medians - consult a CPA for your specific situation.
Section 127 Educational Assistance (S-Corp Benefit)
An S-Corp can provide up to $5,250/year per employee in tax-free educational assistance under IRC Section 127. This benefit is tax-deductible for the business and tax-free for the employee - covering tuition, books, fees, and (now permanently) student loan repayments.
Source: IRC §127 + One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, Pub. L. No. 119-21, signed July 4, 2025) - made student loan repayment permanent. Always consult your CPA to set up a written, non-discriminatory plan.
Mega Backdoor Roth (S-Corp Solo 401k)
S-Corp owners pay themselves a reasonable salary, which caps employer 401k contributions at 25% of that salary. This often means you can't hit the $70,000 annual limit through direct contributions alone. The Mega Backdoor Roth fills that gap.
Source: IRS §415(c), SECURE 2.0 Act. S-Corp solo 401k has 3 subaccounts: pretax, Roth, and voluntary after-tax (VAT). Consult your CPA before setting up.
How We Calculated This
Self-Employment Tax
For Sole Prop: 15.3% on 92.35% of net income. You pay both employer + employee portions.
S-Corp Strategy (BLS Safe Harbor)
We use your profession's BLS median salary as your W2 salary. This "safe harbor" approach is defensible to the IRS and maximizes distributions (which save 15.3% SE tax).
Distributions
Remaining profit is distributed. NOT subject to SE tax (15.3% savings!).
Retirement
Sole Prop: 20% of net + $23k
S-Corp: 25% of W2 + $23k
Self-Employment Tax Estimator
Calculate quarterly payments and deductions
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Home Affordability Timeline
Calculate when you can afford your target home
Student Loan Payoff Strategy
Comparestandard vs aggressive repayment
Standard Repayment
Aggressive Payoff
10-Year Income Projection
Model household income growth over time
Healthcare Provider Benchmarks
Industry-verified expense, retirement, and tax data for 2025
| Tax Category | W-2 Employee | 1099 Sole Prop | S-Corp Optimized |
|---|
| Profession | BLS Median Salary | Malpractice Range | Avg CME Allowance | S-Corp Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRNA | $214,000 | $6,000-$15,000 | $3,800-$4,073 | >$150k net |
| Physician - Hospitalist | ~$290,000 | $8,000-$20,000 | $3,800-$4,073 | >$150k net |
| Physician - EM | ~$345,000 | $20,000-$40,000 | $3,800-$4,073 | >$150k net |
| Physician - Anesthesia | ~$430,000 | $15,000-$30,000 | $3,800-$4,073 | >$150k net |
| Physician - Family Practice | ~$245,000 | $5,000-$12,000 | $3,800-$4,073 | >$150k net |
| Nurse Practitioner | $129,210 | $1,200-$4,500 | $2,083-$2,862 | >$80k net |
| Physician Assistant | $130,020 | $1,700-$2,650 | $2,083-$2,862 | >$80k net |
| Registered Nurse | $93,600 | $500-$2,000 | $2,083-$2,862 | >$80k net |
Contract First-Pass Review
Upload a locums contract for a structured first-pass review of restrictive clauses, missing terms, payment language, termination provisions, and items worth clarifying before you sign.
Upload Contract PDF
This is a first-pass contract review for healthcare locums agreements. It is designed to help you spot restrictive language, vague terms, and items that are missing or under-specified so you know what to ask next.
Tail coverage and malpractice terms
Termination, cancellation, and notice language
Payment timing, invoicing, and reimbursement terms
Housing, travel, CME, and credentialing details
Auto-renewal clauses and unclear obligations
PDF only. This feature is available for Pro users.
Clause-by-clause issue review in plain language
Items that appear missing or not clearly addressed
Questions to send to a recruiter, employer, or attorney
A downloadable contract review report
Review Summary
Use this as a first-pass negotiation and clarification tool before you sign.