Australian locum rates survey 2026: the results so far.

What this report is

This report brings together rates that Australian locums choose to share about their work during 2026. It sits alongside our editorial rates guides as a separate source of context. Every rate figure below is a self-reported aggregate, and every response count describes this survey only. We do not verify invoices, payslips, professional status or workplace arrangements. Treat the results as indicative information to help frame questions about an offer.

Participation is voluntary, so the sample can overrepresent people who read our guides, particular professions or people with a reason to discuss their pay. These responses are not a random sample of Australian locums. Small differences between groups should not be read as evidence that one profession, workplace type or location pays more. Rates can also reflect different hours, responsibilities and inclusions that a short survey cannot fully capture.

We keep hourly, per-shift, daily and percentage answers separate. Respondents are asked for an agreed base rate before separately paid super, travel or GST, if applicable. We do not convert a daily or shift rate into an hourly figure because we do not collect the exact duration of that booking. Percentages describe a share of billings, not a dollar amount. An editorial typical rate and a survey median are comparable only when their billing units match.

Publication and privacy method

We use a publication floor of 10 responses for each profession and billing unit. Below that floor, counts remain visible but no rate percentiles are published. This minimum group size is a privacy safeguard, not a guarantee of statistical reliability. We do not publish individual answers or identities, and we do not combine state, experience or booking details into small public rate groups.

Within each eligible group, we sort rates from low to high. The lower quartile, median and upper quartile use the sorted entry at the whole-number index below the chosen percentage multiplied by the count, starting at index zero. Results are rounded to whole dollars or whole percentage points. This matches the platform peer benchmark method; for an even count, the median uses the upper middle entry rather than averaging the two middle entries.

Automated request limits and connection fingerprints reduce repeated submissions. When someone opts in to report emails, a normalised email hash permits only one response per survey year. Answers without email cannot be fully deduplicated by person, so response counts are not independently verified counts of unique locums. Demo accounts are excluded. Counts and figures refresh through a cache of up to ten minutes and may briefly differ between page requests.

The report is available as answers arrive. There is no promised final release date. Contribute your most recent rate to help fill a gap, or use the profession links below to compare these volunteered results with the separately labelled editorial estimates.