Locum Doctor Jobs in Australia

Experience the freedom and flexibility of locum work while exploring Australia's diverse healthcare landscape.

Competitive Rates & Benefits – Earn premium rates with accommodation, travel, and allowances included.

Work-Life Balance – Choose your assignments, control your schedule, and take breaks when you need them.

Diverse Clinical Experience – Expand your skills across metropolitan, regional, and rural settings.

91% of our doctors say locuming has improved their lifestyle.

Locum Jobs in Australia for Doctors

Registrar

Surgery - Orthopaedic

  • Goulburn, New South Wales AU
  • Locum
  • $2,200 per hour
  • 29 Dec 2025 ~ 02 Jan 2026
This is a public district hospital located in New South Wales (NSW), approximately 2.5 hours from Sydney and 1 hour from Canberra. The Hospital is a 100-199 bed, level four hospital and provides acute and community health care services to the surrounding community. The hospital also serves as a ...

Registrar

Surgery - Orthopaedic

  • Goulburn, New South Wales AU
  • Locum
  • $2,200 per hour
  • 24 Dec 2025 ~ 25 Dec 2025
This is a public district hospital located in New South Wales (NSW), approximately 2.5 hours from Sydney and 1 hour from Canberra. The Hospital is a 100-199 bed, level four hospital and provides acute and community health care services to the surrounding community. The hospital also serves as a ...

Registrar

Surgery - General

  • Burnie, Tasmania AU
  • Locum
  • $1,700 per hour
  • 30 Jan 2026 ~ 02 Feb 2026
This public hospital in Australia is located in a beautiful coastal town with stunning views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. The hospital is a modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment and a team of highly skilled medical professionals who are dedicated to providing the best possibl...

Specialist Consultant

Anaesthetics

  • Nowra, New South Wales AU
  • Locum
  • $4,500 per day
  • 24 Dec 2025 ~ 24 Dec 2025
Located in the beautiful coastal region of New South Wales, this public hospital is a vital healthcare provider for the local community. The hospital is situated in a peaceful and picturesque location, surrounded by stunning beaches, national parks, and scenic waterways. The hospital is easily ac...

Specialist Consultant

Anaesthetics

  • Nowra, New South Wales AU
  • Locum
  • $4,500 per day
  • 17 Dec 2025 ~ 17 Dec 2025
Located in the beautiful coastal region of New South Wales, this public hospital is a vital healthcare provider for the local community. The hospital is situated in a peaceful and picturesque location, surrounded by stunning beaches, national parks, and scenic waterways. The hospital is easily ac...

Doctors first. Then jobs. That's our difference.

Life as a doctor demands you give everything. Dr Sam Hazledine learned this first as an intern. Years later Medrecruit was his response. Sam successfully lobbied the World Medical Association to amend the Declaration of Geneva (the modern-day Hippocratic Oath) to include:

I will attend to my own health, wellbeing, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.

Medrecruit continue to advocate for, educate and work towards better health and wellbeing for all doctors. With a multitude of locum opportunities across Australia, there are countless ways to pursue a lifestyle and career that suits your needs.

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The team at Medrecruit made me feel like they genuinely cared about my satisfaction and wellbeing. I was contacted regularly to ensure I was happy with my placements!

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Abdul Sabih , RMO, Emergency Medicine
RMO locum doctors
Our Doctors
Find out what it is like locuming as an RMO doctor couple. This is Dr Shaan's story:
Article by Jordy Black | 26 Jun 2024
Dr Sina Karimian Medrecruit locum
Our Doctors
We chatted with Dr Sina Karimian to find out how the flexibility of locuming enables him to live a fulfilled life
Article by Dr Sina Karimian | 28 Nov 2023
The perks of locuming with Medrecruit
Locum doctor's lifestyle
91% lifestyle improved

Get time back for the things you love outside of medicine, enhance your lifestyle, and reclaim work-life balance. But don't take our word for it, 91% of our locum doctors said their lifestyle was improved.

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Earn up to $4000/day

Locum doctors can earn fantastic rates with flexible hours and locations across Australia. No matter your future financial goals - locuming is a great way to boost your earnings.

Travel & accomodation covered
Travel & accomodation covered

For most placements, your travel and accommodation costs are covered. This means you get to explore new places with no cost to you and our team will organise the logistics for you.

Sydney Doctor Jobs
Featured Locations

From urban centres to rural communities, we have job opportunities across the diverse country of Australia. However, there are some major metropolises that often catch our doctors' eyes, take a look at some of these key locations and what they have to offer to achieve your career and lifestyle goals.

The possibilities of locuming
Locum doctor
Our Doctors
We caught up with Dr Li Will Chen to learn more about his experience locuming with Medrecruit.
Article by Jordy Black | 08 Dec 2023
Rural Generalist locum
Our Doctors
We caught up with Dr RJ to find out why he enjoys working as a rural GP in Australia's outback.
Article by Jordy Black | 10 Jun 2024
Locum doctor in Uganda
Our Doctors
Discover how Dr Jeklin balances locuming with Medrecruit with meaningful volunteer work in Uganda.
Article by Jordy Black | 19 Dec 2023

Looking for something different?

Not sure working as a locum doctor is the right fit for your medical career at present? We have a wide variety of permanent doctor jobs available across New Zealand and Australia. From vibrant city centers to idyllic rural communities, we offer the perfect opportunity for you to gain experience in your career and make a lasting impact.

Enjoy the stability of long-term employment while still satiating your passion for practicing medicine. Our extensive network of healthcare facilities and hospitals ensures that we can match your skills and interests to the ideal permanent role, providing a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Think permanent work might be the right fit for you?

AU Locum FAQs

Yes! Most locum placements offer travel and accommodation arrangements. We can help negotiate this for you. This is usually hospital accommodation or a nice bed and breakfast, and flight or petrol reimbursement.

Locum placements can be as short as a couple of days, though most doctors prefer slightly longer placements (a few weeks or months) so there’s time to get to know the area and the team. Medrecruit also works with doctors to find permanent roles.

Your registration number, a current CV and three references are the essentials of any job application. Other paperwork that's commonly required is:

  • Evidence of vaccinations,
  • Evidence of your degree/fellowship,
  • Annual Practicing Certificates,
  • Indemnity,
  • A certified copy of your passport and/or driver’s licence,
  • Police vetting form.

What you'll need can vary slightly between Australian states and New Zealand. Some states/locations also require you to complete an online training course (eMedical Courses). We're here to help guide you through the requirements, and we'll give you a checklist detailing everything you need.

No, our service is free for doctors! We're paid by hospitals and clinics for our services and are preferred suppliers in several states and areas. Because we have a huge network of doctors, we save clinics and hospitals time (and money) by taking the stress out of the hiring and credentialing process.

This depends on where you work – the hospital or clinic chooses how a doctor is paid. This will work one of three ways:

  • You’re paid by the hospital/clinic as an employee
  • You’re paid by the hospital/clinic as a contractor
  • Medrecruit pays you directly (this can be as a casual employee of Medrecruit or via your company)

Your recruitment specialist can tell you which method you’ll be paid for each job you undertake.

2025 locum doctor salaries in Australia are influenced by specialisation, experience, location, and the placement's duration.

Specialisation: Specialists often earn between $2,000 to $3,500 AUD per day. This total will look different for part time locum doctors.

Experience: Juniors might earn $150 to $200 AUD per hour, with Registrars doctors earning up to $2800 per day.

Location: In remote or rural regions, healthcare locums often earn up to 50% more than in urban areas due to medical professional shortages.

Thanks to the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, New Zealand general practitioners are acknowledged in Australia. However, they're required to register with the Medical Board of Australia and will need to meet specific criteria. If you are a NZ GP looking to locum in Australia, simply register for our free service and our team will support you through every step of the process.

In Australia, doctors can locum after PGY+2. To be eligible for locum doctor jobs in Australia, firstly ensure you have a valid medical degree and are registered with the Medical Board of Australia. Next, choose a reputable medical recruitment agency, like Medrecruit, to represent you. They'll help match you with suitable locum vacancies, so you can choose work that aligns with your career goals and allow for flexbility in your lifestyle.

Yes, after you reach PGY+2 you can locum in Australia. Ensure you have a recognised medical degree and are registered with the Medical Board of Australia. You can utilise a locum agency, like Medrecruit, to find suitable placements. Rural areas locum opportunities often have higher demand but there are locum medical jobs available in urban centres as well.

Yes, locum work is often considered freelance. Locum doctors temporarily fill positions on an as-needed basis, allowing flexibility in choosing contracts. They aren't typically tied to one permanent employer, akin to freelance professionals in other fields. The word "locum tenens" describes a person filling a shift for a time or temporarily taking on temporary employment. It is primarily used to describe doctors.

In Australia, GP locum rates can vary based on location, demand, and experience. On average, in 2025 GP locums may earn AUD$1,500 to $2,200 per day. Rates can be higher in rural and remote areas due to scarcity, rural hospital GPs can expect to earn between AUD$1,800 - $3,000 in locum roles.