How much does a locum Sports Medicine make in California?
Locum Sports Medicine physicians in California earn $370–$400/hr (1099, take-home) in 2026. 10% above general orthopedic surgery. Range varies by surgical volume, call requirements, and team physician responsibilities — high-volume arthroscopic surgery programs and professional sports team coverage command the top end.
Source: LocumOS Physician Freedom Project 2026, AMN Healthcare 2026, NALTO benchmarks. Physician take-home, 1099.
What qualifications do locum Sports Medicine physicians need in California?
Sports Medicine fellowship (orthopedic or primary care) required; subspecialty board certification in Sports Medicine strongly preferred.
- ABOS board certification in Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine fellowship (orthopedic or primary care)
- Subspecialty board certification in Sports Medicine (preferred)
- Arthroscopic surgery proficiency (knee, shoulder, hip)
- Sports injury evaluation and injection procedure experience
- Team physician experience (preferred)
What hospitals hire locum Sports Medicine physicians in California?
California has a robust healthcare infrastructure with multiple facility types actively hiring locum Sports Medicine specialists.
Sports Medicine Clinics
Dedicated sports medicine practices and orthopedic groups with high-volume sports injury and arthroscopic surgery programs
University and College Athletic Programs
NCAA Division I and II programs requiring team physician coverage and sports medicine clinic services
Professional Sports Organizations
Professional sports teams and leagues requiring team physician and sports medicine coverage
Orthopedic Surgery Groups
Multi-specialty orthopedic groups with sports medicine subspecialty practices requiring locum coverage
Community Hospitals with Sports Medicine Programs
Community hospitals with active sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery programs
How long does the California medical board take for locum Sports Medicine licensing?
California is not an IMLC compact member — traditional licensing required (12–20 weeks).
California is NOT an IMLC member. Longest processing times in the country — plan 4–5 months ahead. Locums One begins credentialing immediately upon engagement.
Locums One handles all licensing and credentialing for placed physicians — including California medical board applications, FCVS coordination, and DEA registration. Average credentialing time: 21 days (industry average: 60–90 days).
California isn't IMLC — but you can still go multi-state
Apply to the Locums One Bench. We'll surface gigs in your home state plus the IMLC compact states (40+ states) where you can fast-track licensure.
Already credentialed in California? Apply to the Bench to get matched on future Sports Medicine gigs across the country. Free signup.
Built Different. Here's How.
Your Locum Career, Managed End-to-End
Other agencies place you on one assignment, then you start the paperwork from zero on the next. We carry it forward.
Your credentialing packet, license expirations, malpractice tail coverage, tax-pro consult, year-ahead assignment planning — all tracked in one place by the same team. You stay focused on patients. We handle the rest of your locum career.
IMLC application service — for $99 refundable deposit we handle your full multi-state application, you get 40+ state licenses in 3–4 weeks
Nobody else in locum tenens does this end-to-end. We built it because every founder here lived through what didn't.
What's Bundled in Every Assignment
One number on every contract. Everything below included:
- •Malpractice — $1M/$3M claims-made with tail. No separate invoice.
- •Travel + lodging — round-trip + furnished housing within a 60-mile radius
- •1099 tax-pro consult — a CPA on retainer for your 1099 questions, free for placed physicians
- •License-renewal tracking — we monitor your state expirations and prompt 90 days out
- •Same recruiter every assignment — see the next block
One contract. One bill. One number that already includes the things other agencies bill separately.
Same Recruiter Every Assignment
Other agencies hand you to a new recruiter every job. The first call is always "Tell me about your case mix..." — again. We don't.
Your recruiter knows your specialty, your case-mix preferences, your spouse's name, and which Tuesday you can't be on call. They stay with you across every assignment, every state, every year. The relationship compounds.
What We Won't Do
- •No name-clearing without your written approval.
- •No CV submissions to facilities you didn't review first.
- •No calls during shifts.
- •No surprise fees post-acceptance.
- •No "your rate just changed because the facility renegotiated."
Predictability beats every other selling point in locum tenens. We commit to it in writing.
We Optimize for You, Not the Facility
Most agencies measure success by placements made. We measure it by physicians who book a second assignment.
Same bid, two physicians? We push back to the facility for the better-fit candidate, not the one who'll close fastest.
Better-paying gig at a different agency? We tell you. (Then we work to win you back next round with a better one.)
We work for you. The facility relationships compound when you stay — that's the model.
Built by Physicians Who Got Tired of This
Locums One was built by physicians who spent years on the receiving end of opaque agencies. Every workflow — credentialing, contract review, rate negotiation, malpractice handling — was designed by someone who'd been a locum themselves and watched the system break in the same places, every time.
We're not a tech company that figured out staffing. We're a physician company that figured out tech.
The Cost of Opaque Agencies
The typical locum loses $40,000–$60,000/year to hidden agency markup. Most never see the bill rate, only the take-home.
We publish the math. Our gated rate sheet shows what facilities actually pay, what physicians take home, what we keep, and where every other line item goes.
Physicians who read it and switch see the difference inside one assignment cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions — Locum Sports Medicine in California
What qualifications do locum sports medicine physicians need?
Sports Medicine fellowship completion (orthopedic or primary care track) is required. Subspecialty board certification in Sports Medicine is strongly preferred. Arthroscopic surgery proficiency (knee, shoulder, hip) is required for surgical coverage. Team physician experience is valued for athletic program placements.
What do locum sports medicine physicians earn per hour?
Locum orthopedic sports medicine physicians typically earn $370–$400 per hour — approximately 10% above general orthopedic surgery ($300–$375/hr). Rates vary by surgical volume, call requirements, and whether the assignment includes team physician responsibilities.
Do you place sports medicine physicians for clinic-only coverage?
Yes. We place sports medicine physicians for clinic-only coverage, surgical coverage, and hybrid clinic/surgical models. Clinic-only assignments are common for practices covering sports injury evaluation, injection procedures, and non-operative management.
Is malpractice included for locum sports medicine physicians?
Yes. Every locum sports medicine physician carries $1M/$3M occurrence-based malpractice coverage included in the single bill rate.
Related Reading
Explore More
For hospitals & clinics in California → /staff/california/
How do I apply for a locum Sports Medicine role in California?
Locums One handles credentialing, licensing, malpractice, travel, and lodging — all bundled. Average placement: 21 days.
Get the California Sports Medicine Rate Sheet PDF: