How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Best Physician Recruiting Companies in 2026
Jackson Physician Search is the top pick for most hospitals and health systems that need permanent physician hires. It focuses only on permanent placement, uses digital sourcing across job boards and Doximity, and has placed physicians since 1978. CompHealth is the best alternative when you also need locum tenens cover.
Key takeaways:
- Permanent search and locum tenens staffing are different services, so pick a firm that matches the gap you need to fill.
- No firm in this guide publishes a client price list, so every engagement is priced by quote and agreed before work starts.
- Physicians do not pay these firms for placement, so the hiring organisation carries the fee.
- Large groups own several brands in this list, so check whether two shortlisted firms share the same candidate pool.
- Ask each firm for its guarantee, replacement terms and timeline in writing before you sign.
What does a physician recruiting company do?
A physician recruiting company finds, screens and presents doctors for a hospital, health system or practice. It starts by defining the role, the location, the schedule and the pay range. It then searches its own database, job boards and professional networks for candidates who match. It screens CVs, checks interest, arranges interviews and helps with offer terms. Some firms also handle licensing, credentialing and relocation support. Permanent search firms focus on long term hires. Locum tenens firms place doctors on short term assignments to cover leave, vacancies or demand peaks.
How much does physician recruiting cost?
Physician recruiting cost is set by quote in almost every case, and no firm in this guide publishes a standard client fee on its website. Permanent search fees are commonly agreed as a share of the placed physician first year pay, or as a fixed fee, and the exact terms vary by specialty, location and search difficulty. Locum tenens fees are built into the hourly or daily rate the facility pays for cover, and the firm then pays the clinician and covers travel, housing and malpractice insurance where agreed. Ask for the full fee, the payment schedule, the guarantee period and what happens if the placement leaves early.
Which physician recruiting firm is best for permanent hires?
The best firm for permanent hires is one that recruits in your specialty and your market every week, not one that takes occasional searches. Jackson Physician Search is the strongest fit for permanent roles because that is all it does, and it describes itself as the largest privately held permanent physician recruitment firm in the United States. Merritt Hawkins, now part of AMN Healthcare, is a strong fit for permanent search with research and incentive data behind it. AMN Healthcare also runs permanent physician search alongside its wider staffing work. For rural or hard to fill posts, ask each firm how many searches it has completed in that specialty and state in the past year, and how long its recent searches took.
Which physician recruiting firm is best for locum tenens?
The best firm for locum tenens is one with a large active clinician pool, fast credentialing and 24 hour support. CompHealth and Weatherby Healthcare both work at large scale and cover many specialties across all 50 states. LocumTenens.com also works at large scale and places more than 7,000 clinicians a year, according to its own site. Medicus Healthcare Solutions suits hospitals that want a managed locum service with scheduling and workforce tools rather than single assignments. For short notice cover, ask about time to present a vetted clinician, licensing help, travel handling and malpractice cover, including tail cover.
What should you check before you sign with a recruiting firm?
Check the firm track record, fee terms and guarantee before you sign anything. Ask for recent placements in your specialty and setting, and for references you can call. Confirm whether the search is retained, where you pay part of the fee up front, or contingent, where you pay only on placement. Confirm the guarantee period and the replacement terms if a hire leaves early. Confirm who owns candidate sourcing, who handles credentialing and licensing, and who pays for travel and housing on locum assignments. Confirm the timeline in writing, with named milestones and regular updates.
Comparison table
| Firm | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
| Jackson Physician Search | Permanent physician hires | Quote | None |
| CompHealth | Permanent and locum tenens at scale | Quote | None |
| Weatherby Healthcare | Locum tenens assignments | Quote | None |
| LocumTenens.com | Large scale locum tenens staffing | Quote | None |
| AMN Healthcare | Permanent search and wider workforce needs | Quote | None |
| CHG Healthcare | Health system workforce programmes | Quote | None |
| Medicus Healthcare Solutions | Managed locum tenens and workforce stabilisation | Quote | None |
| Merritt Hawkins | Permanent physician search and consulting | Quote | None |
How we picked: we checked each firm official website on 11 Nov 2026, confirmed it is active in 2026, and kept only firms that place physicians for US hospitals, health systems and practices. We favoured firms with clear permanent or locum tenens focus, national reach and published service detail. We did not rank firms on price because none publishes a client fee.
Last verified: 11 Nov 2026.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Jackson Physician Search | Permanent physician, physician executive and advanced practice hires | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 CompHealth | Hospitals and practices that need both permanent hires and locum tenens cover | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 Weatherby Healthcare | Locum tenens assignments across many specialties, including telehealth | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 LocumTenens.com | Large health systems that need high volume locum tenens staffing | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 AMN Healthcare | Health systems that need permanent physician search plus wider staffing and consulting | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 CHG Healthcare | Health systems that want a single workforce partner across locum, permanent and technology services | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 Medicus Healthcare Solutions | Hospitals that need managed locum tenens cover and service line stabilisation | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
 Merritt Hawkins | Permanent physician search, consulting and recruiting incentive research | Quote, checked 11 Nov 2026 | None |
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8 Best Physician Recruiting Companies
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
Jackson Physician Search is the clearest choice when the goal is a permanent hire rather than temporary cover. The firm states that it is the largest privately held permanent physician recruitment firm in the nation, and it recruits across all specialties and all 50 states. Its process posts each role on more than 10 job boards until the search is filled, sends targeted email to opted in physicians and gives every recruiter a licence to source on Doximity. Recruiters start work within 48 hours, according to the firm. It is part of the Jackson Healthcare family, and it refers locum tenens needs to sister companies. Candidates never pay fees.
What we like- Permanent search only, with digital sourcing across more than 10 job boards and Doximity. In business since 1978 with more than 10,000 placements stated on its site.
Watch out for- It does not place physicians into locum tenens assignments, so you need a second firm for short term cover.
#2
CompHealth
Best for: Hospitals and practices that need both permanent hires and locum tenens cover
Visit comphealth.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
CompHealth is a strong all round choice because it covers both permanent and locum tenens work from one relationship. The firm says it founded the locum tenens industry and has worked in staffing for more than 40 years. Physicians pay no fee for its services, and facilities pay CompHealth to find and vet doctors. Its recruiters specialise by field, which helps in cardiology, anaesthesiology and obstetrics and gynaecology. For locum assignments, CompHealth covers housing and travel where the assignment is outside the local area, provides malpractice insurance with tail cover from day one and pays locum physicians weekly by direct deposit. It is Joint Commission certified. CompHealth is a CHG Healthcare brand, so buyers who also talk to Weatherby Healthcare should note the shared parent.
What we like- Very large scale, with more than 1,300 recruiters and business partners stated on its site. Covers permanent roles and locum tenens across nearly all specialties.
Watch out for- As a large firm inside CHG Healthcare, service can vary by specialty team and recruiter, so the named consultant matters more than the brand name.
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
Weatherby Healthcare is the locum tenens arm of CHG Healthcare and one of the largest firms in that field. It was founded in 1995 and is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a second office in Durham, North Carolina. It connects physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anaesthetists with temporary assignments in more than 100 specialties. Its consultants handle licensing, credentialing, travel and housing, and the firm provides malpractice insurance with tail cover. Telehealth locum work is a growing part of its offer, with remote assignments that still require a licence in the state where the patient is located. Weatherby is Joint Commission certified. Its services are free to clinicians, and facilities pay for the staffing service.
What we like- Locum tenens only, with more than 30 years of experience stated on its site. MyWeatherby app and portal give real time views of assignments, credentialing and pay.
Watch out for- It does not run permanent physician search, so a hospital that needs a lasting hire must engage a separate firm.
#4
LocumTenens.com
Best for: Large health systems that need high volume locum tenens staffing
Visit locumtenens.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
LocumTenens.com has operated since 1995 and is part of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies. It describes itself as the largest locum tenens agency in the United States, and it places physicians and advanced practice providers across the country. Each recruiter focuses on one medical specialty and goes through extensive training, which helps when the role needs a narrow skill set. The firm offers short term, long term and ongoing assignments, and it verifies candidates against National Committee for Quality Assurance standards, including education, training, experience and licensure checks. It also offers workforce and technology services through its LT Solution Suite. Government staffing is a separate service line.
What we like- Very large scale, with more than 7,000 clinicians placed each year and a presence in 90 percent of the top US healthcare facilities, according to its own site. Covers more than 60 specialties.
Watch out for- Its scale can make it feel impersonal for a small clinic that needs one clinician for a short gap.
#5
AMN Healthcare
Best for: Health systems that need permanent physician search plus wider staffing and consulting
Visit amnhealthcare.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
AMN Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare workforce firms in the United States and has worked in the field for more than four decades. Its permanent physician search team builds a tailored recruitment plan, sources and screens candidates, and helps craft competitive incentive packages. It also runs locum tenens assignments that can last from one day to one year, with travel, housing and rental car costs covered in almost all cases, according to its site. Its in house licensing team helps with state licensure, and malpractice insurance is provided for locum work. The firm publishes useful market data, including its annual incentives review based on 1,293 search engagements from April 2025 to March 2026. Merritt Hawkins now operates as part of AMN Healthcare, so buyers should treat the two names as one group.
What we like- Broad scope, covering permanent physician search, locum tenens, nursing and allied health, with a large national database. Publishes an annual Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives.
Watch out for- Its breadth can dilute focus, so a buyer should confirm that the named team works on physician search every day rather than general staffing. Locum clinicians work as independent contractors and do not receive health insurance through AMN Healthcare.
#6
CHG Healthcare
Best for: Health systems that want a single workforce partner across locum, permanent and technology services
Visit chghealthcare.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
CHG Healthcare was founded in 1979 as CompHealth and is now the parent of several well known staffing brands. It describes itself as the leading physician workforce company in the United States, and it works with 85 percent of healthcare organisations nationwide, according to its site. Its services cover temporary and permanent physician and advanced practice staffing, allied health, credentialing and workforce technology. Its Workforce Bridge programme offers a 120 day permanent placement guarantee, no billing until provider placement and no administration or malpractice fees, as stated on its site. CHG also offers an integrated float pool and workforce analytics. Buyers who engage CHG directly should ask which brand will deliver the work and whether the candidate pool overlaps with a CompHealth or Weatherby search they already run.
What we like- Parent of CompHealth, Weatherby Healthcare, Global Medical Staffing, RNnetwork and other brands, giving it very large reach. Offers workforce management tools for scheduling, credentialing and analytics.
Watch out for- CHG is a parent company rather than a single recruiting desk, so buyers must confirm which brand and team will run their search.
#7
Medicus Healthcare Solutions
Best for: Hospitals that need managed locum tenens cover and service line stabilisation
Visit medicushcs.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
Medicus Healthcare Solutions has connected physicians and advanced practice providers with US hospitals, health systems and medical groups since 2004. It is based in Windham, New Hampshire, and it works across specialties including anaesthesia, emergency medicine, radiology, psychiatry, surgery and hospital medicine. Its Medicus Transition Program is built to stabilise and rebuild a clinical service that has lost cover, rather than fill one shift at a time. Its MedicusOne platform is an AI powered workforce tool that gives leaders visibility into schedules and spend. The firm also runs Fulfil, a crowdsourcing platform launched in December 2021, and it partners with Optimum Permanent Placement Services for permanent hires.
What we like- Managed end to end model with one accountable team for recruiting, credentialing, travel, scheduling and onboarding. MedicusOne platform gives leaders real time views of schedules, cover and spend.
Watch out for- Its managed model suits hospitals with repeated or complex staffing gaps, and may be more service than a clinic needs for a single short assignment.
#8
Merritt Hawkins
Best for: Permanent physician search, consulting and recruiting incentive research
Visit merritthawkins.com
Starting priceQuote, checked 11 Nov 2026
Free planNone
Merritt Hawkins is the permanent physician search and consulting firm inside AMN Healthcare. It was established in 1987 and has long described itself as the leading physician search firm in the United States. It recruits physicians, physician leaders and advanced practice providers for hospitals, medical groups, community health centres and telehealth providers nationwide. Its annual Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives is widely used as a benchmark for starting pay, signing bonuses, relocation help and continuing education allowances. Recent editions are now published under the AMN Healthcare name, and the 2026 edition draws on 1,293 search engagements from April 2025 to March 2026. Buyers who shortlist both Merritt Hawkins and AMN Healthcare should treat them as one provider.
What we like- Long record in permanent physician search, founded in 1987, with work across all specialties and settings. Publishes annual research on physician recruiting incentives, salaries and bonuses.
Watch out for- The Merritt Hawkins name now sits inside AMN Healthcare, so buyers should confirm the team, terms and guarantee rather than assume a standalone firm.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a permanent physician search usually take?
A permanent physician search often takes several months, and hard to fill specialties or rural posts can take longer. The timeline depends on the specialty, the location, the pay package and how fast the hiring team can interview and decide. A good firm will give a written timeline with milestones, start sourcing within days and share regular updates.
Do physicians pay a fee to a recruiting company?
No, physicians do not pay a fee to the firms in this guide for placement. The hiring hospital, health system or practice pays the firm, either as a search fee for a permanent hire or as part of the rate for locum tenens cover. If a firm ever asks a physician candidate for payment, treat that as a warning sign.
What is the difference between retained and contingent search?
Retained search means the client pays part of the fee up front to secure a dedicated search, and the firm works on that role until it is filled. Contingent search means the firm is paid only if it places a candidate. Retained search often suits senior or hard to fill roles, while contingent search suits roles where several firms can compete.
What guarantee should I ask for in a permanent search?
Ask for a written guarantee that covers a replacement search or a fee refund if the placed physician leaves within an agreed period. Confirm how long the guarantee lasts, what counts as a departure, and how fast a replacement search starts. Get these terms in the signed agreement, since verbal promises are hard to enforce.
Can one firm handle both permanent hires and locum tenens cover?
Yes, some firms handle both, and CompHealth and AMN Healthcare are the clearest examples in this guide. Others focus on one side only, such as Jackson Physician Search for permanent hires and Weatherby Healthcare for locum tenens. Using one firm for both can simplify billing and cover, but check that the same candidate pool is not being sold to you twice under different brand names.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.jacksonphysiciansearch.com
- https://www.comphealth.com
- https://www.weatherbyhealthcare.com
- https://www.locumtenens.com
- https://www.amnhealthcare.com
- https://www.chghealthcare.com
- https://www.medicushcs.com
- https://www.merritthawkins.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.