Per Diem Nurse Staffing Market (2026 - 2033)

Per Diem Nurse Staffing Market Summary

The global per diem nurse staffing market was valued at USD 18.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 20.1 billion in 2026 to USD 34.6 billion in 2033, at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2026 to 2033. North America dominated the market, accounting for a revenue share of 50.0% in 2025. High demand for Medical-surgical nurses and increasing utilization of staffing agencies, shortage in demand for primary care physicians, in turn, increasing demand for Family Nurse Practitioners are some of the factors expected to boost the market growth.

Per diem nursing staff is preferred to meet requirements comprising immediate needs or to compensate for last-moment shift cancellations where other nursing staff including travel nurses, cannot be employed. Proper nursing care is one of the most important factors determining patient satisfaction and facilitates the speedy recovery of patients. Thus, maintaining a sufficient nurse-to-bed ratio is crucial to ensure that each patient receives the required nursing services.

Source: Grand View Research, IR Documents, Primary Interviews, Paid Databases

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The nurse-to-bed ratio generally means the number of nurses per available hospital bed. Due to long working shifts and high patient volume in hospitals, nurses are sometimes overburdened. Per diem nursing services can help in reducing the work burden of nurses. Per diem nurses are employed in healthcare facilities temporarily. These nurses fill in for regular staff or can be employed during flu seasons or for sick calls. According to the WHO, the number of people aged 60 years and older globally is projected to increase from 1.1 billion to 1.4 billion from 2023 to 2030. This is expected to result in growing demand for healthcare services and increasing number of facilities and providers seeking for efficient per diem nurse staffing solutions.

The growing burden on healthcare systems and increasing number of newly established ambulatory surgery centers, emergency departments, and acute care facilities contribute to the growth experienced by this industry. Employment & payment of per diem nurses are done daily via hospital staffing pools or specialized job placement agencies. Nurses are looking for opportunities to gain more work experience to explore future job prospects. The nurses get good compensation for working flexible schedules, which is driving more nurses to do these assignments. One of the important factors driving the market growth is the benefits and advantages of becoming a per diem nurse. Apart from their passion for serving others, nurses give high importance to flexible work schedules.

For instance, according to an article published by Norwich University, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shortage of nurses in the healthcare industry. Because there weren't enough nurses, they sometimes had to work long hours or take care of more patients than they should, which could make them very tired and more likely to make mistakes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 194,500 open positions for registered nurses (RNs) annually. One of the reasons for this shortage is that up to 57.0% of nurses’ stop being nurses within the first three years and between 17.0% and 30.0% leave in their first year. Also, many nurses start retiring when they're around 51 years old, which puts even more pressure on the nursing profession.

In addition, according to NITI Aayog, Government of India, there are currently 1.3 hospital beds for every 1,000 people in India. However, there's a shortage of skilled healthcare workers, with only 0.65 physicians and 1.3 nurses per 1,000 people, which is lower than the recommended standard set by the World Health Organization. To reach the goal of having 3 hospital beds per 1,000 people by 2025, the country will need an additional 3.0 million beds. Moreover, there's a demand for about 1.54 million more doctors and 2.4 million nurses to meet the growing healthcare needs. Initiatives like Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) will also create a need for more healthcare personnel in various cities and villages. To have at least 2.5 doctors and 5 nurses for every 1,000 people by 2034, India will have to train more healthcare professionals across different categories.

Analyst Perspective

The per diem nurse staffing market is anticipated to experience significant growth driven by increasing severe shortages of trained healthcare professionals, continuous growth in the geriatric population, and rising patient volumes. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are relying on per diem nurses, which helps them maintain an optimal nurse-to-patient ratio, which manages fluctuation staffing requirements and addresses last-minute absences.  In addition, the flexible and competitive compensation associated with per diem work continues to attract nurses who seek better work-life balance with diverse clinical experience.  In countries such as India and the U.S., shortages of qualified nurses, coupled with growing healthcare infrastructure and increasing demand for effective care delivery across facilities, are anticipated to further accelerate demand in the forecast period. Key companies engaged in providing efficient per diem nurse staffing solutions rely on strategies such as the adoption of AI and predictive workforce analytics, the development of app-based digital marketplaces, assisting facilities in embracing hybrid workforce models, partnerships, and more.

Regional Insights

North America dominates the per diem nurse staffing market in terms of revenue, accounting for a share of over 50.0% in 2025. The region is expected to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period, owing to factors such as the adoption of staffing services to allocate nurses at various healthcare facilities, which is expected to drive the market growth. For instance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' predictions for job trends between 2021 and 2031, the number of Registered Nurses (RNs) is expected to go up by about 6%. This means that the group of RNs is likely to grow from 3.1 million in 2021 to around 3.3 million in 2031, adding nearly 195,400 more nurses. The Bureau also expects that there is expected to be about 203,200 job opportunities available for RNs every year up until 2031. This considers the fact that some nurses are expected to retire or leave the workforce during this time.

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Asia Pacific Per Diem Nurse Staffing Market Trends

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Key factors driving the market for per diem nurse staffing include an increasing number of government initiatives to strengthen the healthcare systems and improve healthcare access in rural areas, resulting in various hospital projects. For instance, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), in 2026, India had approximately 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 AYUSH practitioners, and a growing workforce of 3.9 million nursing personnel. India’s healthcare is expanding and transforming into one of India's most significant sectors in terms of earnings and workforce. In May 2025, India reported USD 81.0 billion FDI Inflow in FY 2024-25, representing nearly 14.0% increase compared to the previous year. The services sector accounts for the largest, which highlights the investor confidence in India’s investor-friendly policies, which expand healthcare and allied services.

Key Per Diem Nurse Staffing Market Company Insights

The market is fragmented with the presence of well-established as well as small-scale players, leading to higher competition among smaller players to sustain their market position. The high demand for nursing services by healthcare facilities leads to players adopting various strategies, such as mergers & acquisitions, to maintain their market stronghold. For instance, AMN healthcare operates the care champions scholarship program which supports students who face financial burden to complete their education which includes occupational therapy, physical therapy, school psychology, and speech language pathology. The program continues offering scholarship to students in 2025.

Key Per Diem Nurse Staffing Companies

The following key companies have been profiled for this study on the per diem nurse staffing market.

• Cross Country Healthcare

• HealthTrust Purchasing Group, L.P.

• Maxim Healthcare.

• Supplemental Health Care

• Accountable Healthcare

• AMN Healthcare

• NurseStaffing.

• GHR Healthcare

• Interim HealthCare Inc

• CareerStaff Unlimited.

Recent Developments

• In September 2025, AllShifts launched a newly established Therapy & Allied Staffing Division, consolidating its offerings to provide efficient staffing for healthcare facilities with a range of occupational therapy, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and speech language pathologists.

• In June 2025, StaffDNA acquired the per diem healthcare staffing business of Kevala. The acquisition included integration of platforms which enables StaffDNA to expand its per diem workforce network and strengthen its healthcare staffing capabilities.

Global Per Diem Nurse Staffing Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2033. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global per diem nurse staffing market report based on region:

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

    • Thailand

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Kuwait