Find a Job You Really Want In
Per diem jobs are offered in a variety of different industries, including healthcare, construction, and education. These jobs are typically surfaced based on the needs of the organization.
As a per diem employee, you are never guaranteed hours, unlike full-time and part-time employees. However, depending on the company and the workload, you may work just as much as a full-time employee.
Key Takeaways:
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Per diem jobs are temporary jobs where you are paid on a “per day” basis.
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Per diem jobs are very popular in healthcare, but they can also be found in human resources and the energy industry.
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Some great per diem jobs include nursing, pharmacy, and benefits counseling.
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Per diem jobs are great for anyone who wants flexibility in their work schedule.
What Is A Per Diem Job?
If you’ve ever wondered what the meaning of a ‘per diem job’ is, you’re not alone. “Per diem” is Latin for “per day” or “for each day,” and a per diem job is exactly what it sounds like. These jobs are perfect for individuals looking for maximum flexibility, additional professional experience in different career fields, or those simply looking for a temporary stream of income.
Typically per diem jobs are used by organizations to cover for vacations, sick days, medical leave, or any other reason a facility might be short-staffed. Individuals who work a per diem job are usually paid on a daily basis. They will typically negotiate rates and job responsibilities with the employers prior to the job assignment.
Finding Per Diem Work
There are a variety of ways to find per diem employment. These jobs are most commonly found in the medical field. However, they can be available in different industries as well. Someone who may be interested in a per diem job should consider looking at online job boards.
You can also consider reaching out to the local hiring office or a hospital, medical office building, warehouse, or office to see if there is a need.
These short-term positions can include positions like nursing, hospice care, pediatrics, midwifery, phlebotomy, operating (OR) assistants, pharmacists, admission coordinators, recreation and event coordinators, designers, and assistants.
As you can see, these opportunities can vary widely and require a variety of skill sets. Below, we discuss some of these jobs in more detail.
Per Diem Jobs
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Per Diem Fingerprinting Technician
Average Yearly Salary: $35,637If you have experience with fingerprinting, considering a per diem job as a fingerprinting technician can fill a need many organizations have. These individuals are typically responsible for assisting the human resources or recruiting team by accurately and efficiently processing fingerprint candidates.
Some duties might include checking identifications, processing payment, processing fingerprints, managing a high-volume and fast-paced schedule, and making independent decisions on the quality of fingerprints, scheduling, and payment tasks.
Experience/skills required: Individuals may also be asked to assist the team with reference and background checking, light data entry, and other application responsibilities.
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Per Diem Pharmacist
Average Yearly Salary: $119,000If you are a licensed pharmacist, you may want to consider per diem pharmacist roles.
Typically those working as a per diem pharmacist will verify prescription medications, including unit dose and compounding. They may also be required to consult with patients, physicians, and other healthcare professionals, depending on the pharmacy’s needs.
Oftentimes these roles are hired in a time of high volume, so you should also be prepared to work long hours with a high volume of customers to serve.
Experience/skills required: These roles typically require some experience as a pharmacist in a retail or specialty pharmacy role and valid licensure and certification for your local, state, and federal laws.
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Per Diem Registered Nurse
Average Yearly Salary: $63,000Nurses who work per diem are typically those who earn higher hourly rates than their full-time counterparts. Every hospital approaches this differently, so you will be paid depending on the hospital you serve.
Nurses working through agencies may also receive different pay depending on location, any specialties they possess, and the specific shifts they’re working. This is often a great way to pick up some extra cash as a nurse.
Nurses who take on a per diem role will have the typical nurse requirements, but since they may be called in for a specific need, they may need to cater their skills towards specific patients or diseases.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, per diem nurses were in high need due to the overpopulation of hospitals. Therefore, per diem nurses were asked to cater to those patients on ventilators.
Experience/skills required: Licensed graduates of bachelor’s, associate’s, or diploma programs usually qualify for entry-level positions as a staff nurse. Some employers, particularly in hospitals, require a bachelor’s degree.
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Per Diem Hospice Care
Average Yearly Salary: $29,000Depending on the volume of patients, many organizations may need to hire per diem hospice care nurses. Typically this job requires nurses to have experience with direct hospice care as their primary duties will be to plan, organize, and direct hospice for clients.
For this type of role, you’ll need to be in good physical shape as you’ll likely be required to withstand considerable stationary positions. You may be required to push, pull, or position heavy items, transport, position, balance, remove and help patients with their supplies and medical equipment.
On the medical side, you’ll need to be able to work for your clients, including stooping, reaching, bending, kneeling, or crouching for considerable amounts of time.
Experience/skills required: One of the most important things in this field is to have impeccable communication skills, especially for clients and their families. Of course, you’ll also need to have all of your nursing skills and knowledge at the ready.
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Per Diem Operating Room Nurse
Average Yearly Salary: $85,000For nurses with operating room experience, considering a per diem operating room nurse role could be a great opportunity. This role can be taken on at a variety of facilities, including both private practices and hospitals.
Operating room nurses must be reliable for their surgeons. Be sure you have high energy, great interpersonal and multi-tasking skills, and can work independently and make decisions without question. Operating rooms operate at all hours of the day and night, so remember that taking a per diem job can put you on the job at odd hours.
Experience/skills required: The needs will vary widely by job, but you should absolutely have strong clinical skills with experience in post-surgical, operating room, and general healthcare.
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Help Center Agent Per Diem
Average Yearly Salary: $26,000If you have experience in a customer service environment, you can consider looking at help center agent jobs on a per diem basis. These individuals will typically assist in the day-to-day operations of a company’s customer service department to enhance customer service experience, engagement, and satisfaction.
Depending on the company hiring, you may be required to learn certain operating procedures and product lines. However, ultimately the job will be about the client. You’ll want to make sure you have exceptional communication skills, can learn quickly, and operate independently.
Experience/skills required: Many help center agent jobs require experience in a role such as customer service representative. Previous career experience in other roles such as cashier or sales associate may also be helpful.
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Per Diem Care Manager
Average Yearly Salary: $61,000Care managers are responsible for giving advice and providing information about the variety of options that are available for patient care and services.
The most common tasks for this role are coordinating and facilitating discharge needs for clients, coordinating documents and inputting data into the company system, advocating for post-acute services, obtaining any necessary authorizations for medications, collaborating directly with physicians, and more.
Experience/skills required: Care managers are experts in the services they provide, and they’re also able to provide clients with the quality and costs of different providers. They may also coordinate medical treatment, including assessments, and create individualized care plans for patients.
Find Care Manager jobs near me
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Benefits Counselor Per Diem
Average Yearly Salary: $37,644A benefits counselor manages all employee benefits within an organization. Benefits counselors design and administer a program that ensures both company and employee needs are met and work with the organization to implement the said program. These individuals are also responsible for educating and assisting employees in enrolling in benefits activities.
Experience/skills required: These individuals should have excellent communication skills and actively participate in the company activities to learn more about the day-to-day operations of the business. They need to be personable and trustworthy so that employees can really buy what they’re selling.
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Per Diem Patient Access Representative
Average Yearly Salary: $30,000A patient access representative is the first point of contact that a patient has in a hospital facility.
Duties typically include checking patients in and out, gathering essential information for doctors and nurses to use, and communicating any important information to patient families or caregivers and processing billing information.
Experience/skills required: While patient access representatives don’t need a ton of experience, the role requires proficiencies in areas such as communication skills, computer skills, and customer-service skills.
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Per Diem Registered Dietitian
Average Yearly Salary: $51,000Per diem registered dieticians are individuals who provide quality medical nutrition therapy to their patients. They also promote nutrition information to co-workers, staff, and the local community. These individuals may also work to develop medical nutrition therapies and implement individual diet plans for patients.
Experience/skills required: For this type of role, you’ll likely need a Bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition or a related field, a current state license if your state requires it, and registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Depending on their needs, you may also need to bring some professional experience with you as well.
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Per Diem Medical Screener
Average Yearly Salary: N/AA medical screener evaluates patients when they enter a healthcare facility. They may ask basic health questions to get patient information and document things for hospital staff. In this role, the experience can be limited as well as education, though a basic understanding of medical terminology and medical conditions can be very beneficial in this field.
Experience/skills required: You’ll want to make sure you have strong attention to detail and great communication skills so that you can work effortlessly with patients.
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Per Diem Solar Engineer
Average Yearly Salary: $90,417Per diem solar engineers work on a case by case basis to help both individuals and companies with their solar needs. Solar engineers help with their clients needs related to the installation and maintenance of solar panels.
Solar engineers may also work alongside a sales team to ensure the safety of a new customer’s solar panels. Solar engineers may help with a solar energy firm research and develop new materials.
Experience/skills required: To be a successful solar engineer you must have excellent logic and reasoning skills, comfort with computer technology, and advanced math skills.
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Per Diem Plumber
Average Yearly Salary: $55,337Plumbers can find all sorts of per diem jobs as a part of their work. For a plumber, a per diem job would be on the smaller side of a project, one that isn’t guaranteed to go for very long. Plumbers install pipes, fix leaks, consult with construction contractors, and much more.
To be a plumber you need to be willing to work with your hands and not afraid to get dirty from time to time. That being said, plumbing can be a relatively clean job, however it does require lifting heavy materials, working at all sorts of hours, and being knowledge about the intricacies of pipe installation.
Experience/skills required: Most plumbers learn their trade through technical training and apprenticeships. Most states require plumbers to obtain a license by passing an exam that covers technical knowledge and local plumbing codes.
Per Diem Frequently Asked Questions
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What does per diem jobs mean?
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How do per diem jobs work?
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Do per diem employees get benefits?
Per diem jobs are “per day” jobs. This means an employee is paid on a per day basis. They are used to fill temporary needs in a professional setting. For example, a hospital that is short on staff may hire a per diem nurse to work a couple of days a week until a more permanent staff member can be hired.
Per diem jobs are paid on a daily basis under terms agreed upon before employment. The employer and per diem employee will agree on the daily rate and job responsibilities prior to work. However, they may or may not agree on the length of employment. Per diem jobs can be consecutive or on an at-need basis.
No, per diem employees do not get benefits. Since per diem employees are working on a per day basis, they are not full time employees. Instead, per diem employees have the benefit of flexibility to their schedule.
Author
Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
