U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Trends & Growth – 2025 to 2032
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market is estimated to be valued at USD 22.81 Bn in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 28.82 Bn in 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% from 2025 to 2032.
Key Takeaways
Market Overview
The U.S. healthcare staffing industry is witnessing steady growth fuelled by a combination of demographic changes, increased demand for health care services, and steady shortage of health care professionals. An emerging elderly population, rising incidence of chronic conditions, and increased availability of medical care have served to place tremendous strain on current medical facilities, hence further increasing the demand for trained clinical and non-clinical experts. Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities are increasingly relying on the services of staffing agencies to supplement serious gaps, particularly in underserved areas and high-needs specialties like emergency medicine, intensive care, and geriatrics.
Current Events and Its Impact
Current Events |
Description and its impact |
Geopolitical and Global Events and their Effects on Staffing Availability |
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Economic Pressures and Inflation Dynamics
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Role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the U.S. healthcare staffing market by addressing critical challenges such as clinician shortages, administrative burdens, and workforce inefficiencies. In February 2024, SHIFTit Health launched its alpha version in Silicon Valley, aiming to transform the way healthcare facilities, including home health agencies and hospitals, connect with medical professionals for shift coverage. Traditional staffing models often lead to high costs and inefficiencies, but SHIFTit Health offers a direct-to-professional solution. The platform, featuring the ProConnect web app for facilities and a mobile app for professionals, leverages advanced AI technology to streamline and optimize the staffing process, ensuring greater efficiency and cost savings.
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Insights, By Service Type: Travel Nurse Staffing Dominates the Overall Market
This significant share reflects the growing demand for temporary and flexible healthcare professionals in a wide range of clinical settings. Travel nurses are often called upon to fill gaps in hospitals and healthcare facilities, particularly in regions experiencing staffing shortages, peak demand periods, or specialized needs. Their ability to quickly adapt to new environments and roles makes them a valuable asset in healthcare systems worldwide. According to an article by Arthur Lawrence, there are currently over 1.7 million traveling nurses in the U.S., with women making up 84.1% of the workforce and men accounting for 15.9%. The average age of a traveling nurse is 43, and the majority are White, representing 65.8% of the total.
Apart from this, the aging population, which places additional strain on healthcare facilities, and the heightened demand for skilled professionals in underserved areas. Additionally, the flexibility offered to travel nurses, in terms of location and work schedules, attracts a growing number of professionals seeking variety and adventure in their careers. Furthermore, healthcare institutions are increasingly relying on travel nurse staffing to ensure consistent and high-quality care delivery without the long-term commitment associated with permanent hires. As a result, the travel nurse staffing segment is poised for continued growth, with an increasing number of healthcare organizations leveraging this model to meet their staffing requirements effectively.
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Drivers:
Shortage of healthcare staff to augment market growth
One of the key factors expected to augment the U.S. healthcare staffing market growth during the forecast period is the shortage of healthcare staff across the country. For instance, hospitals are currently facing shortages of registered nurses. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), there will be a shortage of around 21 to 55,200 primary care doctors by 2032. Moreover, the country will face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, including 48,000 primary care physicians, according to AAMC. This in turn is expected to propel the growth of the U.S. healthcare staffing market during the forecast period.
Rising prevalence of chronic disease to drive market growth
Another factor which is driving the growth of the U.S. healthcare staffing market is the increasing prevalence of chronic disease in the U.S. For instance, such a high burden of chronic diseases leads to an increase in number of surgical procedures, which in turn increase the demand for healthcare services or staffing. Approximately 129 million individuals in the United States are affected by at least one major chronic condition (e.g., heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension), according to estimates from the US Department of Health and Human Services. This is further adding to the U.S. healthcare staffing market share.
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Opportunities:
The rising number of healthcare facilities in the United States is expected to provide significant growth opportunities for players in the U.S. healthcare staffing market. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that total construction spending on healthcare facilities in the U.S. hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of nearly USD 54 billion in November 2022, up from USD 43.3 billion in November 2017, reflecting an annual growth rate of approximately 4.5%. Federal Government also provide dedicated funding for the modernization of America’s hospital infrastructure. As per the American Hospital Association (AHA), currently, there are about 6,093 hospitals in the United States. This in turn is expected to drive growth of the market.
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Trends:
Rise in demand for travel nurses is a recent trend
Travel nurses help fill gaps in areas where there is shortage of nurses. Travel nurses are skilled or trained healthcare professionals who work on short-term roles or temporary assignments at clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations worldwide. According to the study conducted in April 2021 by Zippia, Inc., there were 1,696,386 traveling nurses employed in the United States in 2020. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.
Growing geriatric population is another trend
Growing geriatric population is leading to increasing demand for medical services and shortage of nurses and other medical staff. Geriatric population is more suspectible to diseases and infections, leading to long-term hospitalization. People over 65 are three times more likely to have a hospital stay and twice as likely to visit physician's office, compared with the rest of the population. As per the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of adults aged 65 or older to grow an estimated 80% between 2020 and 2030. This trend is also expected to continue over the forecast period.
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Restraints:
Stringent rules and regulations to hinder market growth
One of the key factors expected to hamper the growth of the U.S. healthcare staffing market is the stringent rules and regulations. New laws or regulations at both the state and the federal level may negatively affect healthcare facilities across the U.S. For instance, the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act mandates maintaining minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for each unit of the healthcare facility or else they would face penalties for failing to maintain these legally defined ratios. This in turn is expected to hamper the market growth.
Market Report Scope
U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market Report Coverage
Report Coverage | Details | ||
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Base Year: | 2024 | Market Size in 2025: | USD 22.81 Bn |
Historical Data for: | 2020 To 2024 | Forecast Period: | 2025 To 2032 |
Forecast Period 2025 to 2032 CAGR: | 3.4% | 2032 Value Projection: | USD 28.82 Bn |
Segments covered: |
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Companies covered: |
Envision Healthcare Corporation, AMN Healthcare, CHG Management, Inc., Maxim Healthcare Group, Cross Country Healthcare, Inc., Syneos Health, Inc., and Almost Family, Inc., among others. |
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Growth Drivers: |
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Restraints & Challenges: |
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U.S. Healthcare Staffing Market: Key Developments
Analyst Opinion (Expert Opinion)
Market Segmentation
Sources
Primary Research Interviews from the Following Stakeholders
Databases and Government Reports
Magazines & Journals
News Outlets
Associations
Public Domain Sources
Proprietary Elements
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About Author
Komal Dighe is a Management Consultant with over 8 years of experience in market research and consulting. She excels in managing and delivering high-quality insights and solutions in Health-tech Consulting reports. Her expertise encompasses conducting both primary and secondary research, effectively addressing client requirements, and excelling in market estimation and forecast. Her comprehensive approach ensures that clients receive thorough and accurate analyses, enabling them to make informed decisions and capitalize on market opportunities.
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