Looking for freelance or contract work as a emergency medicine in Texas? Whether you want to supplement your income or transition to independent practice, Texas offers several high-paying options. Here's how the top opportunities compare.
Reviews emergency medicine cases for litigation, providing expert testimony on standard of care in ER malpractice suits or personal injury claims. Involves chart analysis, report writing, and court depositions specific to trauma, diagnostics, and triage decisions. Work is project-based with episodic court appearances.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: No geographic variation; TX has significant med-mal defense market; Trial testimony $500-$750/hr; Deposition $350-$550/hr; Record review $250-$400/hr
Typical start timeline: 1-4 weeks
Advises hospitals, clinics, or insurers on emergency department operations, protocol development, staffing models, and quality improvement in Texas facilities. Includes strategic planning for high-volume ERs and compliance with state regulations. Engagements are often short-term projects or ongoing retainers.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: Houston/Dallas biomedical corridor creates consulting demand; No state income tax; Expert networks $200-$400/hr; Pharma advisory $300-$450/hr; Health system consulting $200-$350/hr
Typical start timeline: 4-8 weeks
Involves temporary staffing in hospital emergency departments to provide short-term coverage for ER shifts, often 8-12 hours, handling acute patient cases in high-volume settings. Physicians work as independent contractors filling gaps due to shortages or vacations. Flexible shift selection allows balancing multiple assignments across Texas facilities.
Malpractice Insurance: Typically provided by employer
Texas notes: Rural +25% ($275-$350); Houston/Dallas metro avg rate; No state income tax boosts effective pay; Critical Care $250-$350/hr; General EM $190-$280/hr; Pediatric EM $230-$320/hr
Typical start timeline: 4-12 weeks
Healthcare AI companies hire emergency medicine professionals to review, annotate, and validate training data for medical AI systems. Work involves emergency clinical scenario training data — tasks like triage algorithm training, clinical decision support, trauma assessment.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: Fully remote — available regardless of state. Pay based on specialty expertise, not location.
Typical start timeline: 1-2 weeks
Getting started: Join the expert community and make a free profile on Folio to browse current emergency medicine AI training projects.
Examines emergency medicine patient charts for insurers or hospitals to assess medical necessity, coding accuracy, and adherence to guidelines in Texas claims. Identifies over/under-utilization in ER admissions and procedures to support cost control and quality audits. Work is volume-based with deadlines per case batch.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: Remote work; insurance company hubs in Dallas create demand; Concurrent UR $150-$275/hr; Retrospective $125-$225/hr; IME-related review $175-$300/hr
Typical start timeline: 2-6 weeks
Provides remote emergency medicine consultations via video or phone for urgent care triage, initial assessments, and follow-ups without physical exams. Supports overflow from ERs or direct-to-consumer virtual visits for non-critical cases. Focuses on rapid decision-making to advise on-site care or transfers.
Malpractice Insurance: Yes ($2,000-$5,000/year)
Texas notes: TX license prioritized by telehealth companies; No geographic variation (remote); Night tele-EM $150-$190/hr; Daytime virtual urgent care $125-$160/hr
Typical start timeline: 2-6 weeks
Q: What are the highest-paying freelance options for emergency medicine physicians in Texas?
A: Based on current market data, the top 3 are: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal ($350-$750/hr), Healthcare Consulting / Advisory ($200-$450/hr), Locum Tenens / Per Diem ($190-$350/hr).
Q: Which freelance options for emergency medicine physicians don't require malpractice insurance?
A: 4 options don't require malpractice insurance: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal ($350-$750/hr), Healthcare Consulting / Advisory ($200-$450/hr), AI Training & Annotation ($125-$315/hr), Chart Review / Utilization Review ($125-$275/hr). This can save $20-$50K annually compared to options requiring coverage.
Q: Can emergency medicine physicians work remotely in Texas?
A: Yes, 5 options are fully or partially remote: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal ($350-$750/hr), Healthcare Consulting / Advisory ($200-$450/hr), AI Training & Annotation ($125-$315/hr), Chart Review / Utilization Review ($125-$275/hr), Telemedicine / Telehealth ($125-$190/hr).
Q: What Texas license do emergency medicine physicians need for freelance work?
A: An active Texas license from Texas Medical Board is required for most clinical freelance options.
Q: How quickly can emergency medicine physicians start freelance work?
A: Timeline varies by option: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal typically takes 1-4 weeks, while Healthcare Consulting / Advisory typically takes 4-8 weeks, while Locum Tenens / Per Diem typically takes 4-12 weeks.
Q: What's the pay range for emergency medicine physicians doing AI training work?
A: AI training pays $125-$315/hour for emergency medicine physicians, varying by experience level and project complexity. No malpractice insurance required.
Folio connects Texas emergency medicine physicians with frontier research labs and healthcare AI companies looking for clinical expertise. The platform vets AI companies for project quality, handles contracting and payment, and matches projects to your area of expertise.
Typical timeline:
- Application: 3 minutes
- Credential review: 2-3 business days
- Platform orientation: 1 hour
- First project: 3-7 days from application
Current project focus (February 2026): Triage algorithm training, clinical decision support, trauma assessment
Most emergency medicine physicians start with 5-10 hours weekly, then scale based on preference. No minimum commitment.
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Questions? Email experts@folioworks.com
