Looking for freelance or contract work as a primary care physician 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.
Primary Care Physicians review medical records, provide expert opinions on standard of care, and testify in legal cases involving primary care malpractice or personal injury. Work involves writing detailed reports and preparing for depositions or court appearances based on Texas primary care practices. Assignments are project-based, often sourced through legal firms or expert networks.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: No significant geographic variation; TX among top states for medical malpractice litigation; TX physician expert witness avg $450/hr; FM $300-$400/hr; IM $400-$500/hr; Trial testimony $500-$750/hr; Deposition $450-$475/hr
Typical start timeline: 1-4 weeks
Primary Care Physicians advise healthcare organizations, pharma companies, or policy groups on primary care delivery, population health, and quality improvement initiatives. Participation includes attending virtual or in-person board meetings, reviewing protocols, and providing strategic input on Texas healthcare trends. Work is typically part-time with compensated preparation time.
Malpractice Insurance: No
Texas notes: Houston Texas Medical Center proximity creates additional consulting demand; no state income tax makes net earnings higher; Expert network calls $200-$500/hr; Pharma advisory boards $2K-$5K/meeting; KOL $200-$500/hr; Houston/Dallas medical center consulting opportunities
Typical start timeline: 4-8 weeks
Healthcare AI companies hire primary care physician professionals to review, annotate, and validate training data for medical AI systems. Work involves ehr summarization and clinical reasoning validation — tasks like symptom checker validation, diagnostic reasoning evaluation, clinical note qa, documentation 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 primary care physician AI training projects.
Primary Care Physicians conduct virtual patient consultations, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and manage follow-ups via video or phone from home. Focus is on primary care issues for adults and families, often part-time or weekend shifts with lower patient volumes. Assignments may include supervising remote NPs or independent virtual visits in Texas-licensed platforms.
Malpractice Insurance: Typically provided by employer
Texas notes: No geographic variation (remote); TX license required; large patient population creates high telehealth demand; Primary care $70-$150/hr; Psychiatry $150-$250/hr; Urgent care virtual $80-$120/hr; After-hours premium +15-25%
Typical start timeline: 2-6 weeks
Primary Care Physicians evaluate patient charts for medical necessity, coding accuracy, and adherence to guidelines in insurance or quality assurance contexts. Tasks involve remote review of records to approve or deny services, focusing on primary care utilization patterns in Texas. Work is often weekend or part-time shifts with high volume of cases per hour.
Malpractice Insurance: Typically provided by employer
Texas notes: Primarily remote; large managed care and insurance presence in TX; Contract UR $85-$110/hr; Full-time UR roles $100-$150/hr; Complex reviews/peer-to-peer $125-$175/hr
Typical start timeline: 2-6 weeks
Primary Care Physicians fill temporary staffing gaps in clinics, hospitals, or outpatient facilities, providing standard primary care services such as patient evaluations, treatments, and management of acute and chronic conditions. Assignments typically involve 8-12 hour shifts with patient volumes of 18-25 per day, often in underserved or rural Texas areas. Work can be ongoing or short-term, with agencies handling travel and housing.
Malpractice Insurance: Typically provided by employer
Texas notes: Rural TX (West TX, Panhandle, Rio Grande Valley) +20-25% premium; Houston/Dallas/Austin/San Antonio metro at base rates; FM $120-$145/hr; IM $120-$145/hr; Hospitalist $170-$190/hr; Weekend/holiday +20-30%; No state income tax advantage
Typical start timeline: 4-12 weeks
Q: What are the highest-paying freelance options for primary care physicians in Texas?
A: Based on current market data, the top 3 are: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal Consulting ($300-$600/hr), Healthcare Consulting / Advisory Boards ($150-$500/hr), AI Training & Annotation ($125-$300/hr).
Q: Which freelance options for primary care physicians don't require malpractice insurance?
A: 3 options don't require malpractice insurance: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal Consulting ($300-$600/hr), Healthcare Consulting / Advisory Boards ($150-$500/hr), AI Training & Annotation ($125-$300/hr). This can save $10-$25K annually compared to options requiring coverage.
Q: Can primary care physicians work remotely in Texas?
A: Yes, 4 options are fully or partially remote: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal Consulting ($300-$600/hr), AI Training & Annotation ($125-$300/hr), Telemedicine / Telehealth ($70-$175/hr), Chart Review / Utilization Review ($85-$175/hr).
Q: What Texas license do primary care 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 primary care physicians start freelance work?
A: Timeline varies by option: Expert Witness / Medical-Legal Consulting typically takes 1-4 weeks, while Healthcare Consulting / Advisory Boards typically takes 4-8 weeks, while AI Training & Annotation typically takes 1-2 weeks.
Q: What's the pay range for primary care physicians doing AI training work?
A: AI training pays $125-$300/hour for primary care physicians, varying by experience level and project complexity. No malpractice insurance required.
Folio connects Texas primary care 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): Symptom checker validation, diagnostic reasoning evaluation, clinical note QA, documentation assessment
Most primary care physicians start with 5-10 hours weekly, then scale based on preference. No minimum commitment.
Explore AI Training Opportunities
Questions? Email experts@folioworks.com
Freelance primary care physicians in Texas can earn between $120-$170/hr and $300-$600/hr depending on the type of work. Expert Witness / Medical-Legal Consulting typically commands the highest rates, while options like AI training ($125-$300/hr) offer competitive pay with maximum flexibility and no overhead costs.
It depends on the type of work. Locum tenens and telehealth positions often require malpractice insurance, though some staffing agencies provide it. AI training and annotation work does not require malpractice insurance. If you need to purchase your own policy, expect to pay $10,000-$25,000/year depending on your specialty and coverage limits.
Yes, many primary care physicians supplement their full-time income with freelance work. Options like AI training, medical writing, and telehealth consulting are particularly well-suited to part-time schedules since they offer flexible hours and remote work. Check your employment contract for any non-compete or moonlighting clauses before starting.
AI training for primary care physicians involves reviewing and annotating data used to train healthcare AI systems. This can include ehr summarization and clinical reasoning validation. Companies like Folio connect primary care physicians with AI projects that pay $125-$300/hr. The work is fully remote, flexible, and doesn't require malpractice insurance.
Start by ensuring your Texas license is current. Then create profiles on relevant platforms — staffing agencies for locum tenens work, telehealth platforms for virtual care, and Folio for AI training opportunities. Most platforms let you set your own availability and choose projects that fit your schedule.
Start by ensuring your Texas license is current. Then create profiles on relevant platforms — staffing agencies for locum tenens work, telehealth platforms for virtual care, and Folio for AI training opportunities. Most platforms let you set your own availability and choose projects that fit your schedule.