~6,500
Median wRVUs / yr
Office E&M, biopsies, destructions, excisions, and Mohs — the high-volume codes that drive a derm day, with 2026 CMS wRVU values and a tracker for clinic + procedure room workflows.
Compensation and productivity benchmarks pulled from public physician surveys and the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
The codes that drive the bulk of dermatology billing, with current Work RVU values from the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Use these as a baseline — locality (GPCI) and modifiers adjust the final payment.
| Code | Description | wRVU | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99213 | Office visit, est. patient, low (20 min) | 1.30 | E&M |
| 99214 | Office visit, est. patient, moderate (30 min) | 1.92 | E&M |
| 99215 | Office visit, est. patient, high (40 min) | 2.80 | E&M |
| 11102 | Tangential biopsy of skin, single lesion | 0.66 | Procedure |
| 11104 | Punch biopsy of skin, single lesion | 0.83 | Procedure |
| 11106 | Incisional biopsy of skin, single lesion | 1.01 | Procedure |
| 17000 | Destruction of premalignant lesion, first | 0.61 | Procedure |
| 17003 | Destruction premalignant, lesions 2-14, each | 0.04 | Procedure |
| 17110 | Destruction benign lesion, up to 14 | 0.70 | Procedure |
| 17311 | Mohs micrographic surgery, head/neck/genitalia, first stage | 6.20 | Procedure |
| 17312 | Mohs each additional stage | 3.30 | Procedure |
| 11401 | Excision benign lesion, trunk/arms/legs, 0.6-1.0 cm | 1.28 | Procedure |
| 11606 | Excision malignant lesion, trunk/arms/legs, >4.0 cm | 5.02 | Procedure |
Source: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS). Values reflect the national, unadjusted Work RVU.
Where dermatology productivity falls across the percentile distribution. Most RVU-based contracts target the median (50th percentile); high-volume practices push into the 75th-90th range.
MGMA-aligned 2024 estimates. Verify with your group's data source for contract negotiations.
Typical total compensation ranges across a dermatology career. Numbers blend salary, RVU productivity, and bonus components reported in physician surveys.
First 1-3 years out of training. Base-heavy contracts; productivity bonuses begin to ramp.
Years 4-10. RVU-based comp dominates as case volume settles into a steady pattern.
10+ years, partnership track, ASC ownership, or high-volume practice settings.
Ranges synthesized from Doximity 2024 and AMGA / MGMA-aligned compensation reports. Actual offers vary by region, practice setting, and case mix.
Most RVU tools were built for one type of day. RVU Tracker handles the mix of clinic, procedures, and inpatient work that actually shows up on a dermatology schedule.
Save your most-used codes as quick-add buttons. Log a visit in seconds between patients.
Add multiple codes per encounter; the tracker sums correctly with MPPR awareness when relevant.
Tag clinic vs. procedure days and see productivity per session. Decide where to add capacity.
Every code ships with current Work RVU values. Year-over-year updates roll out automatically.
Set your wRVU threshold. The tracker shows monthly pace and projects year-end totals.
Plug in your conversion factor and see real-time earnings. Compare offers during contract review.
A few high-leverage details that quietly cost RVUs (and revenue) when missed.
Use 11102 / 11104 / 11106 (revised in 2019) for biopsies. The first lesion uses the primary code; each additional lesion of the same technique uses the +11103 / +11105 / +11107 add-on. Order matters — highest-paying technique should be the primary.
17000 + 17003 (per additional, 2-14 lesions) cap at 14 for premalignant destructions. Lesions 15+ use 17004 (15 or more, single code). Track lesion count carefully — systems often miss the cap.
17311 / 17312 are by stage; 17313 / 17314 are body-site variants. Add-on +17315 covers 5+ specimens in a single block. Document stages and specimens precisely — this is one of the most-audited derm coding areas.
Excision codes (11400-11646) are sized by lesion + margins, not by closure size. Document pre-excision diameter + planned margins. Closure (12001+ simple, 12031+ intermediate, 13100+ complex) is separately billable.
2026 CMS data pre-loaded for every code. Designed for the cadence of a real dermatology day.