~7,800
Median wRVUs / yr
Nasal endoscopy, T&A, sinus surgery, and balloon sinuplasty — the codes that drive ENT productivity, with 2026 CMS wRVU values.
Compensation and productivity benchmarks pulled from public physician surveys and the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
The codes that drive the bulk of otolaryngology (ent) 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 |
| 31231 | Nasal endoscopy, diagnostic | 1.10 | Procedure |
| 31237 | Nasal/sinus endoscopy with biopsy or debridement | 2.60 | Procedure |
| 42820 | Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, age under 12 | 4.22 | Procedure |
| 42821 | Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, age 12+ | 4.36 | Procedure |
| 31256 | Endoscopic sinus surgery with maxillary antrostomy | 3.11 | Procedure |
| 31295 | Balloon sinuplasty, frontal sinus | 2.70 | Procedure |
| 31298 | Balloon sinuplasty, frontal + sphenoid | 4.50 | Procedure |
| 69210 | Removal impacted cerumen, unilateral | 0.61 | Procedure |
| 69436 | Tympanostomy, bilateral, general anesthesia | 2.01 | Procedure |
Source: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS). Values reflect the national, unadjusted Work RVU.
Where otolaryngology (ent) 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 otolaryngology (ent) 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 otolaryngology (ent) 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.
31231 (diagnostic nasal endoscopy) is separately billable with an office E&M (99213-99215) when the endoscopy addresses a distinct clinical question. Append -25 to the E&M; document the indication for endoscopy clearly.
Bilateral T&A (42820, 42821) and bilateral tympanostomy (69436-50) follow standard bilateral billing. Office cerumen removal (69210) is unilateral by code; bilateral requires -50.
Endoscopic sinus surgery is per-sinus + per-laterality (31256 maxillary, 31255 ethmoid total, 31288 sphenoid, 31276 frontal). Document each sinus addressed; under-coding sinus surgery is among the most common ENT revenue leaks.
69210 (impacted cerumen, requires instrumentation) is physician-billable. Lavage by an MA without instrumentation isn't 69210 — it's bundled into the office E&M. Documentation must reflect physician work.
2026 CMS data pre-loaded for every code. Designed for the cadence of a real otolaryngology (ent) day.