Specialty benchmark

Pulmonology RVU productivity benchmarks and wRVU targets 2026

Name: Pulmonology RVU benchmark and CPT mix dataset
Creator: RVUinUSA
Published: 2026-06-17
License: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician

Median wRVU, percentile targets, compensation assumptions, productivity drivers, and common CPT codes for Pulmonology.

Specialty benchmark context

screen a target, review CPT mix and productivity drivers, model salary or contract terms, and document benchmark assumptions.

Input: Pulmonology annual wRVU target, CPT mix, geography, and dollars per wRVU
Source basis: Specialty benchmark assumptions, CPT mappings from CMS 2026 records, representative GPCI factors, salary assumptions, and user workflow inputs.
Result boundary: The page cannot determine offer fairness without contract terms, FTE definition, source-year benchmark detail, and employer-specific context.

Screen contract termsUse the benchmark with target, rate, base salary, and guarantee inputs.Next action Estimate salaryModel compensation from wRVU and dollars-per-wRVU assumptions.Next action

Median wRVU

6,600

$ per wRVU

$54.00

Median salary

$356,000.00

Benchmark methodology

Use these numbers as modeled specialty assumptions, not as a licensed benchmark feed.

RVUinUSA specialty values are modeled specialty assumptions for workflow screening. They are not licensed MGMA, AMGA, or AAMC benchmark data, and they should be checked against the benchmark source named in a real contract or compensation policy.

The CMS-backed portions of this page are CPT and GPCI payment inputs. Specialty median wRVU, percentile, salary, and dollars-per-wRVU fields are planning assumptions for comparison, negotiation, and sensitivity review.

Inputs

Specialty CPTLocalitySettingConversion factor

Results

Selected CPT payment

CPT 10035: 10.34 total RVU.

$345.37

Selected code

10035

wRVU

1.66

Total RVU

10.34

Participant

NON-QPP

Review

CPT	Description	Total RVU	Payment
10035	Plmt sft tiss loclzj dev 1st	10.34	$345.37
11102	Tangntl bx skin single les	2.86	$95.53
11424	Exc h-f-nk-sp b9+marg 3.1-4	7.30	$243.83
11644	Exc f/e/e/n/l mal+mrg 3.1-4	11.76	$392.79
11981	Insertion drug dlvr implant	3.22	$107.55
12051	Intmd rpr face/mm 2.5 cm/<	8.47	$282.91
14350	Filleted finger/toe flap	18.41	$614.91
15241	Fth/gft f/c/c/m/n/a/g/h/f ea	5.38	$179.70

CMS provenance

Source file and formula trace

Source file

2026/rvu26b

Release date

2026-03-10

Field mapping

CPT or HCPCS code, Work RVU, Practice expense RVU, Malpractice RVU, GPCI locality, Conversion factor

Specialty CPT payment provenance for CPT 10035. The calculation uses CMS April 2026 RVU records, GPCI localities, and conversion factors. Verify official CMS and payer rules before billing or contract decisions.

CPT or HCPCS code: CMS PFS Relative Value Files RVU record and descriptor fields
Work RVU: CMS PFS Relative Value Files work RVU component
Practice expense RVU: CMS PFS Relative Value Files facility and non-facility PE RVU fields
Malpractice RVU: CMS PFS Relative Value Files malpractice RVU component

CPT 10035: 10.34 total RVU and $345.37 estimated payment in National Average.

Productivity profile

Production model, drivers, and contract risk behind the benchmark.

Production model

Mixed outpatient pulmonary, inpatient consult, ICU, bronchoscopy, sleep medicine, PFT, and call-based productivity. Pulmonary-only and pulmonary-critical care roles need separate modeling.

Productivity drivers

Outpatient pulmonary visit volume
ICU shifts and critical care billing
Bronchoscopy, PFT, and sleep medicine mix

Contract risks

Pulmonary-critical care target is compared with pulmonary-only context
ICU shifts reduce clinic productivity without separate treatment
Call and procedures are not clearly credited

A specialty benchmark is useful only when the clinical production model, CPT mix, and contract risk are visible.

Benchmark caution: Pulmonology benchmarks should separate clinic, ICU, procedure, and sleep medicine work. A single annual target can be misleading if ICU shifts or call reduce clinic capacity.

CPT mix area	Benchmark interpretation
Clinic E/M	Outpatient pulmonary visits provide the recurring productivity base.
Critical care	ICU work can materially change wRVU and workload.
Procedures/testing	Bronchoscopy, PFT, and sleep services should be modeled distinctly.

Contract interpretation

A Pulmonology offer should be compared against the median target of 6,600 wRVU, the 75th percentile target of 8,448 wRVU, and the proposed dollars per wRVU. A target above the 75th percentile can still be fair, but it needs matching conversion rate, support staffing, ramp-up time, and written guarantee language.

Compare percentile Analyze contract Estimate salary

Percentile range

Use percentile ranges to understand whether a production target is conservative, median, aggressive, or very high.

Percentile	wRVU/year
25th	5,148
50th	6,600
75th	8,448
90th	10,428

CPT RVU component table

Review common CPT work RVU, practice expense RVU, malpractice RVU, setting, and modeled frequency before opening code-specific payment pages.

CPT	Description	Work RVU	PE RVU	MP RVU	Setting	Typical freq/year	Productivity interpretation
94010	Breathing capacity testHigh-frequency low-RVU service	0.17	0.70	0.02	Non-facility	8,800	Low wRVU per service; benchmark impact depends on repeatable volume and workflow support.
99214	Office o/p est mod 30 minE/M visit workload	1.92	2.00	0.14	Non-facility	1,146	Good benchmark anchor for recurring visit volume, panel maturity, and schedule template assumptions.
31624	Dx bronchoscope/lavageModerate physician work driver	2.56	0.82	0.24	Facility	859	Use with the specialty benchmark and contract terms before translating volume into compensation.

Typical frequency is a modeled benchmark helper, not a utilization claim. It divides the specialty median wRVU target across the listed CPT mix so users can see whether production is visit-heavy, interpretation-heavy, procedure-heavy, or mixed.

Geographic salary variation

Illustrative salary variation based on representative state average GPCI factors.

State	Adj. factor	GPCI-adjusted salary	GPCI page
Florida	1.317	$468,733.33	View state
Illinois	1.294	$460,515.67	View state
New York	1.157	$411,812.89	View state
District of Columbia	1.115	$396,940.00	View state
New Jersey	1.104	$393,182.22	View state

Reference links

Use these resources after the benchmark and calculator workflows.

Physician Productivity Benchmarks: wRVU Targets by SpecialtyBenchmarks How to Negotiate Physician Salary Using RVUsContracts Physician Contract wRVU ThresholdsContracts

FAQ

Use these answers to interpret specialty benchmarks, CPT mix, and compensation assumptions.

What is the median wRVU benchmark for Pulmonology?

The current Pulmonology median benchmark is 6,600 wRVU per year.

What is a typical dollars per wRVU assumption for Pulmonology?

The current Pulmonology compensation assumption is $54.00 per wRVU.

How should I use the Pulmonology percentile table?

Use the percentile table to compare a contract target with specialty-specific production expectations before evaluating conversion rate and guarantee terms.