ENT salary dipped in 2020 compared to 2019, but physicians have revived the majority of their patient volume, according to Medscape's "Otolaryngologist Compensation Report 2021."
Medscape compiled survey data from physicians between Oct. 6, 2020, and Feb. 11, 2021.
Eight takeaways:
1. The average ENT annual compensation was $417,000 in 2020, which is down from $455,000 in 2019.
2. Sixty-two percent of ENTs reported some decline in compensation in 2020.
3. The average incentive bonus for ENTs was $72,000. Fifty-seven percent of ENTs usually achieve their full bonus.
4. ENTs spend about 12.6 hours per week on average doing paperwork and administrative tasks.
5. The average ENT work hours have bounced back to pre-pandemic times. Before the pandemic, they worked 52 hours per week; currently, the average work week is 50 hours.
6. Patient volume is also close to pre-pandemic levels. The average number of patients ENTs see weekly now is 71, compared to 84 before the pandemic.
7. Sixty-seven percent of self-employed ENTs saw a 1 percent to 25 percent reduction in patient volume permanently.
8. Most ENTs (86 percent) are still taking new and current Medicare and Medicaid patients.