Thoracic Surgery wRVU Rate 2026
What Thoracic Surgery attending physicians are paid per work RVU (wRVU), from 17 approved SalaryDr reports, data as of March 26, 2025.
Figures from 24 or fewer reports (after outliers are trimmed) are rounded to the whole dollar to protect privacy.
What a wRVU rate is
A work relative value unit (wRVU) measures the physician work in a service: the scale Medicare uses to price visits and procedures gives every billing code a number of wRVUs for its time, skill and intensity. A wRVU rate (or conversion factor) is what an employer pays for each wRVU a physician is credited with.
Productivity pay is the rate times the volume. Many contracts pay a base salary and apply the rate only to wRVUs above a threshold, so the same rate can mean different pay under different contracts.
Illustration, not SalaryDr data
5,000 wRVUs × $73 per wRVU = $365,000 in productivity pay.
The rate is the Thoracic Surgery median above; 5,000 wRVUs is a round number chosen for the arithmetic, not a benchmark. SalaryDr does not publish wRVU volumes because too few reports include them.
Total compensation, for context
The median Thoracic Surgery attending on SalaryDr reports $790,000 in total compensation, from 20 approved reports. That includes base salary, bonuses and other pay, so it is not simply rate × volume. See Thoracic Surgery salary data.
Thoracic Surgery wRVU rates by practice setting
| Practice setting | Median | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Employed | $73† | 7 |
| Private Practice | $72† | 6 |
Thoracic Surgery wRVU rates by region
| Region | Median | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $71† | 7 |
Thoracic Surgery wRVU rates by state
| State | Median | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $71† | 6 |
Thoracic Surgery wRVU rates by experience
| Years in practice | Median | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 11–15 years | $72† | 6 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median wRVU rate for Thoracic Surgery?
Thoracic Surgery attendings on SalaryDr report a median of $73 per wRVU across 17 approved reports (data as of March 26, 2025). The middle 50% report $72 to $74 per wRVU.
How does practice setting change Thoracic Surgery wRVU rates?
Hospital Employed: $73 median (7 reports); Private Practice: $72 median (6 reports).
How do you estimate pay from a wRVU rate?
Multiply the rate by the wRVUs you are credited with. As an illustration only, 5,000 wRVUs at the Thoracic Surgery median of $73 come to $365,000 in productivity pay. 5,000 is a round number chosen for the arithmetic, not a Thoracic Surgery benchmark: SalaryDr does not publish wRVU volumes because too few reports include them. Many contracts also pay a base salary and apply the rate only to wRVUs above a threshold.
What is total compensation for Thoracic Surgery?
The median Thoracic Surgery attending on SalaryDr reports $790,000 in total compensation, from 20 approved reports. Total compensation includes base salary, bonuses and other pay, so it is not simply rate × volume.
Where does this wRVU data come from?
From compensation Thoracic Surgery attendings reported to SalaryDr, approved by moderation before publication (reports are not NPI-verified). Rates outside $20–$200 per wRVU are excluded as entry errors and outliers beyond 1.5×IQR are trimmed. Every figure needs at least 5 reports left after trimming, the 10th and 90th percentiles need 15, and figures from 24 or fewer are rounded to the whole dollar.
Keep exploring
† From 24 or fewer reports after outliers are trimmed: rounded to the whole dollar to protect privacy.
Source: SalaryDr salary data for Thoracic Surgery (N=17 approved reports, updated March 26, 2025, data as of 2025-03-26). URL: https://www.salarydr.com