| Modality | Professional wRVU range | Representative exam |
|---|---|---|
| Radiography | 0.13 – 0.31 | Chest 2-view 0.21; lumbar spine 4+ views 0.25 |
| Fluoroscopy | 0.26 – 1.01 | Upper GI 0.78; contrast enema 1.01 |
| Ultrasound | 0.44 – 0.97 | Abdomen complete 0.79; OB ≥14wk 0.97 |
| Mammography | 0.59 – 0.98 | Screening bilateral 0.74; diagnostic bilateral 0.98 |
| CT | 0.57 – 2.34 | Head w/o 0.83; abdomen/pelvis w/ 1.77; CCTA 2.34 |
| MR / MRA | 1.17 – 2.24 | Brain w/wo 2.23; lumbar spine w/o 1.44 |
| Nuclear / PET | 0.44 – 2.44 | Bone scan 0.84; PET/CT whole body 2.44 |
| IR / Procedures | 0.53 – 5.65 | Paracentesis 1.95; tunneled port 5.65 |
wRVU values are the CY2026 CMS Physician Fee Schedule work RVUs and may be revised by CMS. Income figures are projections from a user-entered rate, not a statement of actual compensation. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.
Radiology RVU Calculator
This radiology RVU calculator turns a worklist into a live work RVU (wRVU) total, projected income at your contract rate, and an annualized figure against a productivity target. Tally exams from a 169-code library — radiography, CT, MR, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, mammography, fluoroscopy and image-guided procedures — with −/+ steppers or direct counts, and read the running total, the per-modality split, and a copyable one-line summary. Every value is the CY2026 CMS professional work RVU for that CPT, so the output reflects the interpretation credit you actually book.
Three editable settings drive the projection — $/wRVU, clinical days/year, and an annual wRVU target — so the dollar and benchmark figures track your contract rather than a national average. Use it to clock a shift in real time, to convert volume into income, or to sanity-check a productivity benchmark before a contract conversation.
The RVU Mechanics That Actually Affect Your Pay
Compensation models hinge on three distinctions that are rarely taught and easy to get wrong:
- Work vs total RVU. Total RVU = work + practice-expense (PE) + malpractice (MP), each GPCI-adjusted. Productivity compensation is keyed to the work component alone; PE and MP follow whoever owns the technical side. This tool sums wRVU only.
- Professional (−26) carries the same work RVU as global. All physician work lives in the professional component, so reading hospital studies (hospital bills TC) books the identical wRVU shown here — the global code adds technical PE, not extra work.
- $/wRVU is not the conversion factor. The CY2026 CMS conversion factor is ~$33.40 (non-QP) to ~$33.57 (QP) per total RVU — a Medicare payment rate. A contract $/wRVU applies to work RVUs alone and runs ~$45–$60 for diagnostic radiology. Multiplying wRVU by the conversion factor is the classic costing error; enter your contract rate instead.
How to Use the Calculator
- Build the worklist — filter by modality or search by name/CPT, then set counts. Only non-zero rows contribute; the CPT and its 2026 wRVU show on each row.
- Read the live totals — studies, total wRVU, dollar value at your rate, and a per-modality wRVU breakdown showing where the work concentrates.
- Set rate and benchmarks — contract $/wRVU, clinical days/year, annual wRVU target.
- Annualize — the tool scales the day across your clinical days, projects annual wRVU and income, and shows progress against target. Copy the summary for a productivity note.
Professional wRVU by Modality (2026 CMS)
| Modality | Professional wRVU range | Representative exams (CPT / wRVU) |
|---|---|---|
| Radiography | 0.13 – 0.31 | Chest 2-view 71046 / 0.21; lumbar spine 4+ views 72110 / 0.25 |
| Fluoroscopy | 0.26 – 1.01 | Upper GI 74240 / 0.78; contrast enema 74270 / 1.01 |
| Ultrasound | 0.44 – 0.97 | Abdomen complete 76700 / 0.79; OB ≥14wk 76805 / 0.97 |
| Mammography | 0.59 – 0.98 | Screening bilateral 77067 / 0.74; diagnostic bilateral 77066 / 0.98 |
| CT | 0.57 – 2.34 | Head w/o 70450 / 0.83; abdomen-pelvis w/ 74177 / 1.77; CCTA 75574 / 2.34 |
| MR / MRA | 1.17 – 2.24 | Brain w/wo 70553 / 2.23; lumbar spine w/o 72148 / 1.44 |
| Nuclear / PET | 0.44 – 2.44 | Bone scan 78306 / 0.84; PET/CT whole body 78816 / 2.44 |
| IR / Procedures | 0.53 – 5.65 | Paracentesis 49083 / 1.95; tunneled port 36561 / 5.65 |
Reading the Annual Number
A full-time diagnostic radiologist generates roughly 8,000–13,000 wRVU/year (MGMA median near 10,500; academic generally below private practice). Two readers with identical study counts can differ by 50% on mix alone — a CT/MR-weighted body or neuro list accrues far faster than plain film or screening mammography. Benchmark like with like: subspecialty, shift type, and whether the figure is professional-only or global. And wRVU credit is not collections — that depends on payer mix and the technical component.
Coding Traps That Skew the Count
- Combined CT abdomen/pelvis is one code (74176–74178), not abdomen + pelvis; w/wo outranks single-phase. Wrong-phase selection is the commonest miscount.
- Guidance and add-ons stack. Image-guidance (76942, 77002, 77012) is reported alongside the procedure; the library lists them separately so both are captured.
- Values are re-priced annually. These are the CY2026 release — a code worth 1.82 last year may be 1.77 now. State the data year whenever you quote productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many wRVUs does a radiologist generate per day?
A full clinical day typically runs 40–55 wRVU, scaling to 8,000–13,000/year over ~220–240 clinical days. Mix dominates: a CT/MR-heavy body or neuro shift can exceed 60 wRVU; a plain-film or screening day may sit below 30. Enter a representative day and use the annualize panel to see where it lands.
What is the average dollar per wRVU for radiologists?
Diagnostic radiology contract rates generally fall in the $45–$60 per wRVU range, higher for IR and in some subspecialty or high-demand markets. This is distinct from the CMS conversion factor (~$33.40–$33.57 per total RVU in 2026). Always model with your own contract figure.
Does the professional component have a different wRVU than the global code?
No — the −26 professional component carries the same work RVU as the global code, because all physician work is in the interpretation. The global code adds technical-component PE, not work. A radiologist reading hospital studies books the full wRVU shown here even though the hospital bills TC separately.
Should I multiply my wRVUs by the Medicare conversion factor to estimate income?
No. The conversion factor applies to total RVUs and is a Medicare payment rate, not a compensation rate — multiplying it by work RVUs understates pay and mixes incompatible quantities. Use your contract $/wRVU, which applies to work RVUs alone.
Where do these wRVU values come from?
The CY2026 CMS Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value File (PPRRVU release), using the work RVU for each CPT. Values are professional work only and exclude PE, MP and geographic adjustment. CMS re-prices the file each year, and individual codes can change.
References
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. PFS Relative Value Files — RVU26A (CY2026). PPRRVU2026 work RVUs used in this calculator.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CY2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS-1832-F). CY2026 conversion factors.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Physician Fee Schedule Look-up Tool. Per-code RVU verification.
- Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Provider Compensation and Productivity Data. Specialty wRVU and compensation benchmarks.
Uses CY2026 CMS work RVUs for estimation; income figures are projections from a user-entered rate. In case of discrepancy, the current CMS fee schedule and your contract terms take precedence. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.
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