Free Work RVU Calculator 2026

A wRVU (work Relative Value Unit) measures the physician work component of each medical service. Unlike total RVUs, which include practice expense and malpractice components, wRVUs specifically quantify clinician effort based on time, technical skill, mental effort, judgment, and stress. wRVUs are the standard metric used in physician productivity tracking and compensation models—most contracts pay a $/wRVU rate, making this the most important RVU component for compensation negotiations.

The 2026 work RVU (wRVU) for CPT code 99213 is 1.30. This is one of the most commonly billed E/M codes, representing an established patient office visit of low-to-moderate complexity (typically 20-29 minutes). For comparison, 99212 is 0.70 wRVU, 99214 is 1.92 wRVU, and 99215 is 2.80 wRVU. Use our CPT code lookup tool above to find RVU values for any code.

Use the CPT RVU lookup search box above—enter any CPT code (like 99213, 99214, or 99215) or description keyword to see its work RVU, facility total RVU, and non-facility total RVU from the 2026 CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Our database includes all 10,000+ CPT codes with their current RVU values, updated annually when CMS releases new data.

A work RVU calculator helps physicians determine their compensation rate per wRVU produced. Enter your annual salary and total wRVUs generated to calculate your $/wRVU rate, then compare it to MGMA and AMGA benchmarks for your specialty. This is essential for contract negotiations—knowing whether you're at the 25th, 50th, 75th, or 90th percentile helps you negotiate fair compensation.

Divide your total annual compensation by your total wRVUs generated. For example, if you earn $300,000 and produce 5,000 wRVUs, your rate is $60/wRVU. Our calculator does this automatically and compares your rate to specialty benchmarks from MGMA and AMGA data.

$/wRVU rates vary significantly by specialty. Primary care typically ranges $45-$65/wRVU, while procedural specialties like cardiology or orthopedics may see $35-$55/wRVU due to higher RVU generation. Our calculator shows 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile benchmarks for each specialty.

Many physician contracts include an RVU threshold—the baseline wRVU production expected before earning productivity bonuses. For example, if your threshold is 4,500 wRVUs and you produce 5,500, you'd earn bonus pay on the 1,000 wRVUs above threshold at your $/wRVU rate.

GPCI (Geographic Practice Cost Index) adjusts Medicare payments based on local costs. There are three GPCIs: Work (physician labor), Practice Expense (rent, staff), and Malpractice. Higher-cost areas like San Francisco have GPCIs above 1.0, increasing reimbursement.

Yes, CMS updates RVU values annually. In 2026, many codes are seeing adjustments—some increasing, others decreasing. Our calculator includes the latest 2026 CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule data and shows year-over-year trends.