Are you an ENT or otolaryngologist looking to enter a subspecialty? Salary is often a key factor in making that decision. General ENT has always paid well, but can subspecialties like head & neck surgery, neurotology, or facial plastics push that even higher? Physicians considering fellowship training or lateral market moves want to know how compensation varies between ENT subspecialties to make career choices that best align with financial goals. “ENT specialties” is often used as an umbrella term, but it also denotes important diversity of earning potential.
Key Takeaways
- ENT salaries range between $392,000-$420,000+ for all subspecialties averaged together.But ENT specialties have even higher earning potential, with the top paying subspecialties exceeding $500,000+.
- Geographic location, practice setting, case mix, and referral network are key factors that drive income variation between ENT specialities.
- Compensation comparisons for ENT specialties are important for planning career moves and negotiating contracts.
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What Compensation Data Shows About ENT Specialties
The average ENT salary for all subspecialties combined falls in the $392,000-$420,000 range. These data come from compensation surveys of actively practicing otolaryngologists in the United States. The top-earning ENT specialties often surpass the higher end of that six-figure range, though, moving closer to $500,000 or more.
According to the Medscape 2025 Physician Compensation Report, ENT physicians earned an average total compensation of $483,991.This includes salary and other components like bonuses and ancillary income. Medscape also notes that ENT is one of the highest-paid surgical specialties overall, with income up about 3-4% year over year.
Other sources also indicate strong pay in ENT. For example:
- The DO lists otolaryngology (ENT) as a top 10 highest-earning specialty with $484,000 average compensation.
- AMN Healthcare, as of late 2025, lists available ENT physician jobs with average pay in the $505,000 range.
These sources also confirm that ENT is high-paying, with subspecialization offering a route for some physicians to even higher compensation brackets.
Salary Ranges of ENT Specialties
The table below provides a summary of the reported ENT salary range from multiple data sources. These ranges are for actively practicing ENT physicians in competitive U.S. markets and represent a combination of salary, bonus, and other reported ancillary income. Keep in mind that these ranges are approximate and can vary based on geography, experience, practice setting, and case mix.
- Neurotology / Otology: $560,000 – $600,000+
- Head and Neck Surgery: $520,000 – $590,000
- Facial Plastic and Reconstructive: $500,000 – $570,000
- Pediatric ENT: $490,000 – $550,000
- Rhinology (Sinus and Skull Base): $480,000 – $530,000
- General Otolaryngology: $360,000 – $400,000
- Allergy/ Sleep/ Laryngology (ENT-adjacent): $370,000 – $430,000
The table shows how top-earning ENT sub-specialties pull ahead of general practice. But overhead, referral network, equipment, hospital costs, and other factors can also impact net income.
Factors Impacting Income Variation in ENT Specialties
Variation in compensation for ENT specialties is driven by several factors that combine in different ways depending on geography, practice model, and subspecialty:
- Case risk and technical difficulty: Neurotology and head & neck surgery cases can involve high technical risk and complexity. More difficult and riskier cases often carry higher reimbursement rates.
- Volume of high-value cases: Subspecialties with greater use of implants, reconstruction, revision surgery generate higher case value.
- Access to institutional and referral networks: Having a high referral network, cancer center, or tertiary center increases case and income volume.
- Academic vs. private practice: Private practice ENT surgeons often retain more revenue from ancillary services, while academic roles have a salary cap.
- Supply/demand in local and regional market: Supply/demand for ENT in an underserved region or hyper-competitive market may bid up compensation to attract talent.
ENT physicians who have completed a fellowship training in a subspecialty are on the path to higher-paying positions. Subspecialists often see higher case reimbursement, grow their referral base, and differentiate their market positioning. This requires an investment in training, but often pays dividends in higher income.
Trends Affecting ENT Specialty Compensation
ENT overall has historically been a consistently high-income field. However, with recent decreases in reimbursement in certain procedural areas and growing patient volumes in other types of cases, a few trends are worth noting going forward.
Physicians who are integrating advanced surgical tools and technology, collaborating in interdisciplinary care teams, and building referral-dependent niche ENT practices can expect to see better long-term income growth. For these ENT specialties, procedural revenue is often balanced with continuity of care income streams to optimize revenue and improve stability.
Physicians in more generalist roles or in smaller markets may experience slower growth or plateauing of income, unless they develop telehealth, allergy/sleep services, or other practice lines. It’s also worth noting that more physicians are approaching ENT with a focus on providing high-value care with lower downstream costs to the healthcare system. This, too, can affect care models and, subsequently, how compensation is earned in the specialty.
ENT physicians can be their own best advocates in developing career and practice strategies that serve them best. This includes understanding how different ENT specialties compare on salary data and the drivers of that variation.
At Physicians Thrive, we empower physicians through a range of contract and compensation advisory services. We help you analyze and compare market benchmarks, negotiate contract terms, and ensure your career choices are in line with your long-term financial goals. Contact us today.
