EPENT Physician
EP
Career

ENT Physician

By the numbers
Typical pay
$265,930 / yr
Education to start
Doctoral or professional degree
Future demand
+2.5% by 2034
People in this job
343K
Figures shown for ·closest of 2 O*NET occupations
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:00
Chart prep & imaging

Review today's patient files, CT scans, and hearing test results before clinic opens.

07:45
OR: sinus surgery

Guide a tiny endoscope into blocked sinuses; clear them out with precise instruments.

10:00
Clinic: morning block

Rapid-fire patients — ear infections, chronic allergies, a kid who snores, a hoarse teacher.

11:30
Scope & decide

Scope a patient's throat; the mass looks suspicious — biopsy now, don't wait.

12:15
Cancer conversation

Sit down with a patient, deliver the throat-cancer diagnosis, walk through next steps.

13:00
Clinic: afternoon block

More patients — hearing loss workup, post-op check, a toddler with tubes in her ears.

15:00
Hearing aid fitting

Program a new hearing aid; patient hears their grandkid's voice clearly for the first time.

15:45
Neck lump call

Review a patient's ultrasound — lump is growing; schedule biopsy, loop in oncology.

16:30
Notes & wrap

Finish documentation, sign off on referrals, flag anything urgent for tomorrow's OR.

Things you do
  • Operate on ears, sinuses, and throats using tiny, precise instruments.
  • Scope a patient's nose or throat to see what's going on inside.
  • Diagnose why someone can't hear, breathe, or swallow properly.
  • Remove tumors from the head and neck, sometimes reconstructing afterward.
  • Fit patients with hearing aids or implant cochlear devices to restore hearing.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this lump in the neck something I can watch, or do I need to biopsy it now?
  • Should I operate, or will this patient do just as well with medication?
  • Is this child's hearing loss permanent, or could we still reverse it?
  • Do I need to tell this patient their throat mass might be cancer today?
  • Is this sinus surgery straightforward enough to do outpatient, or does this patient need a hospital?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Audiologists · 42% related
If you like this, also look at