Sore throat and neck pain x 2 days. now right ear is bothering me. gargling salt water, taking tylenol (acetaminophen). how long do i wait before going to my doctor?

It's still early: Ibuprofen may be a bit more helpful compared with the tylenol (acetaminophen). Gargling not good enough. The ear pain is from swelling/occlusion of the eustachian tube. Remedy for that is sniffing the salt water straight up your nostrils. Don't forget vitamin c and lots of sleep.

Probably viral: You most likely have a viral pharyngitis and myringitis (ear drum involvement). If you have fever, you should see your doctor to rule out a more serious infection. If no fever, and if your general health is otherwise good, i'd stay the course - you should be getting better in the next 24 - 48 hours with a 7 day course overall.

If significant sore: Throat especially with swollen lymph nodes, exudates & enlarged, beefy red tonsils - you could see your doctor's office tomorrow for a strep throat test/ culture. It would save you $ - as compared to going to the er.