Female Physicians See $17K Less in Starting Salary Due to Widening Gender Gap

The gender gap in starting salaries for female physicians is widening, rising from a difference of $3,600 in 1999 to $16,819 in 2008, according to a study published in Health Affairs.  

The study mentioned in the report is based on survey data from more than 8,000 physicians exiting training programs in New York, which is home to more residency programs and resident physicians than any other state in the country. Other findings include:

• Female heart surgeons were paid $27,103 less on average than males.
• Female otolaryngologists made $32,207 less than males.
• Women specializing in pulmonary disease made $44,320 less than men.

The differences in pay remain even when specialty, practice type, hours worked and other factors were taken into account. The same gap occurs in both primary care and specialty fields. Potential reasons that cannot be ruled out include an increase in gender discrimination and that women are not as skilled as men at negotiating salaries, according to the report.

Read the Health Affairs report on the gender gap in starting physician salaries.

Read more about physician compensation:

- Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant Average Salaries Jump $25K Since 2001

- Revenue vs. Salary: 20 Statistics Based on Physician Specialty

- Hospital-Employed Physician Salaries Could Jump 2.3% in 2011


Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars