10 numbers that show gender pay gap in healthcare

The gender pay gap plagues women in the U.S., and the healthcare industry is no exception. Here are 10 numbers that illustrate the gender pay gap:

1. In 2020, the gender pay gap widened from 25.2 percent in 2019 to 28 percent, with female physicians earning on average $116,289 less than men annually, according to a Doximity report that analyzed 44,000 physician salaries.
   
   
2. The gaps varied by specialty, where the widest pay gaps were for orthopedic surgery (an average pay gap of $122,677) and otolaryngology (an average pay gap of $108,905).
   
   
3. There were zero specialties where women and men were paid the same, or women made more than men. The smallest pay gaps were for nuclear medicine (an average pay gap of $9,255) and hematology (an average pay gap of $35,673).
   
   
4. Female department chairs at public medical schools earned on average $70,000 to $80,000 less per year than men, a 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open found.
   
   
5. Women who have held their chair positions for more than a decade earned $127,411 less than their male peers annually.
   
   
6. In Maryland, male physicians earn $335,000 per year on average, compared to $224,000 for women —  a difference nearing 50 percent, according to a 2018 study of 508 physicians by the Maryland State Medical Society.
   
   
7. Gender pay gaps start at women's first job and follow them through their careers. The mean starting salary for male residents is about $17,000 higher than for their female counterparts, according to a 2018 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
   
   
8. In 2021, women earned 84 cents for each $1 their male counterparts earned, according to a Pew Research report. That means women had to work an additional 42 days in a year to pull in the same amount of money as men did.
   
   
9. Some women's hospital leadership careers fizzle out early on. A larger percent of men report being given clear expectations for success in their roles than women. Men are 13 percent more likely to receive leadership skills training than women and are 22 percent more likely to be assigned a formal mentor, according to a recent leadership transition report by Development Dimensions International.
   
   
10. Women are 19 percent less likely to be formally assessed than men. Additionally, women report higher levels of stress in the transition process.