Female physicians earn 26.5 percent less than their male counterparts on average, according to new data from Doximity, a medical social network whose membership includes 70 percent of the nation's physicians.
In a Doximity survey of more than 36,000 physicians across 48 specialties and the U.S., women physicians reported an annual average shortfall of $91,284 compared to their male counterparts. Women did not earn more than men in any specialty.
The data also shows the magnitude of the gender pay gap varies significantly based on where a physician lives. However, what is striking is that gender parity in pay does not exist in any of the metropolitan areas included in the survey.
For example, Sacramento, Calif., boasts the smallest gender wage gap. However, female physicians in Sacramento earn 19 percent less than male physicians in Sacramento on average, according to Doximity, which comes out to about $63,283 per year. On the flip side, female physicians in Charlotte, N.C., are losing out on about twice as much money each year than female physicians in Sacramento. In Charlotte, the wage gap is 33 percent, and female physicians earn an average of $125,035 less than their male counterparts each year, according to the data.
Doximity broke down the wage gap by major metropolitan area. Here are the 25 metro areas with the largest physician gender wage gap, according to the data.
1. Charlotte, N.C. — 33 percent
2. Durham, N.C. — 31 percent
3. Orlando, Fla. —30 percent
4. Pittsburgh —30 percent
5. Bridgeport, Conn. — 29 percent
6. Louisville, Ky. — 29 percent
7. Houston — 29 percent
8. New Orleans — 29 percent
9. Charleston, S.C. — 29 percent
10. Atlanta — 28 percent
11. Nashville, Tenn. — 28 percent
12. Columbus, Ohio — 28 percent
13. Kansas City, Mo. — 27 percent
14. New York City — 27 percent
15. Birmingham, Ala. — 27 percent
16. San Jose, Calif. — 27 percent
17. Jacksonville, Fla. — 27 percent
18. Cleveland — 27 percent
19. Chicago — 27 percent
20. Detroit — 27 percent
21. Seattle — 27 percent
22. Denver — 27 percent
23. Washington, D.C. — 27 percent
24. Tampa, Fla. — 26 percent\
25. Los Angeles — 26 percent
Here are the 25 metro areas with the smallest gender wage gap, according to Doximity data.
1. Sacramento, Calif. — 19 percent
2. Minneapolis — 20 percent
3. Portland, Ore. — 21 percent
4. Rochester, N.Y. — 21 percent
5. Phoenix — 21 percent
6. Indianapolis — 21 percent
7. Ann Arbor, Mich. — 22 percent
8. Hartford, Conn. — 22 percent\
9. Milwaukee — 22 percent
10. Boston — 23 percent
11. Riverside, Calif. —23 percent
12. San Francisco — 23 percent
13. Dallas — 23 percent
14. Baltimore — 24 percent\
15. Cincinnati — 24 percent
16. Providence, R.I. — 24 percent
17. San Diego — 24 percent
18. Austin, Texas — 24 percent
19. New Haven, Conn. — 25 percent
20. San Antonio — 25 percent
21. Miami — 25 percent
22. Salt Lake City — 25 percent
23. Philadelphia — 26 percent
24. Virginia Beach, Va. — 26 percent
25. Las Vegas — 26 percent
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