Female physicians are paid less than male colleagues from the start of their careers and, over the course of a 40-year-career, earn an estimated $2 million less, according to a study published Dec. 6 in Health Affairs.
Researchers analyzed self-reported salary data submitted to Doximity by 80,342 full-time physicians between 2014 and 2019.
After controlling for factors such as specialty, experience and practice volume, researchers estimated that men earned an average adjusted gross income of $8.3 million over a simulated 40-year career, while women made $6.3 million, which equates to a 24.6 percent difference.
This gender pay gap was largest among surgical specialties, with a $2.5 million difference.
This gap has also likely widened amid the pandemic, as more women have left the workforce to take on child care or other household responsibilities, according to lead author Christopher Whaley, PhD, a health economist at the nonpartisan think tank RAND Corporation.
"This is probably going to accelerate physician burnout," Dr. Whaley told The New York Times. "And so that's just going to further exacerbate these pay issues."
Policy changes that affect younger physicians could help narrow this wage gap, he added.