In Maryland, there is still a significant gender gap in physician compensation, even when controlling for age, speciality, hours and practice status, according the state's medical society.
The survey, conducted by physician search and consulting firm Merritt Hawkins for the Maryland State Medical Society, used the society's physician database to reach all physicians in the state between August and October 2021. In total, 506 physicians responded.
The survey, released March 8, found several striking results, mostly regarding the unchanged gender gap in compensation. Female physicians in Maryland earn around 50 percent less than male physicians, with the average male salary at $320,000 compared to $213,000 for women. These disparities were present in 2016, when the medical society began conducting these surveys.
Male and female physicians were found to work the same number of hours, averaging 48 hours per week for men, and 48.3 hours per week for women, suggesting the gender pay gap is not due to hours worked. Even when practice status, speciality and age are factored into the equation, women are still earning less, according to the survey.
Other findings showed that Black physicians earned less than their white and Asian counterparts, with Black physicians earning an average 2020 income of $225,000, compared to $268,000 for white physicians and $325,000 for Asian physicians. The COVID-19 pandemic also hit physician salary in the state, with salaries seeing an average decline of 7.7 percent since 2016.