Female physicians made almost $15,000 less than their male counterparts, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
The survey assessed hospital medical physicians' compensations around the country. Study authors found the difference in male and female pay after controlling for factors including age, geography, specialty and amount and type of clinical work.
More females than males were pediatricians, worked in university settings, worked in the western United States and were divorced. Women were also less likely to be leaders than men.
According to the study, the top priority for male and female physicians in the workplace was optimal workload. Substantial pay was the number two priority for men and the number four priority for women.
"In addition to implicit bias and differences in negotiations and social networks, women's tendency to prioritize substantial pay less than men may account for some of the gender pay inequalities that exist in our society," said A. Charlotta Weaver, MD, lead author of the study. "However, substantial pay is different from equal pay. I bet most women still want fair pay."