Medicine is not immune to the pervasive issue of pay inequality. Despite women now making up over half of medical school classes, a significant gender pay gap persists across nearly every role in healthcare. This isn't about choice; it's about equity.
This report analyzes the latest 2024 data on the gender pay gap for physicians, PAs, NPs, and nurses, exploring the root causes and actionable steps toward closing it.
The Data Doesn't Lie: The Gap by Profession
The gap is measured as the percentage less that women earn compared to their male colleagues. Data is aggregated from Doximity, Medscape, and our own crowd-sourced submissions.
| Profession | Gender Pay Gap | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians | 25% | A female physician earns $0.75 for every $1.00 a male physician earns. |
| Physician Assistants (PAs) | 11% | A female PA earns $0.89 for every $1.00 a male PA earns. |
| Nurse Practitioners (NPs) | 10% | A female NP earns $0.90 for every $1.00 a male NP earns. |
| Registered Nurses (RNs) | 6% | A female RN earns $0.94 for every $1.00 a male RN earns. |
Note: The gap is often widest in higher-earning, procedural-based specialties like orthopedics and cardiology.
Why Does the Gap Persist? It's More Than Just Specialty Choice.
While some attribute the gap to women choosing lower-paying specialties (e.g., pediatrics vs. surgery) or working fewer hours, these factors only explain a portion of the disparity.
Negotiation & Starting Salary Bias: Men are more likely to negotiate initial job offers, and those negotiations are often more successful. A lower starting salary has a compounding effect over an entire career.
Implicit Bias: Unconscious assumptions about women's commitment (e.g., related to family planning) can influence promotion decisions and assignment of lucrative opportunities or procedures.
Lack of Salary Transparency: When pay is secretive, inequities can thrive. Women may not know they are being underpaid compared to a male peer doing the same job.
Underrepresentation in Leadership: Women hold fewer senior, high-paying leadership roles (e.g., Department Chairs, CMOs), which contributes to the overall average gap.
Closing the Gap: Strategies for Individuals and Institutions
For Healthcare Organizations:
Conduct Annual Pay Audits: Proactively analyze compensation data by gender, race, and role to identify and correct disparities.
Implement Standardized Pay Scales: Base salary on objective criteria like years of experience, specialty, and RVU targets, not negotiation history.
Promote Transparency: Create cultures where pay ranges for roles are openly discussed and available.
For Healthcare Professionals:
Know Your Market Value: Use tools like our [Salary Calculator] and industry reports before negotiations.
Negotiate Every Offer: See our [Negotiation Guide]. Frame your request based on data and documented achievements.
Advocate Collectively: Support and participate in initiatives by organizations like the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) that are working to close the gap.
The Path Forward
Closing the gender pay gap is a moral and economic imperative. It requires a concerted effort from individuals to negotiate their worth and from institutions to commit to equitable, transparent practices. Fair pay isn't just good for women; it's good for medicine.
Disclaimer: Data is aggregated from public reports and anonymous submissions for 2024. The gap is measured as a percentage of median earnings. This is informational content for awareness.
Transparency is the first step. [Submit your anonymous salary data] to help us track these trends and advocate for change.