The gender wage gap has affected all industries, even doctors. New data, however, shows the chasm is finally narrowing.
For the first time in five years, lopsided physician salaries are starting to balance out according to a new report by Medscape.
“In a year when physician salaries overall continued to climb, women in primary care earned 19% less than male physicians, compared to 25% less in 2018,” the report said. “The disparity also narrowed within specialties, from a 36% difference in 2018 versus 31% in 2022. Women in primary care earned an average $239,000 in 2022 as compared to $286,000 for male physicians. For specialists, men earned an average $415,000 versus $327,000 for women.”
Unfortunately, The racial disparity gap is still as pervasive as ever, with African American and Black doctors making 13% less than white physicians, according to Medscape.
“While there is more work to be done, the progress on gender pay disparities was a positive development in this year’s report,” said Leslie Kane, MA, Senior Director, Medscape Business of Medicine in a news release shared with ESSENCE. “That said, the issue of physician burnout, fueled by long hours and bureaucratic burdens, continues to have an impact on how physicians view their careers, their satisfaction with pay, and other aspects of medicine.
She continued: “At a time of growing physician shortages, it’s important for institutions and organizations to continue to examine industry norms and practices that can hinder physician satisfaction with their career choices.”
Medscape surveyed more than 10,000 U.S.-based physicians across 29 specialties over nearly a year regarding their salary, hours worked, and time spent with patients. Finding revealed that the average physician salary sat at $352,000, which is a 4% increase over the previous year and more than 17% percent higher than in 2018.