Addressing Gender-Based Disparities in Earning Potential in Academic Medicine

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Eva Catenaccio, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Jonathan M. Rochlin, Maimonides Medical Center; Harold Simon, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-02-18
• Publisher: JAMA Network
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: 2022 Catenaccio E et al. JAMA Network Open.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0067
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JAMA Network Open
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 2
• Grant/Funding Information: Open access publication fees were supported by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Pediatrics Diversity Endowment, the Emory Open Access Publishing Fund, and the Maimonides Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine.
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Education; Gender Studies; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

Question Are there gender-based differences in early career earning potential between female and male academic physicians in the US and, if so, are they predominantly the result of unequal starting salaries or annual salary growth rates? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 54 479 academic physicians, women had lower starting salaries in 42 of 45 subspecialties, lower mean annual salary growth rates in 22 of 45 subspecialties, and lower 10-year earning potential in 43 of 45 subspecialties. Equalizing starting salaries would make up the majority of the gender-based differences in early career earning potential. Meaning These findings suggest that gender-based disparities in early career earning potential are pervasive in academic medicine in the US but could be addressed by equalizing starting salaries.